Do I need to include a trailer in my insurance?

Is compulsory motor liability insurance required for a trailer or marked “with a trailer”?

OSAGO for trailers

A trailer, according to traffic regulations, is a vehicle. We know that all vehicles, with certain exceptions, require insurance. But is compulsory motor liability insurance required for trailers and semi-trailers, or is it enough to put the “ used with a trailer ” mark on the current compulsory motor liability insurance policy?

In order to find out, we need to turn to the legislation in force for 2019. To be more specific, the Federal Law on Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance prescribes our obligation to insure certain vehicles. So we bought a trailer for our car, what are our next steps?

Do I need to insure a trailer under MTPL?

A trailer, as we found out, is a vehicle, but whether it needs a separate MTPL policy for 2019, we can find out by looking at the Federal Law “On MTPL”, specifically Article 4, paragraph 3 of which establishes exceptions for which vehicles are insured need not. Are there trailers there? Yes, but with limitations:

3. The obligation to insure civil liability does not apply to owners of:
.
e) trailers for passenger cars ;

As you can see, the obligation to purchase a trailer policy does not apply to owners of trailers for passenger cars only. But for trucks, trailers will have to be insured. More precisely, not quite so - for trucks, a mark for use with a trailer is required (more on this below). It should be noted that trailers in this case also include semi-trailers and trailers. Thus, MTPL insurance for passenger car trailers is not needed.

If suddenly a reference to the Federal Law is not enough for you, then the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, in its Resolution No. 2 of January 29, 2015, confirmed and explained this legal norm:

49. The obligation to insure civil liability does not apply to trailers for cars owned by citizens (subparagraph “d” of paragraph 3 of Article 4 of the Law on Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance).

Do I need to include the “used with a trailer” stamp on my car policy?

With the note about the possibility of driving a car with a trailer, everything is also simple, and there are no auto subtleties here. The above-mentioned Federal Law stipulates the obligation to insure trailers only for trucks, and not a word is said about marks on the use of passenger cars with a trailer.

At the same time, paragraph 7 of Article 4 of the Federal Law “On Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance” provides for the procedure for concluding a compulsory insurance contract for trailers for trucks:

7. The obligation to insure the civil liability of owners of trailers for vehicles, with the exception of trailers for passenger cars belonging to citizens, is fulfilled by concluding a compulsory insurance agreement, which provides for the possibility of driving a vehicle with a trailer attached to it, information about which is entered into the compulsory insurance insurance policy.

And, if you have ever heard about the mandatory presence of the “used with a trailer” mark in the insurance policy, then this applies to trucks. The trailer must be included in the truck policy.

Why is this particular note put, and not a separate policy issued for the trailer? The point here is that among trucks there are tractors with trailers (trucks in common parlance). And in this case, one tractor can even drive with different trailers within one day. It is therefore illogical that every trailer must have an insurance policy. And a note in the MTPL policy of the truck itself gives it the right to travel with any trailer.

Calculate the cost of your MTPL policy

Does a trailer require a technical inspection and a diagnostic card?

There is also no need to undergo a separate inspection for the trailer. In general, the inspection ticket is a thing of the past, along with the obligation to present it to traffic police officers when stopped. As of today, 2019, the fact of passing the technical inspection is confirmed by the diagnostic card issued by the technical inspection point. But the legislation has entrusted insurance companies with checking its presence, and a diagnostic card becomes necessary only for purchasing a compulsory motor liability insurance policy.

Thus, trailers do not need to undergo a technical inspection or have a diagnostic card.

What do you need to register for a trailer?

Due to the fact that a trailer is a vehicle, it must be registered with the traffic police and receive an STS (pink plastic card) for it, as well as license plates. And here it makes no difference whether it is a trailer for a passenger car or a truck.

At the same time, the cost of obtaining these items for trailers in the form of state duties is lower than for cars.

Do you need insurance for a passenger trailer in 2019?

February 14, 2019
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Car owners are often interested in whether it is necessary to insure a trailer, whether they can be fined for the lack of compulsory motor insurance, and what changes have been made to the legislation in 2019. The specifics of insurance for this type of transport are related to its carrying capacity and purpose.

Types of trailers and insurance features

Russian traffic rules state that a trailer, despite the lack of an engine, is an independent vehicle. All the rules that apply to other road users apply to him. The peculiarity of this vehicle is that there are several types of trailers, and different requirements apply to different categories. Trailers are:

in the form of a platform;
onboard;
dump trucks;
tilt;
semi-trailers;
single and biaxial;
isometric.

These types are classified according to their load capacity. If it is over 750 kg, then the trailer is equipped with a braking system that operates autonomously, without the participation of the leading vehicle. There is a turning mechanism for some types (for example, for a two-axle trailer), giving them maneuverability. The Federal Law on Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance (Article 4, paragraph 3) states: individuals are not required to take out insurance for a trailer for passenger cars.

FOR REFERENCE! This version of the law has been in force since 2007 and is relevant in 2019.

The only rule: the trailer should not weigh more than 3500 kg. Otherwise, compulsory motor liability insurance is mandatory. If the vehicle is smaller, you can take out insurance if you wish. Legal entities are required to put a mark in the MTPL policy - “Driven with a trailer.” Feature of trailer insurance abroad: if the border of Russia is crossed, then compulsory motor liability insurance is required. Do I need to include a trailer in my car policy? Yes, if it is a cargo vehicle or the owner is a legal entity.

What risks does insurance protect against?

Insurance guarantees that damage caused to the property and health of the injured party will be compensated if an accident occurs involving a car with a trailer. OSAGO does not protect against theft, theft, damage, natural disasters and fires. For these cases, you must use CASCO insurance.

What is the insurance period?

You can insure a trailer for a year or for the season when it is planned to be used by the vehicle. If it sits in the garage for winter or summer, then there is no point in spending money on a longer insurance period. There are a number of restrictions:

The minimum insurance period for individuals is 3 months.
The minimum insurance period for legal entities is 6 months.
The minimum period is not divided into several periods.

IMPORTANT! The cost of compulsory motor liability insurance will depend on the selected period. The shorter the insurance period, the lower the price.

Receiving payments in case of an accident involving a trailer

If the car owner uses the vehicle to transport goods, then a note about this must be included in the policy. Without it, the car owner faces a fine, and in the event of an accident, the insurance company has the right not to pay money to restore the damaged trailer. If the owner of the car is at fault for the accident and does not have such a mark, he himself will be obliged to compensate for the damage caused (without the participation of the insurer).

In what cases can you receive compensation for damage after an accident involving a trailer:

The insurance contract contains a note about the possible use of the means for moving goods.
Only two vehicles were involved in the accident.
Damage is caused only to the injured party.

If the above conditions are met, the victim can receive appropriate payments from the culprit’s insurance company.

IMPORTANT! For such accidents, a Euro protocol is drawn up, since the trailer is not an independent vehicle and does not change the number of participants in the accident.

Registration of an accident involving a trailer occurs in the same way as in standard cases with cars.

Types of insurance policies for trailers

To obtain compulsory motor liability insurance, the trailer must first be registered with the traffic police and receive a certificate of registration and number. It is also necessary to undergo a technical inspection. There are two types of insurance policies: limited and unlimited. They differ in the number of drivers that can be insured.

Limited

When choosing such insurance, you need to register all drivers who will be allowed to drive the vehicle. Their names, surnames, patronymics, and driver’s license numbers are entered into the OSAGO. You can enroll new participants at any time - to do this you need to submit an application to the insurance company. This insurance is cheaper than unlimited.

Unlimited

This type of policy allows an unlimited number of people to drive a vehicle, in fact, anyone who has a driver’s license of the required category. There is no need to register additional drivers. This is a convenient view for legal entities. Such a policy is more expensive.

What does an MTPL policy look like for a trailer?

A separate policy for the trailer is not issued; instead, an additional note is made in the compulsory motor liability insurance of the car that is operated with the trailer (in accordance with the law “On compulsory civil liability insurance of vehicle owners”, Article 4, paragraph 7, introduced by Federal Law of July 21, 2014 N 223 -FZ).

Penalties for not having a policy

If the trailer is subject to compulsory insurance, but there is no insurance policy, the driver faces a fine of 800 rubles. The same amount will be issued if the compulsory motor liability insurance is overdue. If insurance is issued, but the owner does not have it in his hands, then a fine of 500 rubles will be charged. The presence of a special mark is checked by traffic police officers. If a truck trailer does not have its own license plates, this is punishable by a fine of 2,500 rubles.

IMPORTANT! The demands of the state traffic inspector to pay a fine for a trailer that is not included in the insurance of a light vehicle are illegal.

If a car owner breaks the law twice and does not take out compulsory insurance, he faces a penalty of 5,000 rubles. The fine must be paid within ten days.

Trailer insurance cost

The cost of MTPL for a trailer consists of several factors:

trailer coefficient;
insurance period;
region of registration.

The following formula is used:

TB (basic tariff) x Kt (territorial coefficient) x Kp (component of the period of use).

The amounts will vary depending on all three conditions, but the base rate is 3432-4118 rubles.

IMPORTANT! In the case of trailer insurance, no-accident discounts are not taken into account.

In 2019, only trailers weighing more than 3.5 tons are subject to compulsory insurance. Any other devices for transporting goods are subject to voluntary insurance. MTPL for a trailer is a mark in the policy for the towing vehicle. The cost of the policy will vary depending on the period and region of operation. Legal entities must make a note in the policy without fail.

OSAGO for cars with trailers

A car trailer is a controversial thing. On the one hand, it takes up a lot of space on the road, is not an integral part of the car and therefore can be considered as a vehicle. On the other hand, the trailer itself does not drive - therefore, it still does not fall under the vehicle category according to the rules of OSAGO . In 2014, this contradiction was finally resolved.

Is compulsory motor insurance required for a trailer?

The answer is no. Regardless of the type of trailer (passenger, cargo, special), you do not need to buy a separate policy for it. The legislator finally assigned trailers the status of “luggage carrier on wheels.” Since the trailer is not equipped with an engine and forms one transport unit with the car, drivers only need a car policy. No traffic police officer has the right to demand a second insurance certificate.

However, this does not mean that you do not need to pay extra for a trailer. Instead of separate insurance, the legislator introduced an increasing coefficient (KPR). It is used when calculating the cost of a regular MTPL policy, that is, insurance costs a little more. The increasing coefficient does not affect citizens (individuals) who drive cars with trailers.

Increasing coefficient for compulsory motor liability insurance for trailers

Let's take a look at the table.

Remember the formula for calculating compulsory motor liability insurance: the base rate is multiplied by increasing coefficients. The higher each coefficient, the higher the cost of the policy. The most expensive compulsory motor liability insurance is for trucks with trailers, but companies with trailers for passenger cars in their fleet will hardly notice the increase in price.

Please note this detail: the CPR coefficient does not apply to private owners of cars with a trailer. If you bought a trailer and drive your car with it to the country or around the city, you don’t need to pay for it. The cost of your policy will be the same as for a car owner without a “carriage”.

For a vehicle-trailer hitch, you can also take out DSAGO (additional liability insurance).

How to enter a trailer into OSAGO: subtleties and nuances

When applying for insurance, make sure that the insurance officer enters information about the trailer into the policy. In the “Special Notes” column there should be an entry: “Used with a trailer.” However, the model of the trailer and its technical characteristics cannot be mentioned in the policy - this is a violation of the rules of OSAGO. The driver has the right to change the trailer to another or use different ones; this does not affect the insurance.

Without a diagnostic card, it is impossible to conclude an MTPL agreement with a service station. Does this mean that you need to separately inspect the trailer and show the insurer two cards? No, a report on the results of vehicle maintenance is sufficient. However, after an accident involving a trailer, problems may arise: the insurance company will refer to the fact that the technical condition of the trailer has not been established and will refuse to pay. It’s better to take it to the MOT, get a card and sleep peacefully.

And 2 more important points:

An accident involving a car with a trailer can be registered under the European Protocol (without the participation of the traffic police), if other mandatory conditions are met. Previously, when a trailer was classified as a separate vehicle, this was excluded: after all, the Europrotocol can only be filled out in the event of a collision between two vehicles. Now there is no such problem.
If you are traveling to another country, you need to buy additional insurance for your trailer. This is because in most countries, separate insurance for trailers is mandatory. Let us remind you that abroad it is not OSAGO, but the “Green Card” that is valid.

Under CASCO, the trailer is also insured separately. Moreover, insurance will cost more than for a car - a trailer is easier to steal.

Let's sum it up

So, briefly about OSAGO insurance for a car with a trailer:

There is no need to buy a separate trailer policy;
citizens who own cars do not need to pay extra for the use of a trailer when purchasing compulsory motor insurance;
Everyone, including individuals, must pay extra for the use of trailers for motorcycles and scooters;
for towing another vehicle, the KPR is not used, and for such vehicles the cost of compulsory motor liability insurance remains unchanged.

If you are purchasing a trailer for a truck, be sure to notify your insurance company. This is your responsibility according to the rules of compulsory car insurance. Yes, you will have to pay extra. But if you do not notify the insurer, in the event of an accident involving a trailer, he will refuse to pay in favor of the victim. It may come to the point that the insurance company terminates the MTPL agreement unilaterally. You will have to buy a new policy from another company or pay fines for driving without compulsory motor insurance . Why do you need this?