Does your car insurance cover roadside assistance? How to find out

Where to look in your policy

Roadside coverage can be listed as roadside assistance, emergency road service, or towing and labor, and the name varies by insurer. Start with the declarations page, which lists each coverage you're paying for. If you don't see it, it may not be on the policy.

Your insurer's app or online account usually shows the same list, and a call to your agent gets a straight answer in a few minutes. Ask before you need it, not on the shoulder.

If it isn't on the declarations page, ask whether it's a separate line or bundled with another coverage. Policies and insurers differ, and the same words can mean different things from one company to the next.

What to ask

If you do have it, the details decide how useful it is:

• Which services are included: a jump start, a spare tire change, a lockout, a delivery of fuel, a tow.
• The limits, such as a dollar cap per call, a number of calls a year, or a maximum towing distance.
• Whether you must use the insurer's own provider, or can use someone else and be reimbursed.
• Whether using it counts as a claim, and whether it affects your premium.

What it usually does and doesn't pay for

Roadside coverage is generally for the service call itself: getting you started or moving again. Policies commonly pay for the call and not for parts, so a new battery or tire may still be your cost even when the labor is covered. Check the wording on yours.

Some policies ask you to call them first, or to use their own provider, before they pay anything. If you'd rather hire your own, ask first whether that changes what they'll pay.

Other places roadside cover hides

Insurance isn't the only source. A new car often comes with roadside help from the manufacturer for a set number of years. Some credit cards include it as a card benefit, and some memberships and employers do too. Check them all before you pay for another.

How reimbursement usually works

If your policy reimburses an outside provider, the insurer will usually want proof. Ask what they need, but expect an itemized invoice with the date, the service and the amount charged, plus the details of the vehicle. There's often a deadline to file and a limit on what they'll pay. Keep the invoice from any roadside job, because you may need it.

TRA's pricing is the service price plus a $19 dispatch fee charged once per job, for example from $75 for a flat tire change or $49–$75 for a jump start. Whether your insurer reimburses a provider like ours is a question for them, and it's worth asking before you pay.