Car Insurance for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles

Last Updated on December 30, 2025

Getting car insurance for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle can feel complicated—especially when your van includes ramps, lifts, lowered floors, or hand controls. The good news: you can usually insure a wheelchair-adapted vehicle through standard auto insurers, as long as you set up the policy correctly.

In most cases, the key is making sure your policy includes coverage for your adaptive equipment. That often means adding an endorsement (sometimes called custom parts and equipment or special equipment coverage) like the one discussed in this guide on insurance for modified cars.

Below is a clear, step-by-step guide to how wheelchair-accessible vehicle insurance works, what to buy, and how to avoid costly gaps in coverage.

Key Takeaways

• Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are insured like any other car, but you typically need extra coverage for ramps, lifts, lowered floors, docking systems, and hand controls.
• Ask your insurer about custom parts/special equipment coverage for modified cars so your adaptive equipment is included in a claim.
• A disability shouldn’t be used as a pricing factor, but the cost to repair/replace expensive modifications can affect premiums if you add higher physical-damage coverage.
• To avoid claim headaches, document your adaptive equipment (receipts, installer invoice, photos) and confirm how your policy pays out for repairs and total losses.

Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle Insurance: What It Covers

A wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) is usually insured with the same building blocks as any other auto policy. Depending on your needs, you can carry liability-only coverage or full coverage (liability plus comprehensive and collision).

• Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to others.
• Collision coverage helps pay to repair your vehicle after an accident (regardless of who was at fault, depending on your policy and state rules).
• Comprehensive coverage helps pay for non-collision losses like theft, fire, hail, or vandalism.

Where WAV insurance is different is the equipment: the expensive modifications that make the vehicle accessible aren’t always fully covered under a basic policy unless you add the right endorsement and limits.

Do You Need Extra Coverage for Ramps, Lifts, and Hand Controls?

Often, yes. Many standard policies only include limited coverage for aftermarket parts, or they only pay to replace factory parts unless you buy additional protection. For WAVs, that can leave big gaps because accessibility upgrades can cost thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars.

Ask your insurer specifically about custom parts and equipment coverage (also called special equipment, adaptive equipment, or modified parts coverage). This add-on is designed to cover permanent modifications.

Examples of adaptive equipment you may need to insure include:

• Side-entry or rear-entry ramps (manual or power)
• Wheelchair lifts
• Lowered floors and kneeling systems
• Docking/lockdown systems
• Transfer seats
• Hand controls, steering devices, and pedal extensions
• Interior reconfigurations tied to accessibility (track seating, securement points, etc.)

Tip: If your insurer asks for a dollar amount, use the total installed cost of the equipment and conversion—not just the price of one component.

Will a Disability Raise Your Car Insurance Rates?

Your disability itself typically should not be treated as an auto insurance “rating factor.” Auto insurers generally price policies based on risk signals like driving history, location, vehicle, mileage, and prior claims—not disability status.

However, your premium can still increase if the accessible vehicle is more expensive to repair or replace, or if you add higher limits to protect the value of ramps, lifts, and other equipment. In other words: insurers can charge more to cover a more valuable vehicle—but they shouldn’t charge more just because you have a disability.

If you want a quick reality check, compare two drivers with the same profile (age, location, vehicle, and record). If both have a clean driving record, their base rate should look similar—any difference should be tied to the vehicle and coverage choices, not disability status.

For an overview of disability rights protections, see the DOJ’s Guide to Disability Rights Laws.

How Much Does It Cost to Insure a Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle?

There isn’t one set price, because WAV insurance depends on (1) your normal auto rating factors and (2) how much value you’re adding in adaptive equipment. In general, you should expect cost changes from:

• Higher physical-damage premiums if your vehicle is worth more (or costs more to repair).
• An endorsement cost for custom parts/special equipment coverage, if your insurer charges separately for it.
• Different insurer appetite—some companies are better than others at insuring heavily modified vehicles.

If you’ve invested heavily in modifications, ask how your insurer handles total losses and whether the policy pays enough to replace your conversion equipment. If you’re financing a high-cost conversion, also consider whether gap insurance is appropriate.

How to Buy the Right Policy for a Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle

Use this checklist when shopping for coverage or updating your current policy:

• Disclose the modifications when you apply. Don’t assume the equipment is automatically covered.
• Ask for the right endorsement (custom parts/special equipment/adaptive equipment coverage).
• Set the limit high enough to match the installed cost of your equipment and conversion.
• Confirm how claims are paid for aftermarket and adaptive equipment (repair vs. replace, depreciation rules, and total-loss treatment).
• Save documentation: invoices, receipts, installer paperwork, and photos.
• Review your rating factors (location, mileage, record, etc.)—these still matter. Here are common factors that determine auto insurance rates.

If you’re a veteran, it can also help to ask about veteran-related discounts and programs that may reduce costs.

For additional guidance from the mobility industry, NMEDA also recommends confirming adaptive-equipment coverage with your insurer: car insurance tips for mobility vehicles.

Filing a Claim: How Adaptive Equipment Is Paid For

If your WAV is damaged, the part of your policy that responds depends on what happened:

• Collision claims typically apply after a crash (including at-fault accidents).
• Comprehensive claims typically apply for theft, weather, fire, and vandalism.

What matters most is whether your adaptive equipment is covered and properly valued. If you want the claim to pay for the correct parts, ask about coverage for OEM parts vs. aftermarket parts and how the insurer writes estimates for specialized equipment.

If you didn’t add the endorsement (or didn’t disclose the equipment), you may find the settlement doesn’t cover the conversion—leaving you to pay out of pocket for repairs or negotiate a tough claim. In worst-case situations, insurers can deny a claim if there’s a material misrepresentation or a coverage exclusion applies.

Also consider reviewing and updating your policy limits as your needs change—especially after you add new equipment. Here’s guidance on when you can change coverage or limits on your policy.

For a plain-English explanation of how some insurers describe this add-on, see Progressive’s overview of custom parts and equipment coverage for adaptations.

FAQs on Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle Insurance

Bottom Line on Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle Insurance

Wheelchair-accessible vehicle insurance is usually straightforward once you focus on the right gap: protecting the value of your adaptive equipment. The goal is simple—if a ramp, lift, or conversion is damaged or stolen, your policy should pay to repair or replace it without surprises.

When you compare quotes, always disclose your modifications and confirm the endorsement name, limit, and payout rules in writing. That’s the best way to get solid coverage at a fair price.

One last tip: driving history still matters. A speeding ticket or crash can raise costs regardless of vehicle type—see how a speeding ticket can increase your rates and whether insurance goes up after an accident.