North Country Insurance wildlife emblem: deer, raccoon, squirrel, and eagle among pines North Country Insurance Agency, Inc. 231-238-9882

Auto insurance.

Personal and commercial vehicle coverage, written by someone who can explain it in plain English.

A pickup truck on a two-lane road through tall pines, morning sun breaking through the trees

Michigan auto insurance has more moving parts than most states, and the 2019 reform gave every driver a set of medical choices that can be genuinely difficult to understand. Don’t worry, we are here to help walk you through these coverages.

We are happy to sit down with you and go through what each level of coverage actually means for your household, your health plan and your budget. Then we shop it. That is the whole job.

What an auto policy can cover.

  • Liability

    Bodily injury and property damage that you become legally responsible to pay on a covered loss. Remember, coverage is subject to the limit(s) on your declarations page, so let’s talk before something happens.

  • Personal injury protection

    Michigan PIP deals with your medical costs after a crash. Since 2019 you choose a level, and the choice may interact with your health insurance.

  • Collision and comprehensive

    Your own vehicle, whether you hit something or something hit you. Comprehensive is the one that covers deer, and up here that matters.

  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist

    Coverage when the driver who hit you has nothing, or nowhere near enough.

  • Michigan property protection

    Damage your vehicle does to parked cars and to buildings, fences and other property in Michigan.

  • Roadside and rental

    Towing and a vehicle to drive while yours is in the shop because of a covered loss. Worth having when the nearest shop is a bit of a drive away.

All subject to the coverage and limits on the policy.

Driving up here is its own thing.

Deer are not a rare event on these roads, they are a season. Comprehensive is what responds to a deer strike, not collision, and drivers are surprised by that every single fall.

Winter is the other half. Lake effect off both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron puts real snow across this whole region, and the shoulder seasons put ice on top of it. Long rural stretches mean a tow is a longer trip than it would be downstate.

A lot of households here also have a truck that pulls a boat or a sled trailer for part of the year. Talk to us about how your auto policy and the trailer coverage meet up.

Worth raising before you buy.

Your PIP choice is not permanent

You picked a medical level at some point, possibly without much explanation. It is worth discussing when your health coverage changes.

Minimum limits are low

A serious injury claim runs past state minimum liability quickly, and then it is your problem. Raising liability limits usually costs less than people assume.

Bundling is worth pricing, not assuming

Putting the auto with the home often helps. Sometimes it does not. Because we are independent we can actually check with different insurers instead of telling you it always does.

Auto by town

Questions we get asked.

What auto insurance is required in Michigan?
Michigan requires liability, personal injury protection and property protection insurance to register and drive a vehicle. The required minimums are set by the state, and most drivers should carry much more than the minimum. Contact us and we can help you understand why.
Does auto insurance cover hitting a deer in Michigan?
Yes, under comprehensive coverage rather than collision. If you carry liability only, a deer strike is not covered. This is the single most common coverage surprise we see in this county.
What changed with Michigan PIP?
Since July 2019 Michigan drivers choose a level of personal injury protection instead of everyone carrying unlimited coverage. The right choice depends on your health insurance and your household, and it is worth reviewing rather than leaving on whatever was picked first.
Can you write a work truck or a small fleet?
Yes. Commercial auto is a different policy from personal auto, and running business vehicles on a personal policy is a gap that shows up at claim time. Talk to us about how the vehicles are actually used.

Related coverage

Need auto insurance?

We will shop it across our carriers, then call you back and talk it through. No obligation.

Request a quote Call 231-238-9882