No, non owned car insurance does not cover a leased car. You need a regular auto insurance policy with the leasing company listed on it to cover your long term lease.

I don't own a leased car, so why won't a non owner policy cover it?

Non owner is an absolutely terribly product name, and that's what causing the confusion here. A non owner policy is actually just a regular car insurance policy that specifically excludes coverage for any vehicle you own.

However, regular car insurance policies also exclude coverage for any car your regularly drive or have regular access to that's not listed on the policy. So, you're good if you borrow a friend's car once in a while, or drive a loaner while yours is in the shop.

But, if you drive a car regularly, you need to be listed on the same policy as the car. And since you'll be driving your leased car on the regular, you need a policy with the lease listed. And that's just a regular car insurance policy.

Aside from the coverage issue, non owner policies don't cover the car you're driving. You can't add comprehensive or collision, which pay to fix your car after a crash or a weather event. Leasing companies usually require you to have both these coverages to protect their investment in the car.

Tips for buying insurance to cover a leased car

• Choose an agent who can quote several insurance companies for you, or do the legwork to reach out directly to at least three insurance companies. Prices vary a lot from company to company.
• Check the leasing company's insurance requirements. They usually require full coverage (comprehensive and collision). There may be a maximum deductible on these coverages. Some leasing company's also require liability insurance that's higher than state minumums.
• Tell your agent or the insurance company you're working with that the car is leased. The pricing may be different than if you own the car, and you want to make sure your quote is correct.
• Make sure the leasing company is listed as the loss payee and as an additional insured on the policy. Having them on the policy as a loss payee means that if you total the car, they get the payout, since they own the car. Adding them as an additional insured means that if you get in a crash and they get sued as a result, the policy covers them too.
• Once you pay for your policy, follow any directions the leasing company gave you for how to send your policy information to them.

Read more about non owner auto insurance or read our complete guide to buying insurance for your first car.