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Commercial auto policy symbols identify which categories of vehicles are covered for each listed coverage. They are not a policy-wide promise: check the symbol next to each coverage in Item Two of your declarations, then confirm the vehicle and any conditions in the issued policy. The guide below follows ISO Business Auto Coverage Form CA 00 01 10 13; your policy’s edition and endorsements may differ.
Where to find the symbols and how to read them
Look in Item Two of the business auto declarations, commonly labeled the schedule of coverages and covered autos. Each coverage line has its own covered-auto symbol or symbols. The reproduced ISO form states: “The symbols entered next to a coverage on the Declarations designate the only ‘autos’ that are covered ‘autos’.” In practical terms, a vehicle must fit the symbol shown beside the particular coverage you are checking.
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A symbol does not tell you the policy limit, deductible, exclusions, who qualifies as an insured, or whether a claim will be paid. Those questions depend on the coverage provisions, other policy wording, endorsements, and applicable law. The definitions below paraphrase CA 00 01 10 13, whose reproduced wording is copyrighted 2011. Confirm the edition shown on your own policy.
Commercial auto symbols in CA 00 01 10 13
| Symbol | Form description | Practical reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Any “Auto” | A broad vehicle category, but it applies only to the coverage line where it appears. It is not, by itself, a guarantee of every kind of coverage. |
| 2 | Owned “Autos” Only | Includes qualifying autos acquired after the policy begins; for liability, it also includes certain trailers attached to owned power units. |
| 3 | Owned Private Passenger “Autos” Only | Includes later-acquired owned private passenger autos. |
| 4 | Owned “Autos” Other Than Private Passenger “Autos” Only | Includes later-acquired owned non-private-passenger autos; for liability, it also includes certain attached trailers. |
| 5 | Owned “Autos” Subject To No-fault | Applies to owned autos required to have no-fault benefits where licensed or principally garaged, including qualifying later acquisitions. |
| 6 | Owned “Autos” Subject To A Compulsory Uninsured Motorists Law | Applies to owned autos required by state law to carry non-rejectable uninsured-motorist coverage, including qualifying later acquisitions. |
| 7 | Specifically Described “Autos” | Applies to vehicles listed in Item Three for which a premium is shown, subject to the form’s terms and its liability provision for certain trailers. |
| 8 | Hired “Autos” Only | Covers the form’s category of autos leased, hired, rented, or borrowed, with exclusions for vehicles obtained from employees, partners, LLC members, or members of their households. |
| 9 | Non-owned “Autos” Only | Applies to qualifying autos not owned, leased, hired, or borrowed that are used in connection with the business. The form includes certain employee-, partner-, member-, and household-owned autos while used in the business or personal affairs. |
| 19 | Mobile Equipment Subject To Compulsory Or Financial Responsibility Or Other Motor Vehicle Insurance Law Only | Applies to defined land vehicles that would otherwise qualify as mobile equipment but are subject to such a law. |
What symbol 7 means—and what happens when you add a vehicle
Symbol 7 is schedule-based. For a vehicle to fit the reproduced form’s definition, it must be described in Item Three and have a premium shown. Compare that schedule with the vehicles currently in the business’s fleet rather than assuming a newly purchased vehicle has been added automatically.
In CA 00 01 10 13, qualifying autos acquired during the policy period under symbols 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 19 receive coverage for the rest of the policy period under the form’s stated rule. Symbol 7 has narrower conditions: the insurer must already cover all autos the insured owns for that coverage, or the new auto must replace a previously covered auto. The insured must also tell the insurer within 30 days after acquisition that coverage is wanted.
That 30-day period is a term in this particular form, not a universal rule for every commercial auto policy. CAR’s 2023 comparison of CA 00 01 03 06 and CA 00 01 11 20 illustrates that editions can differ, including provisions concerning certain long-term autos leased or rented without a driver. Check the wording and endorsements on the issued policy, and contact the insurer promptly about a newly acquired vehicle.
Symbols 8 and 9: hired versus non-owned vehicles
The distinction is about how the vehicle relates to the business and the insured. A business renting a vehicle may be looking at the hired-auto category in symbol 8. An employee using a personal car for a work errand may fall within the non-owned-auto category in symbol 9, if the form’s requirements are met.
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- Symbol 9: addresses qualifying autos outside those categories that are used in connection with the business, including certain employee-owned vehicles.
Neither symbol alone establishes that every driver is insured or that damage to the vehicle itself is covered. Check the coverage line, insured definitions, policy wording, and any relevant endorsements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical check of your declarations
- Find Item Two. Locate the declarations’ schedule of coverages and covered autos.
- Read each coverage line separately. Note the symbol beside the specific coverage you want to verify; do not assume the same vehicle category applies to every line.
- If you see symbol 7, check Item Three. Match the listed vehicles and shown premiums against the fleet, and ask the insurer how a new acquisition should be reported.
- If vehicles are rented, borrowed, or employee-owned, check the relevant lines. See whether symbols 8 or 9 appear and ask the insurer to explain how the issued wording applies to your use case.
- For a policy comparison, compare four things: vehicle ownership or use category, the coverage line carrying each symbol, whether vehicles are individually scheduled, and the new-acquisition and notice terms.
IRMI likewise describes auto symbols as identifying the vehicle categories to which the various coverages of a commercial policy apply: IRMI’s overview of commercial auto symbols. For a decision about a specific vehicle or claim, have the insurer or a licensed commercial insurance professional review the actual declarations, policy edition, and endorsements. CAR’s comparison of the 2020 edition with earlier wording is available here.
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