can 1 car be insured twice

[LeValentina]

No, you cannot effectively insure the same car with two separate auto insurance policies for the same set of coverages and expect to collect double the payout for a claim. While it's not illegal to have two policies, the concept of "double insurance" triggers a principle called "coordination of benefits" or "other insurance clauses." This legal doctrine ensures that the total compensation you receive from all insurers does not exceed the actual cash value of your loss, preventing fraudulent profit. In practice, the insurers will coordinate, and you will still only be paying two sets of premiums for the coverage of one.

People might consider this for various reasons, such as mistakenly forgetting to cancel an old policy, a financing company requiring comprehensive coverage while the owner has a basic policy, or a household with multiple drivers misunderstanding their policy terms. However, the financial outcome is almost always negative.

Here’s a breakdown of how it typically works:

Scenario	Primary Insurer Payout	Secondary Insurer Payout	Total You Receive	Outcome for You
Total Loss Claim ($20,000 car)	Pays up to $20,000	Contributes $0 (after primary pays)	$20,000	You lose money on the second premium.
Partial Claim ($5,000 repair)	Pays $5,000	Contributes $0 (after primary pays)	$5,000	You lose money on the second premium.
Liability Claim ($50,000)	Pays up to policy limit	Only pays if primary limit is exhausted	Up to $50,000	Redundant coverage; no double payment.

The process is inefficient and costly. You are paying two insurance companies for the same financial protection, which is a waste of money. If you have overlapping coverage, you should immediately contact both insurers to straighten it out. Cancel the redundant policy to avoid continuing to pay unnecessary premiums. The only time multiple policies on a single asset make sense is with non-conflicting coverages, like a personal auto policy supplemented by a rideshare endorsement from the same or a different company, which are designed to work together.

[DePaislee]

It's a terrible financial move. Think of it like paying two different contractors to build the exact same wall in your backyard. When the wall is done, you don't get two walls; you just paid twice for one job. Insurance works the same way. They'll figure out who pays first, and you'll be stuck arguing with two companies while still paying both bills. Just call one and cancel the duplicate policy today.