Declarations Page

Glossary

The declarations page is the first page of an insurance policy and it contains a general overview of the entire insurance policy in the simplest terms allowable by legalese. The declarations page will list the name of your insurance company, the policy number that has been assigned to you, and the details of your coverage and the cost of your coverage as well as any policy endorsements. If there are any unique serial or license numbers or addresses for the insured item (such as for an auto insurance policy, or for a homeowners insurance policy), they will also be listed on the declarations page, formally tying the insurance policy details that follow to that specific property.

The declarations (or dec) page is generated for every new insurance policy that is issued, and it is also issued any time an insurance policy is renewed or if there are changes made to the policy. The new declarations page voids the old one and the policy that followed it. It is of vital importance to very carefully review a dec page every time you receive one and make immediate note of any changes or discrepancies that you disagree with and bring them to the immediate attention of your insurance policy to avoid any problems with having your claims honored in the future.

Additional Information Provided

The declarations page for your insurance policy, if it is an auto policy, may also include a list of any discounts that have been applied to your policy, as well as any surcharges that may have been applied. For example if you have received a good driver discount, it should be listed on your policy’s declarations page, and if it isn’t, you will want to notify your insurance company to make sure you are receiving the discount if you believe you are eligible for it.

Used in Insurance Claims

Your declarations page is usually where an insurance adjuster will start when it comes to evaluating any loss you make a claim on for your policy. They will use the declarations page immediately when they are assigned to your account to determine the maximum extent of the damage the insurance company may be liable for and the largest size of your claim. If your insurance policy coverage is minor enough in the face of overwhelming damage, it may help to speed the process along, for example if your home burns to the ground and you only have $15,000 in personal effects coverage, insurance, the agent may be able to clearly see that you have exceeded the damage maximum on your policy, and be willing to quickly settle the claim without any further fuss or ado. Otherwise, you usually will find your insurance adjuster with a copy of your dec page in hand at all times or close by, when he is working with you on your case in order to settle the claim. The dec page works for them in much the same way it should for you – serving as a quick overview of your entire policy at a glance.