Personal vehicles

Insurance Coverage Requirements When Using a Personal Vehicle for UC Berkeley Travel

If you use your personal vehicle for university business, your personal insurance provides the primary coverage in case of accident or loss.

University insurance programs do not provide coverage for damage or loss to personal vehicles used for business travel. Therefore, employees are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are sufficiently insured.

The University can pay the first $500 or your deductible for repairs, whichever is less. But that will come out of your department budget, not from the insurance program. Please refer to Business and Finance Bulletin G-28, Part VII.C ("Automobile"), Section 1a, Paragraph 2d for details. After that, your private insurer is the primary source of insurance coverage, even when you are using your vehicle on University business.

Minimum Liability Coverage Requirements

If you use a personal vehicle on University business, your vehicle must be insured to meet the University's minimum liability coverage per G-28 C.1.d:

  • $50,000 for personal injury to or death of one person
  • $100,000 for injury to, or death of, two or more persons in one accident
  • $50,000 for property damage

Damage to Personal Vehicles

If your personal vehicle is damaged when you are using it to conduct University business, contact your own automobile insurance company to find out your coverage, make claims, and arrange for repairs.

Some campus departments may reimburse up to $500 for repairing the vehicle or for the amount of the deductible (co-insurance), whichever is less. Ask your department's business officer if this option is available before you use your personal vehicle for university business.

Note: Expenses that can be recovered from the employee's insurance agency are not eligible for reimbursement.

If your car is scratched on a campus parking lot but no one took responsibility for the damage or saw who caused it, the University will not pay.

At our discretion, the Risk Services Office may send a claims adjuster to verify the circumstances of your claim.

Damage to Property

If you damage someone else's vehicle or property, your private insurer is the first source of insurance coverage, even when you are using your vehicle on campus business.

Bodily Injury

If you hurt yourself while conducting University business, you are covered by Workers' Compensation. Call 643-7921 for further information.

If you injure someone else while you are driving your personal vehicle on University business, your private insurer is the first source of coverage.