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NCB in Car Insurance

No Claim Bonus (NCB) is a reward offered by insurers for every claim-free year. It allows you to enjoy a discount on your car insurance premium when you renew your policy. NCB starts at 20% after the first claim-free year and can go up to 50% over consecutive years without claims. Read more... This benefit is transferable if you switch insurers and applies only to the Own Damage component of your policy. Read less

NCB (No Claim Bonus) in Car Insurance

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What is No Claim Bonus (NCB) in Car Insurance?

Why is No Claim Bonus Important for Car Owners?

how ncb in car insurance works

How Does No Claim Bonus Work in Car Insurance?

Every time you renew your car insurance, your driving history plays an important role in deciding how much you pay. One of the biggest ways insurers reward careful, claim‑free driving is through the No Claim Bonus (NCB).

NCB works on the principle of continuous claim‑free ownership. If you complete one full policy year without making a claim, you earn an NCB discount on your next renewal. When you continue renewing on time and avoid claims, this discount increases year after year.

However, making even a single Own Damage claim can reset your accumulated NCB to zero unless it is protected through a specific NCB Protector Add-On.

How is NCB Calculated in Car Insurance?

NCB in India follows standard slabs based on claim‑free years.

Claim‑Free Policy Years NCB Discount
After 1 year  20% 
After 2 years  25% 
After 3 years  35% 
After 4 years  45% 
After 5 years  50% 

For Example:

Your Own Damage premium is ₹15,000, a 50% NCB means you save ₹7,500 every year at renewal. Losing this discount due to a small claim can therefore be far more expensive than it appears initially.

when is a no claim bonus in car insurance applied

When is a No Claim Bonus in Car Insurance Applied?

NCB (No Claim Bonus) is a discount applied to your existing car insurance premium. NCB is typically applied when doing your car insurance policy renewal. It can be applied with the comprehensive policy and own damage car insurance plan, but not the Third-party policy.
mobile phone claim approved

Is It a Good Idea to Make Small Claims and Lose No Claim Bonus?

No! In case you’ve got into a minor accident or are planning to use your car insurance for a small tyre burst, you could instead skip the claim and pay for its repairs yourself (only if you think it’s feasible!) and you can go a year without any claims and therefore gain a No Claims Bonus during your car insurance renewal

Benefits of No Claim Bonus in Car Insurance

No Claim Bonus reduces your long‑term car insurance cost by rewarding consecutive claim‑free driving and giving you pricing advantages that continue across years, cars, and insurers.

1. Reduces car insurance premium

With every claim‑free year, the NCB percentage increases, lowering the Own Damage portion of your premium. As this benefit compounds over time, policyholders with higher NCB slabs end up paying significantly less than those who frequently make claims. 

2. Rewards safe and responsible driving

Instead of pricing everyone the same, insurers use NCB to financially recognise drivers who avoid unnecessary claims and drive responsibly. Over time, this encourages policyholders to use insurance for major losses rather than minor repairs, which helps maintain lower premiums and more sustainable pricing.

3. Belongs to the policyholder, not the vehicle

This means the effort you put into maintaining a claim‑free record does not disappear when you sell your vehicle. As long as the policy is renewed on time, your accumulated NCB stays with you and can be carried forward to your next car.

4. NCB is Transferable

No Claim Bonus is fully transferable. If you decide to change your insurer or buy a different car, your earned NCB can be moved along with you. This allows you to freely transfer without losing the benefit you’ve built over the years. 

how-to-retain-ncb

How to Retain NCB After Filing a Claim?

NCB can be retained after filing a claim by opting for an NCB Protection Add‑on while you buy a policy. NCB Protection allows you to make a limited number of claims during a policy year without losing your accumulated No Claim Bonus. This add‑on is particularly useful once you have reached higher NCB slabs, where losing the bonus would significantly increase your premium.

NCB Protection can be purchased only with a Comprehensive policy or a Standalone Own Damage cover and requires payment of an additional premium.

What are the Exclusions of NCB Protection Cover?

NCB Protection does not apply in specific situations where policy conditions are not met or misuse is detected.

1. Exceeding the Allowed Number of Claims

NCB Protection works only up to a predefined number of claims in a policy year. If you cross this limit, your No Claim Bonus will reset as per standard policy rules.

2. Claims Involving Fraud or Misrepresentation

If any claim includes false information, non‑disclosure, or intentional misrepresentation, the NCB Protection benefit becomes invalid. In such cases, the insurer may also take additional action under policy terms.

3. Policy Not Renewed Within 90 Days of Expiry

NCB Protection is applicable only if the policy is renewed on time. If renewal is delayed beyond 90 days from the expiry date, both the NCB and its protection lapse.

4. Adding or Removing the Cover Mid‑Term

NCB Protection must be selected at the time of policy purchase or renewal. It cannot be added or removed during the policy period.

5. Repairs Done Outside the Insurer’s Network Garage

For NCB Protection to apply, repairs must be carried out at an authorised network garage. Repairs done outside the network can lead to loss of this benefit.

When Does No Claim Bonus Get Cancelled?

Once cancelled, No Claim Bonus cannot be restored. You must start earning it again from the first slab, beginning with 20% after one claim‑free year.

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How to Get an NCB Certificate?

At the time of buying an insurance policy, the policyholder is provided with an NCB certificate, and it now depends on the policyholder whether he makes any claims or not in the policy year. If he claims, then he will not be entitled to the NCB benefit for the next year but if he doesn't claim for the entire year, he will be eligible for the NCB benefit.

To get a No Claim Bonus (NCB) certificate, the policyholder can contact the insurance provider and request one. For that he needs to provide your policy number and personal and vehicle details. After verifying the details, the insurer will issue the NCB certificate.

What are the Documents Required for NCB Transfer?

You have to provide the following documents along with the application: After the submission of the below documents, no claim bonus will be transferred to the new car. Based on the existing NCB certificate the customer can avail the benefit of the discount on the insurance premium for the new car.

Acknowledgement letter of your sold car

Insurance policy of the old car

Booking form of the car

Transfer application

Buyer-seller agreement (Forms 29 & 30)

Copy of old RC

NCB certificate from the insurer

ncb on your existing policy when selling the car

What Happens to NCB When the Car is Sold?

If you have NCB on your existing policy and decide to sell your car in the middle of the year or, in another case, buy another car, there are two cases you need to know:

Case 1: You Buy Another Car

NCB can be transferred to the new car by informing your insurer and submitting the required documents.

Case 2: You Change Insurers

Declare your existing NCB, old policy number, and insurer name. The new insurer verifies and applies the discount.

Important: NCB remains valid only if the policy gap does not exceed 90 days.

how to claim your no claim bonus

How to Claim Your No Claim Bonus for a New Vehicle Insurance Policy?

This depends on whether you’re buying your new car insurance online or through an agent, or offline.  

In case you are buying your new car insurance policy offline or via an agent, you will need to transfer your No Claim Bonus by submitting your buyer-seller agreement- Forms 29 and 30 along with a letter requesting the transfer of your NCB from your existing insurance company. The respective insurer will then issue an NCB certificate which you’ll need to submit to your new car insurance company.   

However, if you’re going to buy your new car insurance online, you don’t need to do any of this. All you need to do is declare the right NCB and old policy number and name of the insurer and your new insurance company will manage the rest of the process.

What Happens to NCB if the Car is in an Accident or Stolen?

FAQs about No Claim Bonus in Car Insurance

Manasvi Gupta

Written By

Manasvi Gupta

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Reviewed by:

Mayur Kacholiya