Written by Justin Goodman, CIC, CISC, CLCS, CEO and Co-Founder, Total CSR Published: October 7, 2026 · Last reviewed: October 7, 2026
In plain language: Symbol 9 tells an insurance company which vehicles a business auto policy covers when those vehicles belong to someone else. Think employee cars driven for company errands. The business does not own, lease, or rent the car, but it can still face a lawsuit if that car causes an accident during work use.
Technical definition: Symbol 9, found on the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form (CA 00 01), designates “non-owned autos” as covered autos. This symbol extends liability coverage to vehicles the named insured does not own, lease, hire, or borrow, including employee-owned autos used in the course of business operations.
Symbol 9 – Non-owned Autos Only at a Glance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Non-Owned Auto Symbol, Non-Owned Auto Liability |
| Category | Commercial auto coverage symbol |
| Lines of business | Commercial Auto, Business Auto Policy |
| Industries most affected | Professional services, nonprofits, contractors, retail, real estate |
| Related forms or endorsements | ISO CA 00 01 (Business Auto Coverage Form), CA 99 10 (drive other car) |
| Who bears the risk | The business, through vicarious liability for employee driving during work |
| Common solution | Select Symbol 9 alongside Symbol 8 (hired autos) for complete non-fleet protection |
| Also interacts with | Employee’s personal auto policy, which typically provides primary coverage first |
Key Takeaways
- Symbol 9 extends business auto liability coverage to vehicles the insured business does not own, lease, hire, or borrow, most commonly employee personal cars used for work tasks.
- Agencies rely on Symbol 9 daily because many small businesses never purchase or title a company vehicle, yet employees still run errands, make deliveries, or visit clients in personal cars.
- The most common pitfall is assuming non-owned auto coverage is primary; it typically sits excess over the employee’s personal auto policy, which creates gaps if that personal policy lapses or excludes business use.
- A quick win for agencies is pairing Symbol 9 with Symbol 8 (hired autos) whenever a client reimburses mileage or rents vehicles, since the two symbols together close most non-fleet exposure.
What Is Symbol 9 in Insurance?
Symbol 9 is a numeric designation on the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form that identifies which autos receive coverage under a given policy. Insurance companies use these symbols, numbered 1 through 9 plus 19, to define covered autos without listing every vehicle by VIN. Symbol 9 specifically captures autos the named insured does not own, lease, hire, or borrow but uses in connection with business operations.
The provision exists because businesses regularly rely on vehicles they do not control on a titled basis. A landscaping company sends a supervisor to the hardware store in his own truck. A nonprofit asks a volunteer coordinator to drive her sedan between program sites. If that supervisor or coordinator causes an accident while running a business errand, the injured party can sue both the driver and the business under the legal doctrine of vicarious liability, since the employer directed or benefited from the trip.
Carriers underwrite Symbol 9 knowing it protects against this exposure gap. A worked example: a marketing firm has no company cars, but its account executives drive personal vehicles to client meetings. One executive rear-ends another driver while running late to a pitch. The injured driver sues the executive and the marketing firm. Symbol 9 on the firm’s business auto policy responds to the liability claim against the firm, since the executive’s car was being used in company business at the time of the loss.
Symbol 9 covers liability only. It does not provide physical damage coverage for the non-owned vehicle itself, and it does not replace the driver’s own personal auto insurance.
How Does Symbol 9 Work?
- The errand. An employee drives a personal vehicle on a task that benefits the employer, such as a bank deposit, client visit, or supply pickup.
- The accident. The employee causes a collision while on that errand, injuring a third party or damaging property.
- The claim. The injured party files a claim or lawsuit naming both the employee and the employer, arguing the employer is vicariously liable for the employee’s actions during business use.
- The coordination of coverage. The employee’s personal auto policy typically responds first, since that policy is primary for the vehicle. The business auto policy’s Symbol 9 coverage applies excess, filling the gap once personal limits are exhausted or if the personal policy denies the claim due to business-use exclusions.
- The defense and payout. The business auto carrier defends the business against the liability suit and pays covered damages up to the business auto policy limits, subject to the policy’s terms and any applicable exclusions.
Real Claim Examples Involving Symbol 9
Sales representative causes injury during a client visit
A regional sales representative drove her own car to a scheduled client meeting and struck a pedestrian in a parking lot. The pedestrian sued both the representative and her employer, a software company with no owned vehicles. The employer’s business auto policy carried Symbol 9, so the carrier defended the company and contributed to the settlement once the representative’s personal auto limits were exhausted.
Nonprofit volunteer coordinator in a multi-vehicle collision
A nonprofit organization asked a part-time coordinator to transport supplies between two shelter locations in her own minivan. She was involved in a multi-vehicle collision that injured two other drivers. Because the nonprofit had never purchased Symbol 9 and relied only on Symbol 1 (owned autos), which the organization did not have any of, the business auto policy provided no liability response, leaving the nonprofit exposed to a direct lawsuit with no commercial coverage behind it.
Contractor’s foreman runs a material pickup
A general contractor’s foreman drove his personal truck to a supply yard to pick up materials and rear-ended a vehicle stopped at a light. The foreman’s personal auto carrier denied part of the claim, citing a business-use exclusion in his personal policy. The contractor’s business auto policy, which included Symbol 9, picked up where the personal policy left off, covering the portion of the claim the personal carrier declined.
Symbol 9 vs. Symbol 1: What Is the Difference?
Symbol 9 covers vehicles the business does not own, while Symbol 1 covers any auto the business does own. Agencies frequently confuse the two when a client assumes “any auto” coverage under Symbol 1 automatically extends to employee personal vehicles, which it does not.
| Comparison area | Symbol 9 | Symbol 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Employee personal vehicles used for business | Company-titled vehicles of any type |
| Coverage / concept type | Liability only, typically excess over personal auto | Liability and, if selected, physical damage |
| Typical exclusions | Physical damage to the non-owned vehicle | Vehicles not titled to the named insured |
| Who is most affected by errors | Small businesses and nonprofits without a vehicle fleet | Businesses with company cars, trucks, or trailers |
| Common mistakes | Assuming coverage is primary rather than excess | Assuming Symbol 1 extends to employee personal cars |
What Are the Most Common Mistakes With Symbol 9?
- Treating Symbol 9 as primary coverage: the employee’s personal auto policy usually responds first, and agencies who fail to explain this sequence set clients up for an unpleasant surprise during a claim.
- Skipping Symbol 9 for businesses with no company vehicles: owners often believe they need no commercial auto coverage at all, missing the fact that employee driving still creates liability exposure.
- Confusing Symbol 9 with hired auto coverage: Symbol 8 covers rented or leased vehicles, while Symbol 9 covers employee-owned vehicles; a client needs both symbols for full non-fleet protection.
- Failing to verify employee personal auto limits: an employee carrying only state minimum limits leaves a larger gap for the business auto policy to absorb, increasing the employer’s effective exposure.
- Not documenting business-use frequency: underwriters price Symbol 9 based on expected use, and undisclosed regular use, like daily deliveries, can trigger coverage disputes or non-renewal.
- Assuming physical damage is included: Symbol 9 provides liability protection only, so damage to the employee’s own vehicle is not covered under the business policy.
How to Explain Symbol 9 to a Client
Explaining Symbol 9 to a personal lines client
Your own car insurance is still your primary coverage even when you drive for work. If you cause an accident while running a work errand, your employer’s business policy can step in to help after your personal limits are used up. That’s what Symbol 9 does for your employer, and it protects you both.
Explaining Symbol 9 to a small business owner
Even if your business doesn’t own a single vehicle, you still have exposure every time an employee drives their own car for work. Symbol 9 adds coverage for those situations, so if an employee causes an accident while on a business errand, your business has protection behind the employee’s personal insurance. It’s a low-cost way to close a gap most business owners don’t realize exists.
Explaining Symbol 9 to a CFO or risk manager
Symbol 9 addresses vicarious liability exposure arising from non-owned, employee-operated vehicles used in company operations. Coverage applies on an excess basis over the employee’s personal auto policy, which means your total cost of risk depends heavily on the adequacy of employee personal auto limits. We recommend confirming minimum personal auto limit expectations for any role involving regular business driving, and layering Symbol 8 alongside Symbol 9 if the company also rents or leases vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions About Symbol 9
Does Symbol 9 cover physical damage to an employee’s car?
No. Symbol 9 provides liability coverage only, protecting the business against claims arising from an employee’s use of a personal vehicle for work. Damage to the employee’s own car falls under that employee’s personal auto physical damage coverage, if purchased.
Is Symbol 9 primary or excess coverage?
Symbol 9 typically applies excess over the employee’s personal auto policy. The employee’s own insurance responds first, and the business auto policy fills gaps once personal limits are exhausted or if the personal policy excludes business use.
Does a business need Symbol 9 if it has no company vehicles?
Yes, in most cases. A business with no owned vehicles still faces liability exposure any time an employee drives a personal car for company purposes, such as deliveries, errands, or client visits. Symbol 9 addresses exactly this gap.
What’s the difference between Symbol 9 and Symbol 8?
Symbol 8 covers hired or rented autos, such as a rental car used on a business trip. Symbol 9 covers non-owned autos, primarily employee personal vehicles used for work. Many commercial policies select both symbols together for complete coverage.
Can an employer be sued even if Symbol 9 isn’t on the policy?
Yes. A lack of Symbol 9 coverage does not eliminate the employer’s legal liability for an employee’s actions during business use of a personal vehicle. It simply means the business auto policy will not respond to defend or pay that claim, leaving the business to fund its own defense and any judgment.
How does an agency know if a client needs Symbol 9?
Agencies should ask during the application process whether any employee, owner, or volunteer drives a personal vehicle for any work task, even occasionally. In Total CSR’s training work with agency teams, we consistently see this question skipped during account rounding, which is the single most common reason non-owned auto exposure goes undetected until a claim surfaces.
Related Insurance Terms
- Symbol 1: Covers any auto the named insured owns, forming the baseline liability symbol for businesses with a titled vehicle fleet.
- Symbol 8: Covers hired or rented autos, often paired with Symbol 9 to address both rented and employee-owned vehicle exposures.
- Vicarious Liability: The legal doctrine holding an employer responsible for an employee’s negligent acts committed within the scope of employment, which is the underlying exposure Symbol 9 addresses.
- Business Auto Coverage Form: The ISO policy form (CA 00 01) that uses numbered symbols, including Symbol 9, to define which vehicles are covered autos.
- Hired and Non-Owned Auto Liability: A common shorthand term combining Symbol 8 and Symbol 9 coverage into a single described liability exposure for businesses without owned fleets.
- Covered Auto: The policy term defining which vehicles trigger coverage under a given business auto policy, determined by the symbols selected on the declarations page.
About the Author
Justin Goodman, CIC, CCIP, CISC, CLCS, CRIS, PCIA, QCLS, MFHR CEO and Co-Founder, Total CSR, Inc.
Justin Goodman is a third-generation insurance broker with over two decades in agency operations. He has trained more than 100,000 CSRs, account managers, and producers in commercial and personal lines coverage, from workers’ compensation to construction risk. He was named 2024 Insurance Journal Agent of the Year and one of the nation’s top five construction insurance experts by Risk & Insurance. He is the author of Retain, which applies cognitive science research on memory and knowledge transfer to insurance training, and speaks nationally on how agencies build durable technical expertise in their teams.