1. Forms
  2. CA
  3. CA-00-01

What it does

The Business Auto Coverage Form is the standard ISO policy form for commercial auto. Section I lists the covered auto designation symbols; the symbol entered next to each coverage on the declarations (CA DS 03) decides which vehicles that coverage applies to. Section II is Covered Autos Liability (bodily injury, property damage and "covered pollution cost or expense" arising from the ownership, maintenance or use of a covered auto, with defense outside the limit). Section III is Physical Damage (comprehensive, specified causes of loss, collision). Sections IV and V hold the conditions and definitions.

ISO's 2026 multistate forms revision (CA-2026-OFR26) introduces a 09 27 edition of this form, approved for policies effective on or after September 1, 2027 in states where it has been adopted; the prior edition remains in use until then and in states that have not adopted the revision.

The 11 20 edition is the current multistate edition (the 10 13 edition remains in use only in a few jurisdictions). One change agents notice: automatically covered non-owned trailers are now tied to a registered Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 3,000 pounds or less, where the 10 13 edition used a 2,000-pound load capacity. The 11 20 edition also treats an auto leased or rented to the insured without a driver for a continuous period of at least six months, under a written agreement requiring the insured to provide primary insurance, as an owned covered auto.

Who needs it

Contractors, service businesses, wholesalers, retailers, nonprofits, public entities and private (non-hauling-for-hire) fleets. Motor carriers can be written on CA 00 20 or on this form with the Motor Carrier Endorsement CA 23 30; franchised and non-franchised dealers go on the Auto Dealers Coverage Form CA 00 25.

Key provisions

  • Symbols: 1 any auto; 2 owned autos; 3 owned private passenger; 4 owned other than private passenger; 5 owned autos subject to no-fault; 6 owned autos subject to compulsory UM; 7 specifically described; 8 hired autos (not autos hired from employees, partners, LLC members or their households); 9 non-owned autos, including employees' cars while used in the business; 19 mobile equipment subject to motor vehicle laws. Symbols 1-6 and 19 pick up newly acquired autos automatically; symbol 7 picks them up only if all owned autos are covered or the auto is a replacement, or if reported within 30 days.
  • Who is an insured: the named insured for any covered auto; permissive users of owned, hired or borrowed autos, with exceptions (owners/lenders of hired autos, employees driving their own cars, auto-business workers, people loading or unloading who are not the insured's own); and anyone liable for an insured's conduct.
  • Supplementary payments (outside the limit): up to $2,000 for bail bonds and up to $250 a day for lost earnings at the insurer's request, plus court costs and post-judgment interest.
  • Physical damage extras: towing and labor for private passenger types and light and medium trucks up to the declared limit; glass, bird/animal and falling-object losses under comprehensive; theft transportation expense of $30 a day up to $900; loss-of-use expense for hired autos of $30 a day up to $900.
  • Other insurance: primary for owned autos, excess for autos the insured does not own, primary for liability assumed under an "insured contract"; a trailer follows the power unit.

Quoting and selling notes

  • Ask how employees use their own cars and whether the business rents vehicles: symbols 8 and 9 (or symbol 1) close the most common uninsured gaps. Hired auto physical damage needs to be scheduled separately.
  • Employees using their own cars are not automatically insureds for their own liability; CA 99 33 Employees As Insureds adds them.
  • Contract requests for additional insured, primary and noncontributory and waiver of subrogation are handled with CA 20 48, CA 04 49 and CA 04 44 or CA 04 43.
  • The fellow employee exclusion and the employee injury exclusion push employee injuries to workers compensation; CA 20 55 or CA 20 56 can restore fellow employee coverage.