How to Track Your Annual Mileage
Write down your odometer reading on the same date each year, or let your car do it for you.
Check your odometer at regular intervals and keep the numbers
The simplest way is to read your odometer on the same date every year, maybe your birthday or renewal date, and write the number down somewhere you'll find it again. Subtract last year's reading from this year's and you have your annual mileage.
Many newer cars log this automatically in a trip computer or an app tied to the vehicle. If yours does, you can pull a year's worth of driving in seconds instead of keeping a paper record. Either way works. What matters to your insurer is that you have a real number, not a guess.
Why your insurer wants this number at all
Insurers price a policy partly on how much you're expected to drive, because more miles means more time on the road and more chances for a claim. When you first got your policy, you probably estimated your annual mileage. That estimate may be higher than what you actually drive now, especially if you've retired, moved closer to town, or just stopped commuting.
If your real mileage is lower than what's on file, telling your insurer can lower your premium. If it's higher, your insurer may ask you to correct it, and it's worth doing, because driving far more than your policy assumes can affect how a claim is handled.
Some insurers offer a low mileage discount and will ask for proof like an odometer photo or a service record showing the reading. Others use a plug-in device or an app that tracks mileage directly. Ask your insurer which method they accept before you rely on your own notes.
What throws off an honest count
A service receipt or inspection report usually lists the odometer reading, so these are a good backup if you forget to check it yourself. Keep a few of them from across the year and you can fill in gaps in your own log.
If you share the car with someone else in the household, the mileage on the odometer reflects everyone's driving, not just yours. Some insurers ask for your share of the total if the policy is priced per driver, so it's worth asking how they want that broken out.
A long road trip or a temporary change in routine, like a new job further from home, can make one year's number misleading. If something like that happened, it's reasonable to mention it when you report your mileage, rather than letting one unusual year set your rate going forward.
Questions people ask about this
What counts as low annual mileage for insurance?
There's no single figure that applies everywhere, since each insurer sets its own threshold for a low mileage discount. Ask your insurer directly what they count as low mileage and what proof they need to apply the discount.
Does my odometer reading need to be verified by someone else?
Some insurers accept your own reading, while others want a photo, a service record, or a reading taken during an inspection. Check with your insurer which form of proof they'll accept before you submit a number.
What if I don't drive the car much but still take long trips?
Annual mileage is simply the total distance driven in a year, so occasional long trips still count toward that total. If your driving is unusually uneven year to year, mention that to your insurer rather than letting a single high or low year set expectations.
Can I track mileage with my phone instead of the odometer?
Many phone apps and car companion apps can log trips automatically and total them over a year. This works well as a backup or a primary method, but check with your insurer first to see if they require the odometer figure specifically.
How often should I report my mileage to my insurer?
This depends on your insurer's policy terms, since some ask for an annual update and others only want to know if your driving changes significantly. Ask your insurer when they expect an update and whether there's a form or online portal for it.
If your driving has dropped off, it's worth seeing what a policy built around your real mileage would cost.
Find your most recent odometer reading and write down today's date next to it. If you have a service receipt or inspection report from the past year, pull that too, since it likely has a reading on it already. Call your insurer or check your policy documents to see whether they offer a low mileage discount and what they need to confirm your number. If your car has a trip computer or a manufacturer app, check whether it stores a yearly total, since that can save you the manual tracking entirely. Once you have a real figure, compare it to what's listed on your current policy and ask your insurer to correct it if the two don't match.
