What is hired and non-owned auto?
Hired and non-owned auto is liability coverage for vehicles your business uses but does not own. On the ISO business auto form it is two symbols. Symbol 8, hired autos, is anything you lease, hire, rent or borrow, except from your employees, partners or LLC members. Symbol 9, non-owned autos, is any other vehicle used in connection with your business, including cars owned by your employees, partners or LLC members. It pays claims your business is liable for, as excess over other insurance. Damage to a rented vehicle is a separate coverage, and on the standard form the employee who owns the car is not an insured; CA 99 33, Employees As Insureds, is the ISO endorsement that adds employees.
Updated . Written by Andre Beukers, principal at Redoubt, a commercial insurance agency in Salt Lake City, not a government office.
What is the difference between hired and non-owned auto coverage?
The difference is whether the business has the vehicle under an arrangement of its own. A hired auto is one the business leases, hires, rents or borrows: a box truck rented for a weekend job, a van borrowed from another company. A non-owned auto is any other vehicle used in connection with the business that the business neither owns nor has hired or borrowed. The form names one case outright: cars owned by employees, partners, LLC members and their households, "but only while used in your business or your personal affairs."
The two symbols meet without overlapping. Symbol 8 leaves out any auto you lease, hire, rent or borrow from your employees, partners, LLC members or their households, and Symbol 9 takes those vehicles in. The pickup the business borrows from its foreman for a day is a non-owned auto, not a hired one, and it is covered only if Symbol 9 or Symbol 1 is on the policy.
| Question | Hired autos (Symbol 8) | Non-owned autos (Symbol 9) |
|---|---|---|
| Which vehicles | Autos you lease, hire, rent or borrow | Autos you do not own, lease, hire, rent or borrow, used in connection with your business |
| Examples | A truck rented for one job | An employee's car on a bank run |
| Employees', partners' and LLC members' vehicles | Excluded by the symbol's own words | Included while used in your business or your personal affairs |
| Who is an insured | The business, and anyone driving it with permission, minus listed exceptions such as its owner | The business; the employee, partner or member who owns the car is not |
| Liability: primary or excess | Excess over any other collectible insurance | Excess over any other collectible insurance |
What symbol is hired and non-owned auto?
Symbol 8 is hired autos and Symbol 9 is non-owned autos. They appear in Item Two of the declarations, next to each coverage the policy carries, and the form is strict about what that placement means: "The symbols entered next to a coverage on the Declarations designate the only 'autos' that are covered 'autos'." A coverage with neither 1 nor 8 beside it does not reach hired autos, and one with neither 1 nor 9 beside it does not reach non-owned autos such as employees' cars, whatever the policy is called.
Symbol 1, "Any 'Auto'," includes both, so a policy with Symbol 1 beside Covered Autos Liability has hired and non-owned liability built in. Symbols 2 through 6 are owned vehicles of different kinds, and Symbol 7 is "Only those 'autos' described in Item Three of the Declarations for which a premium charge is shown." A policy written on Symbol 7 alone covers the vehicles on the schedule and nothing hired or non-owned until 8 and 9 are added.
Contracts ask for it in their own words. Utah Transit Authority's 5310 vehicle requirements call for "Automobile Liability -Bodily Injury and Property Damage for any owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles used in the performance of this Contract." Symbol 1 covers all three on one line and Symbol 7 alone covers none of the hired or non-owned part; whether a combination such as 7, 8 and 9 satisfies a holder is for the holder to decide against its written requirement.
On a businessowners policy, hired and non-owned auto liability comes by endorsement. ISO's BP 04 04 lists Hired Auto Liability and Non-owned Auto Liability as two separate lines with a premium beside each, and "Insurance is provided only for those coverages for which a specific premium charge is shown in the Declarations or in the Schedule."
What does hired auto mean?
A hired auto is one your business leases, hires, rents or borrows, from anyone except your own employees, partners, LLC members and their households. The businessowners endorsement BP 04 04 defines it in nearly the same words, "'Hired auto' means any 'auto' you lease, hire, rent or borrow," with its own carve-out for autos from your employees, partners, executive officers or their households.
Two rules change how a rented vehicle is treated. A vehicle leased or rented to you without a driver "for a continuous period of at least six months that requires you to provide primary insurance" is considered a covered auto you own under the 11 20 edition. And a vehicle hired with its driver is excluded from Hired Auto Physical Damage, where the form says "any 'auto' that is leased, hired, rented or borrowed with a driver is not a covered 'auto'."
The rental company is not your insured either. The insured list leaves out "The owner or anyone else from whom you hire or borrow a covered 'auto'." If a rental agreement requires your policy to protect the owner, ISO's CA 99 16, Hired Autos Specified As Covered Autos You Own, is one endorsement that does this: for a vehicle on its schedule, "its owner or anyone else from whom you rent or lease it is an 'insured' but only for that covered 'auto'."
When an employee rents a car in their own name on a business trip, note that the standard insured list covers other drivers only for autos "you own, hire or borrow." ISO's CA 20 54, Employee Hired Autos, adds the employee: "An 'employee' of yours is an 'insured' while operating an 'auto' hired or rented under a contract or agreement in an 'employee's' name, with your permission, while performing duties related to the conduct of your business."
Does non-owned auto coverage protect the employee who owns the car?
Not on the standard form. Non-owned auto coverage protects the business when someone holds it liable for an employee's driving. CA 00 01's insured list reads "The following are 'insureds': a. You for any covered 'auto'. b. Anyone else while using with your permission a covered 'auto' you own, hire or borrow except:" and the second exception is "Your 'employee' if the covered 'auto' is owned by that 'employee' or a member of his or her household." The business is an insured for the employee's car. The employee is not.
Owners are treated the same way. The fifth exception removes "a member (if you are a limited liability company) for a covered 'auto' owned by him or her or a member of his or her household," and partners the same way. An LLC member who drives a personally owned truck to jobs gives the LLC non-owned coverage for that truck, if Symbol 9 or Symbol 1 is on the policy, and gets no coverage as a driver under the business policy.
The coverage also sits behind other insurance: for any covered auto you don't own, the form says its insurance "is excess over any other collectible insurance."
To put the employee under the business policy, ISO's endorsement is CA 99 33, Employees As Insureds: "Any 'employee' of yours is an 'insured' while using a covered 'auto' you don't own, hire or borrow in your business or your personal affairs." It reaches employees only, and "'Employee' does not include a 'temporary worker'." On a businessowners policy the gap looks the same: BP 04 04 lists employees as insureds for non-owned autos, then excludes "the owner of a 'non-owned auto'." The forms schedule shows whether CA 99 33 or an equivalent was issued.
What to send for a hired and non-owned auto review
- 1.The declarations page showing Item Two, the symbols beside each coverage
- 2.The forms and endorsements schedule, with form numbers and editions
- 3.Any CA 99 33, CA 20 54 or BP 04 04 endorsement pages on the policy
- 4.The insurance clause of the contract or rental agreement you have to meet
- 5.Who drives their own car for the business, and whether any are owners or temps
- 6.Vehicles the business rents or borrows, and any rental of six months or more
Does hired and non-owned auto pay to repair a rental car?
That is a separate coverage. CA 00 01 deals with damage to a vehicle you lease, hire, rent or borrow under Hired Auto Physical Damage, which also pays loss-of-use charges under a written rental contract on the conditions the form sets. Its liability coverage excludes property damage to property in the insured's care, custody or control.
Does hired and non-owned auto cover a truck titled to my business?
No. Symbol 8 is limited to autos you lease, hire, rent or borrow, and Symbol 9 to autos you do not own. A vehicle titled to the business is an owned auto and needs Symbol 1, an owned-auto symbol, or Symbol 7 with the truck described, beside each coverage.
Which edition of the form does this page quote?
ISO CA 00 01 11 20, the Business Auto Coverage Form. The 10 13 edition prints the same Symbol 8 and Symbol 9 wording and the same insured exceptions, but has no six-month lease paragraph. Your forms schedule names the edition that governs, and a carrier's own form, if it uses one, controls.
Where these answers come from
Each entry carries the exact words of the source so you can check it yourself. Forms, rules and carrier pages change; read the current version before acting.
- 1. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Business Auto Coverage Form, Section I, Covered Autos
“The following numerical symbols describe the "autos" that may be covered "autos". The symbols entered next to a coverage on the Declarations designate the only "autos" that are covered "autos".”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The same table lists Symbol 1 as Any "Auto" and Symbols 2 to 6 as owned autos of different kinds. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 2. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section I, Symbol 7, Specifically Described Autos
“Only those "autos" described in Item Three of the Declarations for which a premium charge is shown”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 3. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section I, Symbol 8, Hired Autos Only
“Only those "autos" you lease, hire, rent or borrow. This does not include any "auto" you lease, hire, rent or borrow from any of your "employees", partners (if you are a partnership), members (if you are a limited liability company) or members of their households.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 4. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section I, Symbol 9, Non-owned Autos Only
“Only those "autos" you do not own, lease, hire, rent or borrow that are used in connection with your business. This includes "autos" owned by your "employees", partners (if you are a partnership), members (if you are a limited liability company) or members of their households but only while used in your business or your personal affairs.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 5. ISO CA 00 01 10 13, Business Auto Coverage Form, Section I, Symbol 8 (earlier edition, National General forms catalog)
“Only those "autos" you lease, hire, rent or borrow. This does not include any "auto" you lease, hire, rent or borrow from any of your "employees", partners (if you are a partnership), members (if you are a limited liability company) or members of their households.”
nationalgeneral.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Pulled by curl. Symbol 9, the Who Is An Insured lead and exceptions (1), (2) and (5), Other Insurance, Hired Auto Physical Damage, the care, custody or control exclusion, loss of use and the employee definition print the same words as 11 20; the six-month lease paragraph does not appear. - 6. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section I, B.3, long-term leases treated as owned autos
“An "auto" that is leased or rented to you without a driver, under a written agreement for a continuous period of at least six months that requires you to provide primary insurance covering such "auto", will be considered a covered "auto" you own.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. This paragraph is in the 11 20 edition only; the 10 13 edition has no six-month lease sentence. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 7. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section II, A.1, Who Is An Insured
“The following are "insureds": a. You for any covered "auto". b. Anyone else while using with your permission a covered "auto" you own, hire or borrow except:”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 8. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section II, A.1.b(1), the owner you hire or borrow from
“The owner or anyone else from whom you hire or borrow a covered "auto".”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The form adds that this exception does not apply to a trailer connected to a covered auto you own. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 9. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section II, A.1.b(2), employee's own auto
“Your "employee" if the covered "auto" is owned by that "employee" or a member of his or her household.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 10. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section II, A.1.b(5), partner's or LLC member's own auto
“A partner (if you are a partnership) or a member (if you are a limited liability company) for a covered "auto" owned by him or her or a member of his or her household.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 11. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section IV, B.5.a, Other Insurance
“For any covered "auto" you own, this Coverage Form provides primary insurance. For any covered "auto" you don't own, the insurance provided by this Coverage Form is excess over any other collectible insurance.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 12. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section IV, B.5.b, Hired Auto Physical Damage
“For Hired Auto Physical Damage Coverage, any covered "auto" you lease, hire, rent or borrow is deemed to be a covered "auto" you own. However, any "auto" that is leased, hired, rented or borrowed with a driver is not a covered "auto".”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 13. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section II, B.6, Care, Custody Or Control exclusion
“"Property damage" to or "covered pollution cost or expense" involving property owned or transported by the "insured" or in the "insured's" care, custody or control.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Supports the rental-car FAQ. The exclusion does not apply to liability assumed under a sidetrack agreement. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 14. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section III, A.4.b, Loss Of Use Expenses
“For Hired Auto Physical Damage, we will pay expenses for which an "insured" becomes legally responsible to pay for loss of use of a vehicle rented or hired without a driver under a written rental contract or agreement.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Supports the rental-car FAQ. The form goes on to limit loss of use by cause of loss and to a daily and total amount. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 15. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Section V, F, definition of employee
“"Employee" includes a "leased worker". "Employee" does not include a "temporary worker".”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Section V, O defines a temporary worker as a person furnished to substitute for a permanent employee on leave or to meet seasonal or short-term workload conditions. ISO form PDF hosted by FC&S (ALM), pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 807d59f9). A carrier's own form or another edition on your policy controls. - 16. ISO CA 99 33 10 13, Employees As Insureds (IIAT InfoCentral copy)
“Any "employee" of yours is an "insured" while using a covered "auto" you don't own, hire or borrow in your business or your personal affairs.”
iiat.org, accessed October 3, 2026. Pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 f0de4935). Modifies the Business Auto and Motor Carrier Coverage Forms. - 17. ISO CA 20 54 11 20, Employee Hired Autos (FC&S copy)
“An "employee" of yours is an "insured" while operating an "auto" hired or rented under a contract or agreement in an "employee's" name, with your permission, while performing duties related to the conduct of your business.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 d884210b). The endorsement also treats such a rental as an owned auto for Hired Auto Physical Damage. - 18. ISO CA 99 16 10 13, Hired Autos Specified As Covered Autos You Own (IIAT InfoCentral copy)
“While any covered "auto" described in the Schedule is rented or leased to you and is being used by or for you, its owner or anyone else from whom you rent or lease it is an "insured" but only for that covered "auto".”
iiat.org, accessed October 3, 2026. Pulled by curl; same file as Redoubt's forms library copy (sha256 e9216f43). Paragraph A of the endorsement also treats the scheduled vehicle as a covered auto you own rather than one you hire. - 20. ISO BP 04 04 01 10, paragraph D.2, definition of hired auto
“"Hired auto" means any "auto" you lease, hire, rent or borrow.”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The definition goes on to exclude autos from your employees, partners or executive officers or members of their households; Symbol 8 names partners and LLC members instead of executive officers. - 21. ISO BP 04 04 01 10, paragraph B.2, who is not an insured
“The owner or lessee (of whom you are a sublessee) of a "hired auto" or the owner of a "non-owned auto" or any agent or "employee" of any such owner or lessee”
assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Paragraph 1.c of the same replacement Who Is An Insured lists any employee as an insured for a non-owned auto while it is used in your business; paragraph 2 then says none of the persons it lists, this one included, is an insured. - 22. Utah Transit Authority, 5310 Vehicle Insurance Limits and Statement of Additional Insured, 1.1.9
“Automobile Liability -Bodily Injury and Property Damage for any owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles used in the performance of this Contract.”
rideuta.com, accessed October 3, 2026. UTA's own requirement for its 5310 sub-recipients, with a combined single limit of $2,000,000. Pulled by curl from www.rideuta.com; the darepay.rideuta.com copy now returns 404 and was the same file (sha256 0d5efb4d). The page prints no date.
Employees drive their own cars for the business and the owner wants to know who pays
Hired and non-owned auto: what it covers, what it does not, the employee's own policy, and the employer's exposure.
Elsewhere on the site
Not sure what your policy shows for hired and non-owned?
Send Redoubt your declarations page, the endorsement schedule and the contract wording you have to meet. We will walk you through which symbols and endorsements are on the policy, what they reach, and what is missing.
This is general insurance information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. The policy forms, the endorsements the carrier issues, and the requirement in writing from whoever is asking control.