I recently purchased a new car and called my insurance company (The Hartford) to transfer the insurance to the new car. I was told that I had to have the car inspected or they would cancel my comprehensive and collision coverage. The Hartford notified me that CARCO has an extensive network of inspection sites. At the inspection site I was given a form to complete, and the person at this site signed the form. He never even looked at my car. My insurance co. is saying that this is a Florida state law. When did this law become effective and where can I find any documentation to this law?

While the process of inspecting your vehicle should have been more thorough, it is a procedure set forth by Florida law. Florida Statute 627.744 requires a private passenger motor vehicle insurance policy providing physical damage coverage, including collision or comprehensive coverage, to undergo a pre insurance inspection.

This FL Statute, which went into affect Oct 1, 1990, lists 12 exceptions to its pre insurance inspection requirement so perhaps in the past you have had physical coverage on your vehicle but it fell under one of these exceptions and thus did not need to get the pre insurance inspection.

The Statute is also only applicable in counties with a 1988 estimated population of over 500,000. There are 7 counties in Florida that fall into this category and they are:

• Miami-Dade
• Broward
• Palm Beach
• Orange
• Pinellas
• Hillsborough
• Duval

[Let CarInsurance.com help you find affordable auto insurance now.]

For customers of CarInsurance.com who purchase insurance through Direct General and need this inspection, they can go to an agency office. Those using Esurance and others are directed, as you were, to a CARCO inspection shop.

The reason for the Statute is to deter auto insurance fraud. Which at the time of inspection can be done by the inspector verifying the VIN of the vehicle, recording the vehicle's physical condition and documenting on-board options and accessories. This should help make certain the car's VIN matches and then help the insurer with any claims in the future involving the motor vehicle.

You can look at full Florida statute by searching for it at www.flsenate.gov. It is statute 627.744 Required pre-insurance inspection of private passenger motor vehicles.— Next time you do car insurance comparison shopping for your vehicles come here for a quick quote.