What Most People Get Wrong About This
The usual line: a car insurance quote is just a price. Type in a ZIP code and a car, take the lowest number, done.
What's actually true: a quote is a price for a specific set of facts. Change the facts and the price changes. Insurers check your answers against your driving record and claims history, and Minnesota law lets them cancel a policy obtained through a material misrepresentation (Minn. Stat. 65B.15). And two quotes at different limits aren't two prices for the same thing.
What to do instead: treat the quote as a worksheet. Give complete answers once, line up every quote at the same limits and deductibles, and the number you compare is the number you'll actually pay.
Most Minnesota drivers start shopping the day a renewal notice shows up with a bigger number on it. Gather everything first, so you aren't hunting for a VIN in the driveway halfway through. This checklist goes deeper than the short list in our complete Minnesota car insurance guide: exactly what to bring for each driver and vehicle, which parts of your current policy matter, how to compare quotes fairly, and why a price can still change after you buy.
- Accident lookback
- 36 monthsMinn. Stat. 65B.15 disclosure
- Claims report
- Up to 7 yearsC.L.U.E. auto, per the CFPB
- 55+ course
- 4 hoursRetake every 3 years to stay eligible
- Credit re-score
- Up to 2×/yearOn request, Minn. Stat. 72A.20
What do you need for a car insurance quote in Minnesota?
Short answerDriver details for everyone in the household, vehicle details for every car, your current declarations page, the limits you want priced and proof of any discount you plan to claim.
Print this or keep it open on your phone. Most of it lives in your wallet, your insurance documents and your glove box.
| Bring this | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ License number and birth date for every household driver | Each driver's license or permit | Insurers use it to pull each driver's motor vehicle record |
| ☐ Tickets, crashes and claims, past 3 to 5 years | Your memory, your DVS driving record, past claim letters | Surprises found later can change the price |
| ☐ VIN for each vehicle | Registration card, insurance card, driver-side dashboard or door jamb | Confirms the exact trim and safety equipment |
| ☐ Where each car is parked overnight | The garaging address and ZIP | Rates vary by ZIP code |
| ☐ Yearly mileage and how each car is used | Odometer readings, a rough commute estimate | Commute, business and rideshare use are rated differently |
| ☐ Lender or leasing company name and address | Loan or lease paperwork | Lenders may require collision and comprehensive |
| ☐ Current declarations page | Your insurer's app, email or renewal packet | Shows your limits, deductibles and endorsements |
| ☐ Current carrier and renewal date | The declarations page | Lets the new policy start the day the old one ends |
| ☐ Any gap in coverage | Old policy dates | Many insurers ask about recent continuous coverage |
| ☐ The limits you want quoted | This article's comparison table, below | The only fair comparison is at identical limits |
| ☐ Discount proof | Course certificate, report card, other policies | A discount you can't document may not stick |
What driver information do insurers ask for, and who has to be listed?
Short answerName, birth date, license number and recent driving history for every licensed driver in your household, plus anyone who regularly drives your cars, even if they never drive "much."
For each driver, have the license number, date of birth and how long they've been licensed. Then list every ticket, at-fault accident and claim from the past three to five years, with rough dates. Minnesota's auto nonrenewal rule counts a chargeable accident or a moving violation for an experience period of three years (Minn. R. 2770.7700, subp. 5). And Minn. Stat. 65B.15 treats a failure to disclose the named insured's accidents and moving violations from the prior 36 months, when the written application asked for them, as one of the reasons an insurer may cancel a policy.
Not sure what's on your record? You can request your own Minnesota driving record through a MyDVS account, at a driver's license exam station or full-service deputy registrar office, or by mail, according to the Department of Public Safety. A fee applies.
Who in the household has to be on the quote
List every licensed driver who lives with you, including a teen with a permit and a college student who drives the family car on breaks. Also list anyone outside the house who drives one of your cars regularly. Some 65B.15 cancellation grounds, such as a suspended or revoked license, reach past the named insured to any other operator who lives in the household or regularly drives the car, unless that person is a named insured on another policy. A driver the insurer never heard about is a driver it never priced.
Ask how the insurer handles permit drivers; practices vary. A household member with their own car and policy may not need to be rated on yours, but usually still needs to be disclosed.
Excluding a driver
Some insurers let you formally exclude a named household member, such as a relative with a serious violation. Whether that's offered, and what it means, depends on the insurer and the policy form. Typically it trades a lower price for little or no coverage if that person drives anyway. Read the endorsement before you sign it.
What vehicle details change the price of a quote?
Short answerThe VIN, where the car sleeps at night, how far and for what it's driven, and whether a lender has an interest in it.
- VIN, year, make and model. The 17-character VIN is on your registration, your current insurance card and the driver-side dashboard. It pins down trim and safety features.
- Garaging ZIP. Tell the insurer where each car really lives overnight, and whether that's a garage, a driveway or the street. A car garaged in Eagan and one parked on a Minneapolis block are rated differently, which our guides to car insurance in Eagan and Minneapolis car insurance cover in detail. Listing a different address to chase a lower rate is a misrepresentation.
- Annual mileage. Note the current odometer reading and estimate your yearly miles.
- How the car is used. Say whether it's pleasure, commuting or business use. If you drive for a rideshare or delivery app, say so. Minn. Stat. 65B.472 sets separate coverage requirements while the app is on, and it lets personal auto policies exclude those periods, so you may need a rideshare endorsement.
- Lienholder. If the car is financed or leased, bring the lender's name and address. The Minnesota Department of Commerce notes that lenders may require collision and comprehensive, so a liability-only quote on a financed car may not be an option.
How do you use your current policy to compare quotes at the same limits?
Short answerUse your declarations page as the template, then have every quote priced at the same liability, UM/UIM, PIP and deductibles, plus one quote at the limits you should carry.
Your declarations page is the one-page summary at the front of your policy. It lists your drivers, vehicles, limits, deductibles, endorsements, carrier and policy period, which makes it the template for a like-for-like comparison. Your insurer's app usually has it. Minnesota law also requires your insurer to deliver a copy of your current auto policy to the first named insured within 21 days of a request, once per policy period (Minn. Stat. 72A.20, subd. 42).
The lines to match on every quote
| Coverage line | Set it the same on every quote | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Liability | Same per-person, per-accident and property damage limits | A quote that quietly drops you to 30/60/10, the state minimum |
| UM / UIM | Same limits on both | Insurers don't have to offer UM/UIM above your bodily injury limit (65B.49), so raise liability first |
| No-fault PIP | $40,000 minimum, or the same higher amount | Some insurers offer more than the minimum; make sure each quote shows the same figure |
| Comprehensive deductible | Same dollar amount | Comprehensive pays for deer and hail, so a high deductible here gets tested often |
| Collision deductible | Same dollar amount | A lender may set a maximum deductible |
| Extras | Same rental, towing and glass options | One quote including rental reimbursement and another leaving it out |
Ask for two versions: one that copies today's declarations page and one at the limits that fit what your household owns. The gap between them is the most useful number in the process. Our article on hitting a deer and Minnesota car insurance explains how a deer claim usually lands on that deductible. If the gap feels too big, our guide to lowering your Minnesota car insurance premium walks through the levers that don't cut protection.
Also ask for the surcharge disclosure statement. An insurer or agent must provide it, or point you to it online, before taking your first premium payment (Minn. Stat. 65B.133). It shows which accidents and violations are chargeable and for how long. The Department of Commerce's auto insurance guide puts the reason plainly: "Rates that seem low at first may change dramatically when surcharges are applied."
Continuous coverage and gaps
Be upfront about any lapse. Many insurers ask whether you've been insured recently; our own online quote form asks whether you've had insurance in the last 30 days. Start the new policy the day the old one ends. Driving uninsured in Minnesota is a misdemeanor, and our Minnesota car insurance guide covers the penalties.
Discount paperwork to have on hand
- 55+ accident prevention course. Under Minn. Stat. 65B.28, insurers must give drivers 55 and older who complete a state-approved accident prevention course "an appropriate premium reduction of at least ten percent" on Minnesota private passenger auto policies. The first course runs four hours, and you keep eligibility by taking the original or a refresher course every three years. Drivers 58 and older whose eligibility lapsed can regain it by retaking the course. Bring the completion certificate.
- Good student. Many insurers offer one, where available. Have a recent report card or transcript ready; the grade standard is set by each insurer.
- Other policies. If you'd bundle, bring the declarations page for your home, condo or renters policy too. See our home insurance page for the home side.
Why can a car insurance quote change after you buy the policy?
Short answerBecause the insurer checks your answers against your driving record, your claims history and, where it uses one, a credit-based insurance score, and re-prices when something doesn't match.
Underwriting is where your answers get checked. Three reports do most of the work.
- Your motor vehicle record. Insurers typically order each listed driver's driving record from the state. A ticket you forgot shows up here.
- Your claims history. LexisNexis C.L.U.E. "collects and reports up to seven years of auto insurance claims" used in pricing and underwriting, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. You can get one free report every 12 months on request (866-897-8126 or consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com). If something on it is wrong, the CFPB says you can dispute it with both the reporting company and the company that supplied it.
- A credit-based insurance score. Minnesota allows it, with limits. Under Minn. Stat. 72A.20, subd. 36, an insurer that uses credit must tell you it will obtain and use it. It can't reject, cancel or nonrenew based on credit without weighing other factors, and it must re-score you on request up to twice a calendar year. Hardship exceptions (catastrophic illness or injury, temporary job loss, a death in the family) are available on request.
When a consumer report leads to a worse result, federal law gives you a notice. The Federal Trade Commission says adverse action includes denying insurance or raising rates, and you must be notified "even if the information in the report played only a small part in the overall decision." The notice must name the reporting company, explain your right to dispute and tell you that you can get a free copy of the report if you ask within 60 days, and say the reporting company didn't make the decision.
The first 60 days
Minnesota's limits on mid-term cancellation don't apply to a new policy that has been in effect less than 60 days, unless it's a renewal (Minn. Stat. 65B.15, subd. 2). After that, an insurer can cancel during the term only for the reasons the statute lists, which include nonpayment, material misrepresentation and failing to disclose requested information needed to accept or rate the risk.
| The answer | Gets you a price that holds | Gets you a price that moves |
|---|---|---|
| Household drivers | List everyone who lives with you and drives | Leave off the teen who "barely drives" |
| Driving history | Disclose the fender-bender from two years ago | Hope it doesn't come up |
| Garaging | The address where the car really sleeps | A relative's ZIP across the metro |
| Use | Mention the delivery app on weekends | Call it "pleasure use" |
What happens when you get a quote from Block Agency?
Short answerYou start online or by calling (651) 252-6655, and a licensed agent on our team reviews the details and prices Farmers first, with additional carriers when Farmers isn't the right fit.
Our guided quote form asks for the basics first: your vehicle's year, make and model, an option to add a second car, whether you've been insured in the last 30 days and with which company, how many drivers will be on the policy, a few questions about you (such as date of birth, marital status and whether you own your home), and your contact details. From there, a licensed agent on our team follows up for the rest of this checklist: license numbers, VINs, your declarations page and the limits you want compared. Or call (651) 252-6655, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, or stop by the office at 1121 Town Centre Drive in Eagan.
We're a Farmers Insurance agency, so we start with Farmers. When Farmers isn't the right fit for your household, we can look at additional carriers available to us; availability varies by coverage and location. Our bilingual team works in English or Spanish. For how we build an auto policy, see our Minnesota auto insurance page.
The Bottom Line
A little gathering up front saves a lot of back-and-forth on a car insurance quote. Bring every household driver's license number and history, every VIN and garaging ZIP, your declarations page and the limits you want. Then have every insurer price the same limits and deductibles.
The answers you give are checked against your driving record, your claims history and, within Minnesota's limits, your credit. Complete answers are what make a quote hold. If you'd like a second set of eyes on what you have now, start a quote with us or bring your declarations page by the Eagan office. Se habla español.
Related Questions Minnesota Drivers Ask
Do I need my VIN to get a car insurance quote?
Not to start, but it makes the quote more accurate. Year, make and model are enough for a first price. The 17-character VIN confirms the exact trim and safety equipment, and insurers typically need it before the policy is issued. You'll find it on your registration card, your current insurance card and the driver-side dashboard, where it shows through the windshield.
Do I have to put every driver in my household on a Minnesota car insurance quote?
Disclose every licensed driver who lives with you, plus anyone who regularly drives your cars. Minn. Stat. 65B.15 lets an insurer cancel a policy for some listed reasons, such as a suspended or revoked license, that reach household members and regular drivers, and for failing to disclose requested information needed to rate the risk. Some insurers let you formally exclude a named driver, but how that works depends on the insurer and the policy.
How far back do insurers look at tickets and accidents in Minnesota?
Expect questions about the past three to five years. Minnesota's auto nonrenewal rule uses a three-year experience period for chargeable accidents and moving violations (Minn. R. 2770.7700), and Minn. Stat. 65B.15 covers undisclosed accidents and moving violations from the prior 36 months. Claims reports such as LexisNexis C.L.U.E. can show up to seven years of auto claims, according to the CFPB.
Can my car insurance price change after I've already bought the policy?
It can, if underwriting finds something the quote didn't include, such as a ticket on your driving record, a claim on your C.L.U.E. report or an unlisted household driver. After a Minnesota policy has been in force 60 days, an insurer may cancel mid-term only for reasons listed in Minn. Stat. 65B.15, including material misrepresentation. If a consumer report leads to a higher price, federal law requires a notice explaining your right to a free copy if you ask within 60 days.
Does a 55+ defensive driving course lower car insurance in Minnesota?
Minnesota law says it should. Minn. Stat. 65B.28 requires insurers to give drivers 55 and older who complete a state-approved accident prevention course an appropriate premium reduction of at least ten percent on Minnesota private passenger auto policies. The first course is four hours. To stay eligible, retake the original course or take a refresher every three years, and give your insurer the completion certificate. Drivers 58 and older whose eligibility lapsed can regain it by retaking the course.
Will shopping for car insurance quotes hurt my insurance score in Minnesota?
Under Minnesota law it shouldn't affect the insurance score itself. Minn. Stat. 72A.20, subd. 36, says insurers may not use insurance inquiries, or inquiries you didn't initiate, in the credit-based insurance scores they use. Insurers that use credit must tell you they're obtaining it, and must re-score you on request up to twice a calendar year, with any premium change taking effect at renewal.
Last reviewed by Ryan Block, licensed Minnesota insurance agent, on October 20, 2026. Minnesota statutes and rules cited (65B.15, 65B.28, 65B.49, 65B.133, 65B.472, 72A.20 subds. 36 and 42, and Minn. R. 2770.7700) were checked against revisor.mn.gov on that date, along with the Minnesota Department of Commerce auto insurance pages and guide, the Department of Public Safety driving-record page, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's C.L.U.E. listing and the Federal Trade Commission's guidance for insurers. This checklist is general information, not a substitute for reading your own policy. Coverage depends on your specific contract, and not all coverages and discounts are available from every insurer.