Idaho Boat Insurance
Get a full analysis of Idaho boat insurance costs, coverage, and companies.
Written by
Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She has covered topics as easy as insuring a car, and as difficult as transparency in healthcare costs.
Find the Best Boat Insurance Options in Idaho
Whether you drive a sport boat or a fishing boat, Idaho is full of opportunities to enjoy the water. On a typical weekend, people may relax on a sailboat, cut through the water on a racing boat, or even paddle a river in a canoe.
To protect your assets while you enjoy time on your boat, it’s important to be an educated boat operator, follow proper safety guidelines, and secure a suitable Idaho boat insurance policy.
A local independent insurance agent can help you learn more about Idaho boat insurance and find a policy that meets your needs and budget.
Best Boat Insurance Companies in Idaho
How can you make the best choice for boat insurance in Idaho?
We selected the following carriers as some of the best boat insurance companies in Idaho. They are highly-rated for their mix of valuable coverage offerings and competitive pricing.
- Progressive: Progressive is based in Ohio and offers personal insurance, including boat insurance. Idaho residents can look to Progressive for most of their personal insurance needs.
- Travelers: Travelers offers highly rated boat insurance in Idaho. The company provides various other personal insurance options, including auto, home, and renters insurance.
- Safeco Insurance: Safeco has protected individuals and families with personal insurance coverage since 1923. With a comprehensive range of insurance coverage, including boat insurance, Safeco helps Idaho boat owners protect what’s important.
- Central Insurance Companies: Central Insurance Companies is a well-established carrier with more than a century of history in the insurance industry. It provides a wide range of coverage options, including boat insurance, in 24 states.
- Foremost Insurance Company: Foremost was founded in 1952 and offers a wide range of coverage, including boat insurance, in 50 states.
An independent insurance agent in your area can help you learn more about these and other Idaho boat insurance companies. A local agent can help you get competitive quotes for the coverage that fits your needs.
Idaho Boat Insurance Requirements
Boat insurance is not required by law in Idaho, but there are a few cases where you might be required to purchase boat insurance by some other entity:
- If you finance your boat purchase, your lender will likely require you to carry insurance for the duration of your loan. However, insurance coverage is optional once you own the boat outright.
- If you are using your boat as collateral for a loan, the bank may require you to insure it.
- You may be required to carry insurance if you dock your boat or yacht in certain harbors or marinas.
Many boat owners believe that their homeowners insurance offers liability coverage for losses caused by the negligent operation of their boat. While there may be some coverage in limited situations, it’s not likely to be enough to help you if you’re at fault for a serious accident.
Homeowners insurance does provide some physical damage coverage for certain small boats (e.g., rafts, canoes, or kayaks) while they’re on your property (not in the water). And this coverage usually has a low limit (like $1,000).
You’ll need to purchase boat insurance in Idaho if you want physical damage coverage for a larger motorized boat.
Your independent insurance agent can help you learn more about the requirements for boat insurance in Idaho and help you find a policy that fits your needs.
What Boat Insurance Covers in Idaho
Idaho boat insurance works much like car insurance. It covers bodily injury and property damage you cause while operating your boat. It can also cover physical damage to your boat and your property inside the boat, depending on the coverage you select. You can tailor your coverage depending on the type of boat you have, how and where you use it, and the types of items you keep on board.
A basic Idaho boat insurance policy provides you with liability coverage:
- Bodily injury liability coverage: Covers the medical costs associated with injuries sustained by other boaters or by guests and visitors while aboard if you’re at fault for an accident.
- Property damage liability coverage: Covers damage to other people’s property, such as docks, marinas, and other boats, if you’re at fault for an accident.
You can also obtain coverage for physical damage to your own watercraft:
- Collision coverage: Covers repairs to or replacement of your own boat, motor, trolling motor, or any permanent boating equipment due to damage caused by a collision with another boat or an object while on the water.
- Comprehensive coverage: Covers repairs to or replacement of your own boat, motor, trolling motor, or permanent boating equipment due to damage or loss caused by anything other than a collision, such as theft, vandalism, fire, or a storm.
Some additional coverage options include the following:
- Personal property coverage for equipment such as tools, life preservers, anchors, and oars
- Coverage for fishing equipment like rods, lures, nets, and tackle
- On-water towing and labor coverage for a disabled vessel
- Medical payments coverage for hospital and funeral expenses for you or your passengers
- Uninsured/underinsured boaters coverage for an accident with another boater with insufficient or no boat insurance
Your local independent insurance agent in Idaho can help you determine which coverage types may be beneficial for your unique needs.
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Average Cost of Boat Insurance in Idaho
Many factors determine the cost of boat insurance in Idaho, including:
- Make, model, and year of the boat: Insuring larger, older, or more expensive boats often leads to higher premiums.
- Boating experience: More experienced boaters may pay less for boat insurance than newer boaters.
- Claims history: This may include both at-fault and not-at-fault claims.
- Horsepower: Boats with stronger engines may cost more to insure.
The amount of coverage and deductibles you choose, where you typically use your boat, and even things like your credit score will also impact your cost for Idaho boat insurance.
You may be eligible for certain discounts on your Idaho boat insurance policy. Some insurers offer a layup discount and a discount for successfully completing a boating safety course. What’s more, you will likely be eligible for a discount if you bundle your Idaho boat insurance policy with your home and auto insurance.
How to Find the Best Boat Insurance Quote in Idaho
An independent insurance agent can help you find the best Idaho boat insurance for your needs. A local agent can get quotes from multiple insurance companies to make sure you get the best coverage at the right price. And working with a local agent is the best way to get knowledgeable, superior service from someone who understands the needs of boat owners in your community.
Find an independent insurance agent in your area now.
Idaho Boat Insurance FAQs
Most boat owners in Idaho will benefit from having boat insurance. It simply makes sense if you want to protect yourself from the costs of boat-related accidents. If you’re at fault for a boat accident, you’ll be responsible for paying the medical bills for injured parties, and for paying to repair any damage that you do to other people’s property. Boat insurance provides liability coverage for these situations.
What’s more, boat insurance in Idaho can cover damage to your own boat if it’s damaged in a collision, or if it’s vandalized, stolen, damaged by a storm, and more.
There is no boat insurance law in Idaho. Boat insurance is optional unless you’re required by a lender to purchase it, or if a marina or harbor where you dock your boat requires you to have it.
Boat insurance always includes liability coverage, which protects you when you cause injuries or property damage to another party. You can also add on the following types of optional coverage:
- Collision coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- Personal property coverage
- Fishing equipment coverage
- On-water towing and labor coverage
- Medical payments coverage
- Uninsured/underinsured boaters coverage
Boat insurance is recommended for most watercraft with motors, including fishing boats, pontoon boats, speed boats, leisure craft, and yachts. Boat insurance generally does not cover canoes, kayaks, or personal watercraft.
Every type of boat has the potential to be stolen, damaged, or involved in an incident that results in harm to another person or another person’s property. Even if your boat is docked or stored in your garage, it can be vandalized, damaged in a fire or storm, or stolen. Boat insurance can help you in all of these situations.
The cost of an Idaho boat insurance policy is likely to vary significantly from one person to the next. When you request a boat insurance quote, your rates will be calculated in accordance with a number of factors including, but not limited to:
- The type of boat you own
- How frequently you use it
- The amount of coverage you are requesting
- The size of your chosen deductible
- Your personal driving record
- Your claims history and credit score
You may be able to lower your costs by qualifying for discounts on your policy. Many insurance companies will offer discounts for completing a boating safety course, having multiple policies with the same insurer, and opting for electronic monthly payments on your premiums. Be sure to ask about possible discounts when requesting boat insurance quotes.
Travelers, Progressive, Safeco, Foremost Insurance Company, and Central Insurance Companies are some of the best boat insurance companies in Idaho. They are highly rated for offering broad coverage, top-notch customer service, and a variety of affordable options for boat owners.
A local independent insurance agent can help find a competitively priced boat insurance policy that meets your needs. Independent agents aren’t tied down to one carrier. They can get quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can choose the Idaho boat insurance policy that best fits your needs and budget.
And an independent agent can help you find other types of personal insurance as well, including auto, home, or renters insurance.
https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/activities/boating/faqs/#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20legal%20requirement%20to%20carry%20boat%20insurance%20in%20Idaho.