Change Car Insurance in Massachusetts, Do You Need to Update Registration with RMV?

I had auto insurance with Vermont Mutual for a year; Suddenly last month they sent me an email saying they would not renew my insurance for another year because of failure to provide translated driving history as requested. This is a ridiculous reason because I already had a MA driver license and they even didn’t request me for any info previously.

I was upset initially and sent an email to customer service for clarification. I got no response and later and I found myself fortunate because of the cancellation. I did some research to find a new insurance and surprisingly, most of them quoted me a much more reasonable price with at least 20% discount. I chose GEICO because they are offering an additional 15% credit on new policies during the coronavirus (COVID-19).

My previous policy will expire soon and if I don’t have a new insurance starting from the same expiry date, Registrar of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will cancel my car’s registration. Therefore, it is recommended to go shopping for a new insurance as soon as possible to avoid coverage lapse.

After purchasing a new policy from GEICO, I was just wondering if I need to update my car registration with RMV. I heard that there was a RMV-3 form or the newer RTA (Registration and Title Application) form used to change information on vehicle registration. In the RTA form, there is a section to amend registration with new insurance; It also requires an insurance stamp and $25 fee. However, on this RMV’s website, there is no information indicating if this is required when changing insurance.

The next morning, I checked my registration and the new policy still didn’t show up. I called GEICO’s customer service and was told I don’t need to do anything else. In fact, insurance companies are responsible for reporting to RMV all new policies they issue, as well as any change or cancellation. This is done electronically through the RMV’s Uninsured Motorist System (UMS). The process often takes around 24-48 hours.

I checked my registration on the myRMV Online Service Center 2 days later and found out that it was updated with new policy. You can find the information by navigating to Access My Profile -> Verification -> View Vehicle Details -> Insurance.

All done. If you are in the same situation, you can be ensured that everything is settled by your new insurance company. You don’t need to report new policy to RMV by yourself.