---
title: "Do I Need Insurance for Instacart in California?"
description: "Instacart insurance in California: delivery-permitted auto cover, contractor and helper rules, conditional DNC liability, injury benefits, health subsidy and claims."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/instacart/california"
page-type: "driving-insurance"
updated-at: "2026-10-27"
page-role: "insurance-research"
research-topic: "rideshare-and-delivery-insurance"
---

Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, check_driving_insurance for source-backed rideshare and delivery requirements by state or province, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Reliability Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Reliability Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication.

[Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/instacart/california)

## Agent Guide

**What this page is:** Instacart insurance in California: delivery-permitted auto cover, contractor and helper rules, conditional DNC liability, injury benefits, health subsidy and claims.

**Use this page when:** Use for source-backed rideshare and delivery insurance research. For a personalized checklist call check_driving_insurance with the actual jurisdiction, apps and vehicle.

**Limits (do not over-claim):**
- Separates legal minimums, platform-reported cover and unresolved policy questions; it does not establish policy entitlement, service availability or complete municipal licensing compliance.
- Sources have individual scope and review dates. Unknown evidence is not evidence that a policy or law does not exist.

**Provenance:** Official legislation, regulators, insurer-issued documents and platform documents; AI-assisted source review dated October 26, 2026.

**Related pages:**
- [Driving insurance research](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance) — collection
- [Driving insurance checker](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/checker) — personalized checklist
- [Editorial policy](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy) — how research claims are sourced
- [Spot developers](https://spot.insure/developers) — API and MCP usage

# Do I Need Insurance for Instacart in California?

Yes. Instacart requires you to maintain the insurance needed for your shopping and delivery services. Confirm that your auto policy permits paid deliveries. California’s additional network-company insurance and health-subsidy rules have separate conditions.

Research checked: 2026-10-27. Amounts are USD in the U.S. and CAD in Canada.

## Insurance Before You Accept an Instacart Batch

### Confirm Insurance for the Actual Shopping and Delivery Work

Yes. Section 6.2 of Instacart's live U.S. independent-contractor agreement requires the shopper to obtain necessary insurance and check whether the automobile policy covers the services. It warns that not every auto policy does and treats insufficient insurance as a material breach. Tell your insurer about paid grocery and other retail deliveries, travel to stores, accepted shopping, loading, customers' addresses, returns and any other apps. Ask which policy or endorsement permits the actual activity and what protects the car during each interval. An active shopper account is not proof that your personal insurer accepted this use. Keep its written answer with the application, declarations, endorsements, named drivers and vehicle details.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS); [CDI — Automobile Insurance Guide, February 2025](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/upload/IG-Auto-Insurance-Updated-020525.pdf)

### The Agreement Preserves Requirements Imposed by Local Law

The agreement's insurance and employee-benefit clauses expressly preserve circumstances where the law requires otherwise in the jurisdiction. Do not shorten them into a claim that Instacart never has an insurance obligation in California. Business and Professions Code section 7455 separately addresses required network-company occupational and death protection and conditional delivery auto liability. The shopper's duties and the company's legal obligations can therefore exist together. Ask what your own policy must insure, what an applicable network policy provides and which conditions govern each. A contract allocating costs does not by itself identify a fleet insurer, eliminate a statutory duty or decide the enforceability of a term for an individual claim.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California BPC §§7451–7452.5 — Independence](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=2.)

### California’s Ordinary Auto Minimum Does Not Resolve Delivery Use

Vehicle Code section 16056(a)(2) sets ordinary policy minimums at $30,000 for one person's injury or death, $60,000 for multiple people in an accident and $15,000 for property damage for policies issued or renewed from January 1, 2025. DMV confirms these amounts. Read the dates because the section also contains an older paragraph and a future increase. The minimum is neither a recommendation for your finances nor proof of delivery permission. Insurance Code section 11580.1 addresses described vehicles, insured persons, uses and permitted exclusions. Establish both adequate amounts and the applicable use terms before relying on the car to produce delivery income.

Evidence: Verified. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California Vehicle Code §16056](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=16056.&lawCode=VEH); [DMV — Current Insurance Requirements](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/insurance-requirements/); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS)

### Keep Your Accepted Version and Separate the App Terms

The reviewed public U.S. agreement is between the contractor and Maplebear doing business as Instacart, with the affiliates and representatives described in its preamble. Its section 17 makes the effective date the individual's signing date; the public template leaves individual details blank. Sections 13 and 16 address modifications and the entire agreement, with qualifications. This review did not authenticate your accepted version or addenda. Get the actual contract for the relevant date and role rather than relying on a third-party repost. The agreement also incorporates app terms and access guidelines; those additional documents have different purposes and should not be mistaken for an automobile insurance policy.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines)

## California Delivery Liability and Missing Policy Terms

### California’s Delivery Liability Requirement Is Conditional

Business and Professions Code section 7455(f)(1) requires a delivery network company to maintain at least $1 million per occurrence of auto liability for third parties' injuries or losses caused by an app-based driver's automobile during engaged time, in the stated circumstance where the automobile is not otherwise covered by a policy complying with Insurance Code section 11580.1(b). Keep that otherwise-covered qualification. It is a legal requirement, not an authenticated Instacart policy schedule or a statement of first-dollar priority. Ask for the applicable California policy and how it implements the condition. A shopper's duty to buy personal insurance does not make this company obligation disappear.

Evidence: Verified. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts)

### A Claims Form Does Not Establish the Fleet Limit or Priority

Instacart's live auto-liability form collects the shopper's and other parties' insurance information and asks whether personal insurers have been notified. It does not publish a current California carrier, policy number, effective period, complete limit or priority clause. The agreement is also not the missing insurance contract. Obtain the applicable auto policy, certificate and endorsements, and ask how an ordinary waiting period, accepted batch and return are treated. This review does not infer a first-insurer denial prerequisite from a reporting question on the form. Nor does the form prove the absence of a California policy. The checker retains the statutory rule with these policy questions instead of inventing fleet terms.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Auto Liability Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/auto_claims); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Distinguish Waiting From an Accepted Delivery Request

The auto form offers separate incident-stage choices for online waiting, travel to the retailer, travel to the customer and offline activity. These categories help describe an accident; they do not promise cover in all four. Section 7463 defines statutory engaged time from acceptance to completion of a request, subject to exclusions, while section 7455(f)(1) addresses delivery liability during engaged time. Before acceptance, confirm your own policy's waiting and business-use terms and obtain any applicable platform wording. A large engaged-time legal requirement should not be carried backward to every available minute. Preserve the actual request and timestamps so the correct period can be examined.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Auto Liability Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/auto_claims); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS)

### Shopping, Delivery-only and Returns Need Their Own Facts

Sections 2.1 and 3.2–3.4 of the U.S. agreement contemplate different service opportunities, including shopping with delivery, delivery only and shopping only, and identify returns within the described services. Section 7463's delivery definition includes selecting, collecting or purchasing items in connection with an accepted delivery. An accepted grocery order can therefore involve useful evidence before the groceries reach the car. The statute has its own distance and order-count conditions, including a customer destination within 50 miles of pickup and a maximum of 12 distinct customer orders per request. Do not equate a batch label with a complete legal or insurance classification. Keep the actual services and request structure.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Uninsured-driver and Medical Benefits Are Separate Questions

The reviewed Instacart contract and claims form do not establish a current California platform UM/UIM limit, medical-payments benefit or property-damage provision. Insurance Code section 11580.2 has distinct uninsured and underinsured definitions, coverage choices and coordination rules. Section 7455(e) also addresses how required occupational benefits are treated for specified auto-insurance payments. Ask which policy protects you when someone else causes the collision, which covered person and vehicle definitions apply, and whether property damage is included. A third-party liability requirement is not the same as insurance for your own injuries or car. Preserve other-benefit calculations instead of assuming every possible limit can be added together.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California Insurance Code §11580.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.2.&lawCode=INS); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [Instacart — Auto Liability Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/auto_claims)

## Your Car, Other Drivers and Other Apps

### Contractual Vehicle Responsibility Is Not a Repair Policy

Section 7.2 of the agreement says Instacart is not responsible for loss, damage or depreciation to the contractor's or personnel's equipment, including vehicles, and contains broad indemnity language. That allocates contractual responsibility; it is not an issued collision policy or a complete coverage exclusion that this guide can adjudicate. The reviewed public sources do not authenticate a contingent California repair program, deductible or repair limit for this arrangement. Confirm delivery-permitted comprehensive and collision on your own car and obtain any platform policy said to apply. Selecting yes for personal comprehensive and collision in the checker does not establish a separate Instacart repair benefit.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [CDI — Automobile Insurance Guide, February 2025](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/upload/IG-Auto-Insurance-Updated-020525.pdf); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS)

### Budget for the Deductible, Replacement Car and Loan Balance

CDI's auto guide separates liability, collision, comprehensive, rental reimbursement and loan-gap protection. For a grocery courier, ask whether each purchased benefit permits the actual delivery activity and whether a replacement car may also be used for it. Confirm towing, storage, deductibles, theft and damage caused by an uninsured driver. A car may be financed for more than its insured value, and a collision can interrupt income even without a covered injury. The Instacart agreement assigns operating expenses, including vehicle and insurance costs, to the contractor; its public documents do not establish an automatic replacement vehicle or downtime payment. Occupational benefits below address different covered losses.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [CDI — Automobile Insurance Guide, February 2025](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/upload/IG-Auto-Insurance-Updated-020525.pdf); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Borrowed or Rented Cars Require More Than Permission to Drive

Section 7.3 requires the contractor and personnel to have the legal right to operate the vehicle, required licenses, insurance and other authorizations, and to provide specified proof on request where lawful. An owner's permission or rental booking does not establish that the insurer or rental agreement permits paid deliveries, that the driver is insured, or that repair protection applies. Check all three before using a different car, including a temporary replacement. This publication's checker snapshot concerns an ordinary owned car. Borrowed, rented and non-car selections retain general questions but withhold that snapshot. The public agreement is not proof that every vehicle category is available or authorized in every market.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS); [CDI — Automobile Insurance Guide, February 2025](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/upload/IG-Auto-Insurance-Updated-020525.pdf)

### Helpers Need Their Own Accounts and Compliance

Section 4 permits compliant personnel while leaving the contractor responsible for their direction, compensation, expenses and performance. Personnel must meet the stated eligibility and background-check requirements, use their own shopper account, and give the required contractual acknowledgment. The access guidelines further prohibit delegation to someone without a valid active account and require the accepting shopper to be present when delivering the order to the customer. Do not import another app's driver-substitution rule or assume this permission extends any insurance policy to the helper. Tell your insurer about personnel, the actual drivers and their roles, and confirm insured status and any employer obligations for the arrangement you actually use.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS)

### Unregistered Companions Are Restricted by the Access Rules

Instacart's U.S. guidelines identify bringing someone without a shopper account, including a minor, while providing services as a potential account-access violation. They also connect unregistered companions with customer confidentiality. This differs from a program that simply permits passengers, and it should be read with the compliant-personnel conditions in the agreement. A person having an account is not proof that an insurer covers that person's driving or injury. Avoid treating household permission or an ordinary personal-policy driver listing as the entire answer. Check the current app rules, actual work role, car, insurer terms and any applicable legal accommodation or exception rather than deriving individual rights from a general webpage.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS)

### Disclose Passenger Work and Other Delivery Services

Section 2.4 permits working for other businesses, including competitors, while the accepted service still has its own completion obligations. Tell your insurer about every app and distinguish passenger trips from retail delivery. California's passenger TNC rules in Public Utilities Code sections 5430–5435 are a separate regime from section 7455(f)(1)'s delivery rule. A rideshare endorsement or another app's passenger repair description does not establish Instacart grocery-delivery protection. Record the request and activity at the accident time, including personal travel or an accepted service elsewhere. The checker can display separately reviewed app records, but it does not resolve insurer priority, combine limits or decide which carrier pays an overlapping loss.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California PUC Article 7 — Transportation Network Companies](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=2.&chapter=8.&lawCode=PUC&article=7.); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS)

### Preserve Permitted Records Without Exposing Customer Information

The California access guidelines treat intentional manipulation of an accepted batch's time or distance, including unrelated activity, as a potential fraud issue. They also restrict taking or sharing shopper-app screenshots that display customer or other sensitive information. Keep permitted receipts, your contract and insurance documents, and the acceptance, completion and return records needed to reconstruct a loss. Ask for appropriate records through the official private process when necessary, and avoid publishing customer names, addresses or order details. An app-standing question, an earnings adjustment and an insurer's covered-period decision remain separate matters; a later screen or an accusation alone does not establish the facts of an accident.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.)

## California Occupational Injury and Death Protection

### The Published Injury Announcement Is Dated

Instacart's California protections announcement, published in November 2020 and last updated August 18, 2021, describes shopper injury protection while on a batch, automatic enrollment, no premium, deductible or copay, and medical expenses up to $1 million. Its linked legacy help center now redirects to a closure notice rather than current wording. Those are dated company statements, not an authenticated 2026 California policy or certificate. This review did not establish the current carrier, policy term, complete insured-person definition or reporting requirements. Use the statement as program context alongside the current statutory duties below, and request the actual applicable policy through shopper support. Do not turn an old announcement into a present coverage determination.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — California Trainings and Protections, updated August 18, 2021](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-new-trainings-protections); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Current Law Specifies Medical and Lost-income Minimums

Section 7455(a) requires occupational accident protection for covered app-based drivers' injuries while online. Its minimum benefits include medical expenses up to at least $1 million and disability payments equal to 66% of average weekly earnings from all network companies, subject to specified weekly rate limits and up to the first 104 weeks following injury. The earnings reference is the preceding 28 days divided by four. Read the app-based-driver and network-company definitions and their conditions as well. These requirements explain what the law demands; they do not authenticate an individual policy or establish that every illness, injury or work arrangement qualifies. Identify the injury, activity, policy and evidence together.

Evidence: Verified. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.); [California Labor Code §4453](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4453.&lawCode=LAB)

### Use the Injury Year and Every Relevant Network’s Earnings

Section 7455 references Labor Code section 4453(a) for minimum and maximum weekly payment rates. DWC's dated 2026 notice gives temporary total disability reference rates from $264.61 to $1,764.11 per week, effective January 1, 2026. Those reference amounts should not be quoted as an individual's guaranteed payment without the applicable policy, covered injury and earnings calculation. Retain earnings statements from all relevant network companies for the statutory reference period and ask how tips, the 66% formula, injury date, offsets and rate limits were applied. A car repair by itself is not a disability claim. A rate from a 2021 program announcement should not be carried forward as a current benefit calculation.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California Labor Code §4453](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4453.&lawCode=LAB); [DWC — Temporary Total Disability Rates for 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2025/2025-116.html); [Instacart — California Trainings and Protections, updated August 18, 2021](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-new-trainings-protections)

### Online Availability Is Broader Than One Accepted Batch

For these required benefits, section 7455(c) includes the time a driver can receive requests as well as engaged time. Subsection (d) says the required occupational and death protection need not cover an accident outside engaged time during personal activity or engaged time on another network, and it provides contribution rules where multiple network policies cover the accident. A dated description of protection on a batch should therefore not replace the statute's online definition. Preserve the actual apps, requests, store activity and personal intervals. Being logged in alone does not decide a private errand, and a legal minimum does not resolve every policy exclusion or an individual's claim.

Evidence: Verified. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.); [Instacart — California Trainings and Protections, updated August 18, 2021](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-new-trainings-protections)

### Burial Expenses and Dependent Death Benefits Differ

Section 7455(b) requires accidental-death protection for qualifying dependents and refers to Labor Code sections 4701 and 4702 for burial and death-benefit amounts. Section 4701 contains injury-date categories, including a burial amount up to $10,000 for the specified later injuries; section 4702 contains separate dependency-based totals and additional provisions for certain children. Do not reduce these to one universal death limit or assume every relative qualifies. A claim needs the actual policy, covered-injury and death evidence, relationship and dependency records and the relevant calculation. This protection is separate from damages a third party may claim under auto liability and from the shopper's ordinary health-plan coverage.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California Labor Code §4701](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4701.&lawCode=LAB); [California Labor Code §4702](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4702.&lawCode=LAB)

### Contractor Language Does Not Decide Every Benefit or Status Dispute

Section 7451 makes its independent-contractor classification conditional on the statutory relationship, including provisions about schedules, accepting requests and other work. Section 7452 separately requires a written agreement and a contractual termination and appeals framework. The agreement's label and its benefits disclaimer should not be used to decide a disputed employment relationship without those facts. CDI's February 2021 implementation notice explains the insurance categories for required occupational benefits and possible arrangements; it is not Instacart's current issued policy. Its older liability cross-reference should be read against current section 7455. Identify whether an issue concerns employment status, required occupational cover, ordinary health insurance or an auto loss before selecting a review process.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7451–7452.5 — Independence](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=2.); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [CDI — Proposition 22 Implementation Notice, February 3, 2021](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/upload/Notice-Implementation-of-Insurance-Provisions-of-Proposition-22.pdf); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts)

## Health Subsidies, Proof and Earnings Records

### Use the Statutory Fifteen- and Twenty-five-hour Boundaries

Section 7454 requires a partial subsidy at an average of at least 15 but fewer than 25 engaged hours per week on a company's platform during the calendar quarter, and a full tier at 25 or more. Instacart's December 2020 post uses both a loose more-than-15 description and an at-least-15 description; it is not a reason to exclude the statutory boundary. Get the company's current eligibility record and identify which accepted requests and completed services were counted. Waiting for an opportunity is not automatically engaged time. Section 7463 also addresses cancellation, abandonment and specified fraud-prevention adjustments. A batch's label or the total time the app was open does not establish the quarterly average.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.); [Instacart — California Healthcare Subsidy, updated December 23, 2020](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-healthcare-subsidy)

### Calculate the Current Reference Without Inventing an Instacart Payment

Covered California's June 10, 2026 guide gives a statewide average monthly bronze premium of $706. Section 7463 defines the average ACA contribution as 82% of that reference, and section 7454 applies the full or half tier for each month of the quarter. The unrounded 2026 quarterly reference calculation is therefore $1,736.76 for the full tier and $868.38 for the partial tier. The state's monthly illustrations are rounded and should not be multiplied as exact quarterly figures. This review did not authenticate a current Instacart-posted dollar schedule or an individual's payment. Ask for the actual quarter's calculation and use the appropriate year's reference rather than a historical blog amount.

Evidence: Verified. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Covered California — Driver Stipend Quick Guide, June 10, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Driver_Stipend_Quick_Guide_for_Enrollers.pdf); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.)

### The Shopper Must Be the Subscriber on a Qualifying Plan

Section 7463 defines a qualifying plan as one where the app-based driver is the subscriber, excluding employer-sponsored coverage, Medicare and Medicaid. Covered California's current guide discusses individual-market coverage, including eligible minimum-coverage plans, and separately explains financial help for qualifying Covered California enrollment. Instacart's dated post similarly asks for the shopper as subscriber and gives examples of proof. Do not assume that being a dependent on a household plan establishes the required subscriber status, or that a subsidy enrolls you in insurance. Confirm the current plan, policyholder role and coverage period for the actual quarter. Keep the ordinary health plan separate from occupational accident benefits and car insurance.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.); [Covered California — Driver Stipend Quick Guide, June 10, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Driver_Stipend_Quick_Guide_for_Enrollers.pdf); [Instacart — California Healthcare Subsidy, updated December 23, 2020](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-healthcare-subsidy)

### Keep Quarterly Proof and Verify the Current Company Route

Covered California's October 1, 2026 guide explains generating a quarterly proof-of-coverage PDF after the quarter and describes an optional consent-based information-sharing process. It does not, by itself, establish that a particular shopper's evidence was transmitted to Instacart or accepted. Use the actual available company option and consent requirements if that process applies, or retain the PDF for the company's current submission route. Instacart's dated post lists examples including a health card, tax-form evidence and COBRA documentation; verify what current support requires rather than assuming every historical example is sufficient. Keep proof of coverage, submission and acknowledgment so eligibility and completion can be assessed separately.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Covered California — Proof and Consent Guide, October 1, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Drivers_Prop22_Healthcare_Stipend_Proof_of_Coverage_and_Consent.pdf); [Covered California — Driver Stipend Quick Guide, June 10, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Driver_Stipend_Quick_Guide_for_Enrollers.pdf); [Instacart — California Healthcare Subsidy, updated December 23, 2020](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-healthcare-subsidy)

### The Old Email Process Is Not an Authenticated Current Deadline

Instacart's December 2020 post describes an eligibility email within the first two weeks of the quarter, a 15-day response period after that email and payment with weekly earnings once approved. These are explicitly dated process statements; this review did not authenticate a current 2026 company submission window. Section 7454(d) separately allows at least 15 calendar days after quarter-end for enrollment proof and requires a subsidy that is due within 15 days after quarter-end or proof submission, whichever is later. Ask current shopper support about the applicable process and retain the receipt. Do not import Amazon's month-long window or another platform's fixed cutoff into an Instacart instruction.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — California Healthcare Subsidy, updated December 23, 2020](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-healthcare-subsidy); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Each Company’s Engaged Hours and Review Remain Separate

Section 7454 does not prevent a driver receiving a subsidy from more than one qualifying network company in the same quarter, but hours are measured on each company's platform. Combining ten Instacart hours with another app's ten does not establish the 15-hour Instacart tier. Covered California's guide directs stipend-eligibility and stipend appeals to the network company; its own review concerns health enrollment and eligibility. For a dispute, assemble the quarter, relevant receipts, average engaged hours, qualifying subscriber proof, submission acknowledgment and amount calculation. Keep medical and account records in the appropriate private process. The public checker supplies research questions without needing those sensitive documents or determining individual eligibility.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.); [Covered California — Driver Stipend Quick Guide, June 10, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Driver_Stipend_Quick_Guide_for_Enrollers.pdf); [Covered California — Proof and Consent Guide, October 1, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Drivers_Prop22_Healthcare_Stipend_Proof_of_Coverage_and_Consent.pdf); [Instacart — California Healthcare Subsidy, updated December 23, 2020](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-healthcare-subsidy)

### Earnings Adjustments Are Not Accident Insurance

Section 7453 supplies the engaged-time earnings floor and a vehicle-expense component with an annual adjustment mechanism. The current agreement's payment section distinguishes shopping-and-delivery, delivery-only and shopping-only services, while its cost clause assigns operating expenses to the contractor. A statutory earnings adjustment or mileage payment is not a collision benefit, a deductible waiver or lost-income insurance for every day a vehicle is unavailable. Keep the accepted opportunity, service type, time and mileage records needed to check the actual adjustment. An occupational wage claim requires a covered injury and the applicable benefit calculation; an earnings dispute follows its own company process and legal framework.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California BPC §7453 — Compensation](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=3.); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.)

## Instacart Reports, Auto Claims and Account Review

### Use the Auto Form Without Treating It as a Coverage Promise

The current auto-liability form offers shopper, shopper representative and third-party reporting roles. It requests accident time and place, the retailer, the incident stage, third-party harm, personal-insurer information, claim references and supporting records. Notify your own insurer as appropriate and ask Instacart which insurer and policy will handle the matter. A submitted intake form is not an acceptance of coverage, and a field asking about personal reporting does not establish that a denial is always required first. Retain the submission confirmation and carrier contact. Determine the actual policy's notice, cooperation and proof requirements promptly; those deadlines are not published by the blank form itself.

Evidence: Company-reported. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Auto Liability Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/auto_claims); [CDI — So You Have Had an Accident](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts)

### The Public Non-auto Form Is a Different Process

Instacart's separate non-auto form lists customer, third-party, insurer and legal-representative reporting categories and describes voluntary review of certain injury, property and other incidents. It does not establish the shopper's occupational-insurance claim route. The page describes U.S. payment documentation, including a general release and tax and payment forms, and a stated processing period after a signed release. Do not treat that period as an insurer's universal legal deadline or sign a release without understanding the rights affected. For your own work injury, obtain the actual occupational insurer and claim instructions through shopper support. A platform's incident-review process and an insurance claim can require different evidence and decisions.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Non-Auto Related Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/claims); [Instacart — California Trainings and Protections, updated August 18, 2021](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-new-trainings-protections); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Document the Incident and the Services Actually Being Performed

CDI's accident guide recommends obtaining the parties' insurance details, witnesses and safe scene evidence. Add permitted records of the accepted batch, store travel, shopping, loading, customer trip, return and any other app's service or personal interval. The current access rules restrict sharing sensitive customer information and certain screenshots, so use the appropriate private claims channel and ask for the records needed instead of publishing order details. Keep estimates, medical expenses and the relevant earnings evidence. Ask the insurer which activity definition and timestamp it used. An account-standing review does not establish insurance entitlement, and an insurer's activity classification does not automatically resolve a contractual complaint.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [CDI — So You Have Had an Accident](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm); [Instacart — Auto Liability Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/auto_claims); [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines); [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts)

### The DMV Report Has Its Own Trigger and Deadline

Vehicle Code section 16000 generally requires a report to DMV within ten days when an accident causes injury or death, or property damage exceeding $1,000 to any one person's property, subject to the statute's exceptions. The current SR1 instructions state that a report is required regardless of fault and that police and insurance reports do not replace it. Use the relevant insurer, policy and vehicle information and retain a copy. An Instacart auto-form submission or support conversation is not the SR1. A collision can therefore involve company notice, several insurance claims and a separate DMV filing, each with its own recipient, supporting details and deadline.

Evidence: Verified. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California Vehicle Code §16000](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=16000.&lawCode=VEH); [DMV — SR1, SR1A and Instructions, June 2025](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2025/09/SR-1-SR-1A-R6-2025-ASB-WWW.pdf); [CDI — So You Have Had an Accident](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm)

### Insurance Proof and an Account Appeal Address Different Issues

The agreement and access guidelines treat inadequate insurance and specified legal or safety violations as possible grounds for account action. The U.S. guidelines describe appealing a deactivation by responding to the Trust & Safety notice with new evidence showing an error. Section 7452 separately requires specified contractual grounds and an appeals process. If the issue concerns insurance proof, identify the actual policy, permitted activity, named driver and effective dates. If an insurer denied an accident claim, obtain the carrier's own reasons and review route as well. A successful account appeal does not automatically reopen an insurance claim, and maintaining an active account is not proof of delivery-permitted cover.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts); [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines); [California BPC §§7451–7452.5 — Independence](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=2.)

## Insurance Deadlines, Valuation and Regulatory Review

### Preserve Uninsured-motorist Rights Through the Required Procedure

Insurance Code section 11580.2(i) specifies procedures and time conditions for certain uninsured-motorist claims, with routes involving legal action, agreement or arbitration steps. Other provisions address underinsured or unidentified vehicles. A routine carrier acknowledgment, an app report or a DMV filing should not be assumed to preserve every separate right. Obtain prompt advice on the actual facts and policy if this coverage may apply, and retain the correspondence. Ask the insurer to identify the provision supporting a deadline it gives you. This guide does not calculate an individual's limitation period or establish a benefit simply because the driver was making an Instacart delivery.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California Insurance Code §11580.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.2.&lawCode=INS); [CDI — So You Have Had an Accident](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm)

### Ask for the Missing Evidence and Written Policy Reasons

California claims regulation section 2695.5 addresses communications, acknowledgment and investigation, including specified 15-calendar-day duties with conditions. Section 2695.7 addresses acceptance or denial after proof of claim, continuing notices and the factual and policy basis of denials. Its 40-day framework has exceptions, including specified disability and repair-bill claims; it is not a universal promise to pay every type of claim in this guide within that period. Track notice, proof, requests and responses. Ask what information remains necessary and request the actual clause and its application if the insurer denies delivery use, insured-driver status or a period. Keep carrier decisions distinct from platform support messages.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California Claims Regulation §2695.5](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE63146575C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)); [California Claims Regulation §2695.7](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE642F9A05C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default))

### Check the Car’s Valuation and Repair Calculation

Section 2695.8 addresses automobile total-loss comparisons, itemized adjustments, applicable taxes and fees, repairs and specified towing or storage. Its conditional reopening procedure includes notice within 35 calendar days after payment or a final offer when a comparable car cannot be bought for the gross settlement amount, subject to detailed qualifications. Compare the actual model, mileage, condition and options with the insurer's evidence. Section 2695.7 separately addresses specified deductible recovery through subrogation. Keep listings, estimates and receipts to explain the disputed amount. These standards do not create coverage where the actual policy excludes the delivery use; establish the responsible policy before treating a valuation rule as a coverage answer.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [California Claims Regulation §2695.8](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE65CC3295C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)); [California Claims Regulation §2695.7](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE642F9A05C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)); [CDI — Automobile Insurance Guide, February 2025](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/upload/IG-Auto-Insurance-Updated-020525.pdf)

### Use Standards Applicable to the Actual Injury Product

CDI's February 2021 implementation notice explains how required occupational medical and wage benefits fall within disability-insurance categories. Section 2695.11 supplies additional rules for applicable life and disability claims, including explanations of benefits, specified overpayment protections and preauthorization standards. It prohibits making emergency medical services subject to preauthorization and includes a contested-claim provision for a particular statutory category. Do not apply an auto property-claim timetable indiscriminately to treatment or lost-income benefits. Ask the injury insurer for its calculation, offset, medical-expense reason and applicable policy provision. A company's historical program description does not establish the claim procedure or benefit term for a current injury.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [CDI — Proposition 22 Implementation Notice, February 3, 2021](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/upload/Notice-Implementation-of-Insurance-Provisions-of-Proposition-22.pdf); [California Claims Regulation §2695.11](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE6CA520B5C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)); [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.)

### Build a Specific File for the Appropriate Review Channel

CDI's nonhealth Request for Assistance asks for insurer, policy and claim identifiers, a clear description, the resolution sought and supporting documents. For an unresolved insurance issue, include the insurer's decision, applicable wording, service timeline and disputed estimate or benefit calculation. The instructions explain that active litigation can lead CDI to defer regulatory investigation. A complaint does not replace legal action, preserve every other deadline or guarantee payment. Keep the company's stipend review and account appeal separate from the insurer issue, and use private official channels for medical or claim records. The checker does not buy insurance, submit claims, sign releases or determine individual entitlements.

Evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Scope: California Instacart independent-contractor shopping and delivery using an ordinary owned car unless another arrangement is expressly discussed. Live public U.S. agreement template, current local law and expressly dated company statements; individual accepted contract and current issued insurance policies not authenticated. Checked 2026-10-27.

Sources: [CDI — Nonhealth Request for Assistance](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/upload/RFAnonhealth.pdf); [CDI — So You Have Had an Accident](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm); [Covered California — Driver Stipend Quick Guide, June 10, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Driver_Stipend_Quick_Guide_for_Enrollers.pdf)

## Sources

- [DMV — Current Insurance Requirements](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/insurance-requirements/) — California Department of Motor Vehicles; Current 30/60/15 minimums and financial-responsibility routes; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Insurance Code §11580.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.1.&lawCode=INS) — California Legislature; Subsections (a)–(d); purposes, insured vehicles/persons and permitted exclusions; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Vehicle Code §16056](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=16056.&lawCode=VEH) — California Legislature; Subsection (a)(2), issued/renewed from January 1, 2025; distinguish historical and future paragraphs; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California BPC §§7454–7455 — Benefits](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=3.&chapter=10.5.&lawCode=BPC&article=4.) — California Legislature; Sections 7454–7455: health subsidy, occupational benefits, coordination and conditional DNC delivery liability in section 7455(f)(1); accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California BPC §7463 — Definitions](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=6.) — California Legislature; ACA contribution, DNC/delivery, engaged time/miles, online categories and qualifying health plan; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California BPC §§7451–7452.5 — Independence](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=2.) — California Legislature; Conditional status and written contract/termination appeal provisions; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California BPC §7453 — Compensation](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=10.5.&article=3.) — California Legislature; Engaged-time earnings floor and dated mileage base/annual adjustment; not loss insurance; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Insurance Code §11580.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11580.2.&lawCode=INS) — California Legislature; Coverage choices/definitions, subsection (h) coordination and (i) preservation steps; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Vehicle Code §16000](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=16000.&lawCode=VEH) — California Legislature; Report trigger, 10-day period and statutory exceptions; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Labor Code §4453](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4453.&lawCode=LAB) — California Legislature; Subsection (a) weekly rate reference incorporated by BPC7455; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Labor Code §4701](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4701.&lawCode=LAB) — California Legislature; Burial expense and injury-date categories incorporated by BPC7455(b); accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Labor Code §4702](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4702.&lawCode=LAB) — California Legislature; Dependency and date-specific death-benefit calculations incorporated by BPC7455(b); accessed 2026-10-27.

- [CDI — Automobile Insurance Guide, February 2025](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/upload/IG-Auto-Insurance-Updated-020525.pdf) — California Department of Insurance; Coverage explanations, exclusions, UM property condition, deductibles, rental and gap; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [CDI — So You Have Had an Accident](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm) — California Department of Insurance; Scene records, insurer notice/cooperation, repairs and disputes; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Claims Regulation §2695.5](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE63146575C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)) — California Office of Administrative Law / official CCR; Communication, acknowledgment and initial investigation duties with conditions; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Claims Regulation §2695.7](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE642F9A05C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)) — California Office of Administrative Law / official CCR; Proof of claim, denial reasons, continuing notice, exceptions and deductible subrogation; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Claims Regulation §2695.8](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE65CC3295C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)) — California Office of Administrative Law / official CCR; Automobile valuation, comparable vehicles, conditional reopening, repairs, parts, towing/storage; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California Claims Regulation §2695.11](https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IE6CA520B5C2F11EC9C68000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)) — California Office of Administrative Law / official CCR; Life/disability explanations, overpayment, contested claims and preauthorization scope; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [DWC — Temporary Total Disability Rates for 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2025/2025-116.html) — California Department of Industrial Relations; 2026 minimum $264.61 and maximum $1, 764.11; dated reference rates; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [CDI — Proposition 22 Implementation Notice, February 3, 2021](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/upload/Notice-Implementation-of-Insurance-Provisions-of-Proposition-22.pdf) — California Department of Insurance; Occupational medical/disability insurance classification; historical liability cross-reference; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Covered California — Driver Stipend Quick Guide, June 10, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Driver_Stipend_Quick_Guide_for_Enrollers.pdf) — Covered California; 2026 premium reference, qualifying individual coverage, proof and company stipend dispute route; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Covered California — Proof and Consent Guide, October 1, 2026](https://hbex.coveredca.com/toolkit/pdfs/App-based_Drivers_Prop22_Healthcare_Stipend_Proof_of_Coverage_and_Consent.pdf) — Covered California; All six pages visually reviewed; quarterly PDF proof and optional sharing, agent certification context; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [DMV — SR1, SR1A and Instructions, June 2025](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2025/09/SR-1-SR-1A-R6-2025-ASB-WWW.pdf) — California Department of Motor Vehicles; Current blank forms; page 3 instructions visually reviewed, report separate from police/insurer; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [CDI — Nonhealth Request for Assistance](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/upload/RFAnonhealth.pdf) — California Department of Insurance; Blank form and instructions revised October 1, 2024; evidence, requested remedy and active litigation; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [California PUC Article 7 — Transportation Network Companies](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=2.&chapter=8.&lawCode=PUC&article=7.) — California Legislature; Sections 5430–5435; current section 5433 effective January 1, 2026; category, disclosure, periods, priority and investigation; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Instacart — Live U.S. Independent Contractor Agreement](https://shoppers.instacart.com/contracts) — Instacart; U.S. preamble and sections 1–7, 13–17: services, personnel, costs, insurance/local-law exception, vehicle loss, proof, version and signing date; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Instacart — U.S. Full Service Shopper Account Access Guidelines](https://shoppers.instacart.com/guidelines) — Instacart; Complete U.S. section: adequate insurance, co-shopping/presence, companions, confidentiality, California time/distance and deactivation appeal; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Instacart — Auto Liability Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/auto_claims) — Instacart; All blank form labels/options: shopper/third-party roles, waiting/store/customer/offline stage, retailer, harm and own-insurer reporting; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Instacart — Non-Auto Related Claim Form](https://shoppers.instacart.com/secure_forms/claims) — Instacart; Voluntary nonauto review, claimant categories, link to actual ICA, U.S. release/payment documents and stated postrelease handling; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Instacart — California Trainings and Protections, updated August 18, 2021](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-new-trainings-protections) — Instacart; November 2020 announcement, updated August 2021: on-batch injury, enrollment, no premium/deductible/copay, medical headline and shopper-help route; accessed 2026-10-27.

- [Instacart — California Healthcare Subsidy, updated December 23, 2020](https://company.instacart.com/shopper-community/delivering-for-california-shoppers-healthcare-subsidy) — Instacart; Dated eligibility-email/proof process, tiers/subscriber examples; read against current BPC and CoveredCalifornia guides; accessed 2026-10-27.

## Related Reading

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[Do I Need Insurance for DoorDash in California?](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/doordash/california)

[Do I Need Insurance for Grubhub in California?](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/grubhub/california)

[Do I Need Insurance for Lyft in California?](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/lyft/california)

[Do I Need Insurance for Uber in California?](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/uber/california)

[Do I Need Insurance for Uber Black in California?](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/uber-black/california)

[Do I Need Insurance for Uber Eats in California?](https://spot.insure/driving-insurance/uber-eats/california)

Research uses official platform rules, government legislation, regulators and insurer-issued documents. Unknown local policies are identified explicitly. This guide is a checklist, not a determination that you are insured or eligible for a platform.

Spot publishes this research and works in the insurance market. Source review is AI-assisted; no independent insurance-professional review is claimed.

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