​​Seems like your car insurance plan is nearing its expiry or has already expired. If that is the case, avoid driving your vehicle before renewing your policy.

Apart from heavy fines up to ₹4,000 for driving with an expired car insurance plan, there can be many other consequences of having an expired car insurance policy. These include rejection of claims, losing rewards and benefits, lapsed plans and whatnot.

In this blog, we will discuss what happens if car insurance expires and what are the next steps you need to take.

What Happens if Car Insurance Expires?

Before learning about the steps to take after the expiry of car insurance, it is crucial to understand - what if car insurance is expired.

Once the tenure of your car insurance plan is complete, it expires or lapses. In simple words, you are no longer covered by the policy. Note that having expired car insurance is equivalent to having no car insurance at all.

Below are the common consequences you may face with an expired car insurance:

Claim Rejection

As mentioned above, your car insurance plan becomes inactive as soon as it crosses its date of expiry. Therefore, any claim you raise after the expiration date will not be approved or processed.

Not only will you lose all the coverage, but you will not be able to claim the financial benefits even for the covered events.

Legal Consequences

Motor insurance is mandatory in India; we all know that. What’s more important to understand is the fact that driving your car with an expired car insurance policy can lead you into some serious trouble.​​​​Since expired car insurance is as good as having no car insurance, you may have to face fines of up to ₹4,000 in addition to other legal actions taken up by traffic authorities.

Loss of Benefits and Coverage

During the tenure of your policy, you get the chance to win several bonuses, discounts and rewards. These rewards can be used to lower your premiums or increase your sum insured at the time of policy renewal.

However, if you fail to renew your car insurance on time, you lose all these benefits.

What if Car Insurance Expires: Important Steps to Follow Next

Now that you are aware of the consequences of having an expired car insurance plan let’s move on to discuss the important steps to take after your policy has lapsed.

Renew Your Plan During Grace Period

Ideally, you should renew your car insurance several days before its expiry date. It helps you continue your coverage and enjoy all the benefits and rewards you have accumulated during the policy period.

However, if you fail to renew your plan before its expiry, you can do so within the grace period to reinstate all the coverage benefits. So, the next step is to confirm the duration of the grace period and renew your plan before it ends.

Avoid Driving Your Vehicle

As we have discussed, driving with an expired car insurance certificate is considered a violation of traffic regulations.

You may be levied heavy fines and other legal penalties if you are found driving without valid motor insurance. Hence, avoid driving your car until you have a valid car insurance plan in hand.

Buy a New Plan

If you were not able to renew car insurance policy during your given grace period, there is no other option than buying a new plan.

You may also consider buying a fresh car insurance plan if you are not satisfied with the coverage or insurance company. While you may have to face higher premiums, switching to a better plan will provide you with enhanced coverage within your budget.

How to Renew Car Insurance?

Car insurance renewal online is a quick and easy process. Similar to any other thing, the insurance renewal process differs from one provider to another.

Here are the easy steps you need to take to renew car insurance at Reliance General Insurance.

Step 1: Go to our homepage -> Renewal -> Car Insurance.

Step 2: Enter the expired policy number along with your vehicle details. You can provide anyone with a registration number, chassis number or engine number. Once done, click “Go”.

Step 3: Follow the instructions and make the premium payment online to renew your plan.

What If I Renew My Car Insurance After Expiry?

Car insurance renewal after expiry? Is it even possible? Yes. You can renew your car insurance after expiry during the grace period offered by your insurance company.

For those who don’t know, a grace period refers to an extended timeline after the expiry of your policy. During this period, you can renew your plan and restore all the benefits. It starts from the day your plan’s validity is over and lasts for a fixed period specified by your insurance provider.

Note that the duration of this policy renewal window varies from a week to a month or more, based on the insurance company. So, once this period is over, you can not reinstate your existing policy.

Instead, you will have to purchase a new car insurance plan by undergoing all the cumbersome procedures including vehicle inspection, document submission and so on.

An important point to note about the grace period is that your policy will still be lapsed during this timeframe. So, you are not eligible to file any claim and get reimbursed during this period. Your policy will only be restored if you successfully renew it before the end of this window.

Buy/Renew Reliance Car Insurance Online Instantly

Timely renewal of is necessary to avoid any interruptions in the coverage. As you can see, car insurance renewal at Reliance General Insurance is simple and quick. You can easily renew your plan via our responsive website.

Alternatively, you can also third-party car insurance? Check out our plans and buy online to enjoy benefits like 100% claims settlement, 10,000+ network garages, discounted premiums and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when my car insurance policy ends?

After your car insurance validity is over, your policy becomes inactive, and you will no longer be covered by it. Any claims made after your policy’s expiry date will not be processed.

Simply put, you lose all the benefits and coverage. You need to renew your plan promptly within the given timeframe to reactivate your policy and gain all benefits.

Is renewal available if my car insurance expired more than 3 months before?

Once your policy exceeds its expiry date, you can only renew it within the grace period offered by your insurance provider. In most cases, the grace period ranges from a few weeks to months.

If your insurance provider has a grace period of 3-4 months, then you can definitely reinstate your plan. However, if it is over, you will have to buy a new car insurance policy again.

Should I renew my existing policy or buy a new car insurance plan?

​Whether you should renew your existing car insurance policy or buy a new plan should be decided based on your coverage requirements and personal preferences.

There is no need to buy a separate car insurance policy if you are satisfied with the coverage, benefits and other services provided by your existing plan and provider.

In this case, you can simply renew your plan after making the necessary adjustments. However, if you are not satisfied with your existing policy or insurance company, consider moving to a better car insurance plan.