CNA vs The Hartford: Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance

CNA covers bodily injury and property damage from hired and non-owned vehicles used for business and offers driver-distraction risk-control programs; The Hartford covers similar risks but isn't sold online to small businesses, so you quote through a local agency or Tivly.

Embarcadero Risk brings together source-based comparisons for businesses moving people and goods.Research updated 2026-09-30

Coverage topics

CNA

  • coverage: CNA says its commercial auto policy covers bodily injury and property damage caused by hired and non-owned vehicles used for business. This is a top-level coverage description; the policy defines insureds, covered autos, conditions and exclusions.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: CNA’s risk-control guide describes hired vehicles as rentals used for business and non-owned vehicles as employees’ personal vehicles sometimes used for business. The guide explains the exposure and is not itself policy language or an eligibility rule.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: A CNA HNOA supplemental application asks about personal-auto limits, leased or rented vehicles, prior HNOA coverage and five years of loss history. The form is an edition 2/08 example; CNA does not establish that this exact form applies to every risk today.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: CNA describes driver-distraction and cargo-securement risk-control programs and says underwriting and risk-control staff tailor resources to industry exposures. These are commercial-auto program services, not proof of a particular account’s enrollment or outcome.company-reportedSource ↗

The Hartford

  • role: The Hartford's HNOA is a type of commercial auto coverage with two parts: hired coverage for vehicles a business rents, leases or borrows, and non-owned coverage for employees using their own vehicles for business, layered on top of the employee's personal auto policy. HNOA product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The Hartford says HNOA helps pay bodily injury costs (medical, lost income, funeral, legal/settlement) and property damage costs (vehicle repairs, legal/settlement, replacement) up to policy limits. It does not cover damage to the hired or non-owned vehicle itself, injuries to the business's own staff, property theft from the vehicle, normal wear and tear, or accidents during personal (non-business) use. HNOA product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The Hartford recommends HNOA for businesses that rent or borrow vehicles for work, or whose employees use personal vehicles for business errands like deliveries or client meetings. HNOA product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: Like standard commercial auto, HNOA is not currently sold online for small businesses; The Hartford directs buyers to a local agency or its partner Tivly for a quote. HNOA product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The Hartford says non-owned auto coverage cost depends on claims history, vehicle value, employee driving history and how often vehicles are rented for business; the page does not publish standard liability limits. HNOA product page as read 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford August 27, 2026); cost factors, not a coverage limit.not-disclosedSource ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between CNA and The Hartford Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance?

Application detail and policy boundaries

CNA’s supplemental application makes the information needed to evaluate hired and non-owned vehicle exposure concrete: it asks about personal-auto limits, leased or rented vehicles, prior HNOA coverage and five years of losses. The Hartford’s public explanation instead clarifies that non-owned coverage sits above an employee’s personal auto policy. That difference matters when gathering records: CNA identifies application inputs, while The Hartford tells you how the business coverage relates to the employee’s policy. [3] [7]

Liability scope and excluded vehicle damage

CNA describes liability for bodily injury and property damage from business use; The Hartford spells out several boundaries, including no damage to the hired or employee-owned vehicle itself and no injuries to the business’s own staff. A buyer comparing quotes should make sure the declarations and endorsements address vehicle damage and employee injury separately, rather than infer them from the HNOA label. [2] [7]

What Should You Confirm in CNA and The Hartford Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask CNA how the stated personal-auto limits affect the proposed HNOA layer and which hired vehicles must be listed. [2]
  • Ask The Hartford what liability limit applies above employees’ personal policies and how employee injury is handled. [7]

CNA’s supplemental application requests personal-auto limits, vehicle arrangements and five years of loss history. The Hartford explains the employee-policy layer and exclusions, so applicants should compare intake detail with the specific liability boundaries.

Source material

  1. 01
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Commercial General Liability; Commercial Automobile; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent?; How Are Commercial Policies Rated? · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Commercial Auto Insurance for Businesses

    CNA · Current U.S. page: owned, hired and non-owned business-use vehicles; automobile liability/physical damage; driver safety and cargo securement risk-control programs; tailored underwriting and claims teams. Retrieved 2026-09-30. · accessed 2026-09-30

  3. 03
    Hired / Non-Owned Auto Supplemental Application

    CNA · PDF p. 2: CNA supplemental application asks about employee personal-auto limits, leased/rented vehicles, prior HNOA coverage and five-year loss history; edition 2/08, illustrative process document, not proof that this exact application applies to every risk. Retrieved 2026-09-30. · accessed 2026-09-30

  4. 04
    Hired and Non-Owned Auto Exposures

    CNA · Risk-control guide: definition and examples of employee-owned and hired vehicles used for business, personal-auto-first discussion, and suggested employer controls; guide content is educational and does not state CNA policy wording. Retrieved 2026-09-30. · accessed 2026-09-30

  5. 05
    Non-Owned Auto Liability Insurance

    Hiscox · What is covered?; Who is covered; What the policy does not cover · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Business Auto Coverage Form

    ISO; hosted by National General · I.A p.1; II.A pp.2–3; II.B pp.3–4; III pp.4–6; IV.B.5 p.7 · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Hired and Non-Owned Vehicle Insurance | HNOA

    The Hartford · What Is Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance?; What Are Considered Non-Owned Vehicles?; What Is Considered a Hired Auto?; What Does Hired and Non-Owned Vehicle Insurance Cover?; What Is Not Covered; Do You Need Hired and Non-Owned Auto Coverage?; What Does Non-Owned Auto Coverage Cost? · accessed 2026-09-23

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