If you own a John Deere Gator, Polaris 4-Wheeler, Golf Cart or any other type of all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) that can be driven on or off your property there are some things you should know about how your homeowner’s insurance policy may or may not cover your liability and your property.

Don’t assume that your homeowner’s insurance has you covered.

Depending upon your insurance company and type of homeowner’s policy that you have, your homeowner’s policy may have you covered while the ATV is on your premises.   Don’t assume that you are covered; make a quick phone call to your local insurance agent and check your coverage. ATV’s are expensive and your liability is unlimited so a quick check in with your agent is well worth it.

In all likelihood you will be driving the ATV off premises, at least occasionally.   This is where things could get ugly. Homeowner’s insurance companies rate you policy with the risk factors at your home in mind. When you drive your ATV off or your property there are many other risk factors that come into play. Because of this, most homeowner’s insurance policies exclude liability and property coverage to ATV’s driven off premises.

The good news is the endorsement is inexpensive.

To cover your ATV and your liability when you drive it off of your property is normally a pretty easy and inexpensive fix. Depending upon your insurance company, you may be able to add an endorsement to your policy that covers both your ATV and your liability. I recently did this type of endorsement and it cost the homeowners $22 for the year. But, if this policy went unendorsed there would be no coverage if an accident occurred.

If your homeowner’s policy does not offer such an endorsement there are also inexpensive policies that you can purchase. Depending upon the circumstances these policies can range in price from $30 to $225 per year. This is a whole lot less expensive than the cost of replacing your ATV or covering the medical costs of someone who may be injured as a result of an accident caused by the ATV.

The Key is Communication

The relationship that you have with your insurance agent should be a good one. Their contact information should be easy for you to locate and you should feel comfortable calling or emailing them to find out how your coverage works. Your insurance agent should also be relatively quick with their response (within 24 hours). Regardless of who your insurance agent is, you must communicate these types of changes. It’s always a mistake to assume that you are covered. Simply make the phone call or email to assure yourself that you have the coverage that you think you have.