Thats kind of shifty. dont take their sign as gospel. do your research. the first place to ask is your own personal insurance agent. A perfect example of how shifty this sounds is a compalny like progressive or geico or allstate. all three are licensed to issue insurance in all 50 states, though their insurance meets minimums for, in this case, virginia.
Minnesota auto insurance laws require minimum policy requirements for all licensed vehicles in Minnesota. This includes standard liability coverage, personal injury protection (PIP), and uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage. Minnesota is a no fault state requiring minimum Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage of $40,000. PIP pays $20,000 of your medical expenses and $20,000 for non-medical expenses no matter who is at fault for the car accident. PIP is also known as the "No Fault" coverage.
Liability coverage minimum is 30/60/10: $30,000 for injuries to one person, $60,000 for injuries to two or more people, $10,000 for physical damage to the other driver's vehicle or property damage.
Furthermore, from the Minnesota DCCA Website brocure on insurance...
What about coverage of rental cars?
Minnesota law requires every automobile insurance policy, under
the property damage liability portion, to provide a minimum of
$35,000 in coverage, without a deductible, for damage to, and
loss of use of, a rental car (including pickup trucks and vans
under 26,000 pounds). State law further specifies that when a
driver rents a vehicle in Minnesota, a separate notice must be
attached to the rental contract that informs the driver of this coverage.
The notice must also state: “purchase of any collision damage
waiver or similar insurance affected in this rental contract is
not necessary if your policy was issued in Minnesota.” The same
law requires that no collision damage waiver or other insurance
affecting the rented vehicle can be sold unless the person renting
the vehicle acknowledges in writing that the consumer protection
notice has been read and understood.
Transalated, it states that You DONT need to buy insurance if your insurance was issued in Minnesota because "your minnesota insurance meets state minimum guidelines". Please insure that your car meets the minimums as required by law.
AVIS RENT A CAR PROVIDES THE STATE MINIMUM INSURANCE in each state that it operates as evidenced by the websites statement. If in an accident while in minnesota, your personal insurance will be primary. If your limits are exhausted, then Avis will cick in up to the state minimums to comply with law.
I think the correct verbage of the Contract at National should say
"Our cars are not insured, in order for you to drive the car off the lot,you must meet the minnesota state minimum guidelines for car rental insurance."
OR
"law states our cars must be insured to drive off the lot and we provide that insurance, but were not telling you that in the hopes that you spend more money on LDW/ALI. "
If you rent at National again in minnesota, check the glove box. if it has an insurance card, your covered. its mighty hard to get license plates and registration without proof of insurance. All avis cars have either a certificate of "self insurance" or an actual "insurance card" issued by continental casualy inc. CC INC is licensed to insure vehicles in all 50 states therefore will provide state minimums guarantee in the event of an accident.
Originally Posted by MileKing
Some great info, ezmonee. A week ago I rented from National at MSP. I declined insurance, as I always do, and it was not a problem. What was interesting was that the rental agreement contained a line stating that "Minnesota state law requires that the vehicle be covered by auto insurance ISSUED IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA" (emphasis mine).
I rent cars regularly and this is the first time I have ever seen anything like this. My personal auto insurance policy (issued in my home state of VA) covers rental cars in the U.S., which is likely the case with most U.S. auto insurance policies, and is why I never buy the insurance from the rental car companies. This has me wondering now if Minnesota, and perhaps other states, are moving to force out-of-state renters to purchase the rental car issued insurance.