What Is Specified Perils Coverage in Auto Insurance?

When reviewing optional auto insurance coverages, you might come across “specified perils.” It sounds technical, but it’s simply a narrower version of comprehensive insurance. Instead of covering a wide range of unexpected events, it protects your car from a defined list of risks.

This matters when you're comparing ways to protect your vehicle against theft, weather damage, or fire without paying for full comprehensive coverage. You might think about this the next time you're looking to reduce your premium while still maintaining some physical damage protection.

What Specified Perils Covers

Specified perils coverage offers financial protection for a limited list of causes. If your vehicle is damaged by one of these listed events, your insurer will cover the cost of repairs or replacement, up to the vehicle’s actual cash value and minus your deductible.

Commonly covered perils include:

Fire
Theft or attempted theft
Lightning
Hail or windstorm
Earthquake
Explosion
Falling objects
Civil disturbances (such as riots)
Certain types of transport damage (like a train derailment)

Peril Type	Is It Covered?
Fire or lightning	Yes
Theft or attempted theft	Yes
Hail or windstorm	Yes
Vandalism	No
Animal collisions	No
Flood or water damage	No

Note: Anything not on the list is excluded. If the damage doesn’t stem from one of these named risks, your claim won’t be covered.

How It Differs from Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive insurance covers a broad array of non-collision events—including theft, fire, vandalism, flood, animal collisions, and more. Specified perils, by contrast, only covers what’s explicitly named in the policy.

Comprehensive is broader and more flexible
Specified perils is more limited, but also more affordable

Tip: Think of specified perils as “a la carte” protection—it’s lower cost, but only applies to certain situations.

When Specified Perils Might Be Right for You

This coverage could make sense if:

You’re looking for lower-cost protection
It’s cheaper than full comprehensive coverage, offering a middle ground between full coverage and none.
Your car is older but still worth insuring
You may not want to pay for all-risk protection, but still want coverage for theft or fire.
You park indoors or live in a low-risk area
If your exposure to vandalism, flooding, or animals is low, you may not need full comprehensive protection.

Caution: If you choose specified perils and then your car is damaged by a risk not on the list—like vandalism or animal impact—you’ll be responsible for all costs. Be sure you're comfortable with what’s excluded.

Named Protection with Defined Limits