CA 00 01 is the ISO "Business Auto Coverage Form" — the standardized policy form that forms the core of a Business Auto Policy (BAP). It's published by ISO (a Verisk business) and used, with edits, by most commercial-auto insurers. The form sets out five parts — Covered Autos, Liability, Physical Damage, Conditions, and Definitions — and uses covered-auto designation symbols (1–9, plus 19) on the declarations page to control which vehicles each coverage applies to. For example, symbol 1 = any auto (broadest liability), 7 = only the autos specifically listed, 8 = hired autos, and 9 = non-owned autos. The current edition is CA 00 01 11 20.
If you've read a commercial auto policy, you've read CA 00 01 — it's the ISO coverage form nearly every Business Auto Policy is built on. The confusing part is the covered-auto symbols: a row of numbers on the declarations page that quietly decides whether a coverage applies to every vehicle, only owned vehicles, only the listed vehicles, or hired and non-owned vehicles. This guide explains the form, every symbol, and how CA 00 01 differs from the truckers and motor-carrier forms. Source: IRMI auto coverage symbols + covered-auto designation symbols reference; Verisk/ISO; NAIC commercial auto.
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What is the CA 00 01 form?
CA 00 01 is the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form — a standardized coverage form published by Insurance Services Office (ISO, a Verisk business) that most insurers use as the foundation of their commercial auto policies. It is not, by itself, a complete policy: a finished Business Auto Policy (BAP) is the CA 00 01 coverage form plus a declarations page (which lists the insured, limits, premiums, and the covered-auto symbols) plus any endorsements the carrier attaches.
- It standardizes the coverage grammar — because most carriers start from the same ISO form, "Covered Autos Liability" or "symbol 8" means the same thing across insurers, which makes commercial-auto policies comparable.
- The declarations do the customizing — the form is generic; the declarations page assigns limits and the covered-auto symbols that switch each coverage on for a specific category of vehicles.
- Carriers modify it with endorsements — insurers add their own endorsements (e.g., broadening or restricting endorsements) on top of the base CA 00 01, so two carriers' "business auto" policies can differ even though both begin with CA 00 01.
- It is a general-business form — for-hire trucking operations are usually written on the Truckers (CA 00 12) or Motor Carrier (CA 00 20) form instead. See the comparison below.
Covered-auto designation symbols (1–9 + 19) — the coverage details
The covered-auto designation symbols are the single most-asked detail of CA 00 01. On the declarations page, each coverage (Liability, Physical Damage, Medical Payments, UM/UIM, PIP) is printed next to one or more numbers. Each number is a category of autos, and that coverage applies only to the autos in that category. Choosing symbol 1 for Liability, for instance, extends liability to any auto; choosing symbol 7 limits it to only the vehicles listed on the policy.
| Symbol | Auto category | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Any "Auto" | Broadest — any auto, whether owned, hired, or non-owned. Most common for Liability. |
| 2 | Owned "Autos" Only | Every auto the business owns (and, per the form's rules, newly acquired ones). |
| 3 | Owned Private Passenger "Autos" Only | Owned cars only — not owned trucks or commercial vehicles. |
| 4 | Owned "Autos" Other Than Private Passenger Only | Owned trucks / commercial vehicles only — not owned private-passenger cars. |
| 5 | Owned "Autos" Subject to No-Fault | Owned autos in no-fault states — used to attach PIP where required. |
| 6 | Owned "Autos" Subject to a Compulsory UM Law | Owned autos in states that mandate uninsured-motorists coverage. |
| 7 | Specifically Described "Autos" | Only the autos listed on the declarations (plus newly acquired autos per the form's rules). |
| 8 | Hired "Autos" Only | Autos the business leases, hires, rents, or borrows — not owned. (The "hired" in hired-and-non-owned.) |
| 9 | Nonowned "Autos" Only | Autos the business doesn't own, hire, or borrow — e.g., employees' personal cars used for business errands. |
| 19 | Mobile Equipment Subject to a Compulsory / Financial-Responsibility Law | Certain mobile equipment that a state's motor-vehicle law treats as an auto. |
Hired & non-owned = symbols 8 + 9. A business that owns no vehicles but has employees who drive rentals or personal cars for work typically buys Liability on symbols 8 and 9 — that's what "hired and non-owned auto" (HNOA) coverage is under CA 00 01.
The five sections of the form
CA 00 01 is organized into five sections. Reading them in order tells you what's covered, how, and subject to what rules:
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| I — Covered Autos | Defines the covered-auto symbols (above). Everything downstream keys off which symbols are entered on the declarations. |
| II — Covered Autos Liability Coverage | The liability insuring agreement — bodily injury and property damage the insured is legally responsible for, plus defense and supplementary payments. |
| III — Physical Damage Coverage | Optional coverage for damage to the insured's own covered autos — Comprehensive, Specified Causes of Loss, and Collision, with the deductible. |
| IV — Business Auto Conditions | Loss conditions (duties after an accident, subrogation) and general conditions (other insurance, policy period, coverage territory). |
| V — Definitions | Defines the quoted terms used throughout — including "auto," "insured," "loss," and "mobile equipment." |
CA 00 01 vs the Business Auto Policy (BAP)
These are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. CA 00 01 is a coverage form; the BAP is the assembled policy.
- CA 00 01 (the form) — the standardized ISO coverage wording. Generic; identical starting point for many carriers.
- Business Auto Policy (the policy) — CA 00 01 + a declarations page (insured, limits, premium, covered-auto symbols) + endorsements. This is the actual contract issued to a business.
- Why it matters — when someone says "I have a Business Auto Policy," the coverage grammar they're relying on is CA 00 01; the specifics (which autos, what limits) live on the declarations and endorsements attached to it.
CA 00 01 vs truckers & motor-carrier forms
CA 00 01 is the general-business auto form. For-hire trucking operations are usually written on a different ISO form, and interstate motor carriers carry a separate federal endorsement. Using the wrong form for a trucking operation is a common coverage error.
| Form | Name | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| CA 00 01 | Business Auto Coverage Form | General businesses with autos — contractors, retailers, service firms, HNOA exposures. |
| CA 00 12 | Truckers Coverage Form | For-hire truckers (the older ISO trucking form; still seen in some programs). |
| CA 00 20 | Motor Carrier Coverage Form | Motor carriers / for-hire trucking — the current ISO form for carriers hauling for others. |
| MCS-90 | (Federal endorsement) | Not a coverage form — a federal financial-responsibility endorsement attached for interstate/for-hire motor carriers under 49 CFR 387. See our NTL guide and truck insurance guide. |
Which businesses use CA 00 01
- Businesses that own commercial vehicles — service vans, contractor trucks, delivery vehicles: usually symbols 2 (or 7) for owned autos plus 8 & 9 for hired/non-owned.
- Businesses that own no vehicles but have driving employees — HNOA-only buyers use symbols 8 & 9 (hired + non-owned) on Liability.
- Businesses adding autos to a Business Owner's Policy exposure — a BOP doesn't cover autos; CA 00 01 is the companion commercial-auto policy. See our BOP guide and commercial auto guide.
- Not for-hire truckers — carriers hauling freight for others are typically written on CA 00 20 (Motor Carrier) instead, often with the MCS-90.
How to read the form number + editions
The form number encodes the edition date. CA 00 01 11 20 reads as ISO form CA 00 01, edition 11 20 — November 2020, the current edition. Earlier editions include CA 00 01 10 13 (October 2013) and 03 10 (March 2010). The edition matters because ISO periodically revises the form's terms; the edition date on your declarations tells you which version of the wording governs your policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CA 00 01 form?
CA 00 01 is the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form — the standardized coverage form most insurers use as the core of a commercial (business) auto policy. It defines liability, physical damage, conditions, and definitions, and uses covered-auto symbols on the declarations page to control which vehicles each coverage applies to. It is not a complete policy on its own; a Business Auto Policy is CA 00 01 plus a declarations page and endorsements.
What are the covered auto symbols on CA 00 01?
They are numbers (1–9, plus 19) printed next to each coverage on the declarations page, each representing a category of autos the coverage applies to: 1 = any auto, 2 = owned autos, 3 = owned private-passenger autos, 4 = owned autos other than private passenger, 5 = owned autos subject to no-fault, 6 = owned autos subject to a compulsory UM law, 7 = specifically described autos, 8 = hired autos, 9 = non-owned autos, and 19 = certain mobile equipment treated as autos.
What does symbol 1 mean on a business auto policy?
Symbol 1 means "any auto." It is the broadest covered-auto designation — the coverage applies to any auto, whether owned, hired, or non-owned. It is the most common symbol chosen for Covered Autos Liability because it leaves the fewest gaps.
Is CA 00 01 the same as a Business Auto Policy?
Not exactly. CA 00 01 is the coverage form (the standardized wording). A Business Auto Policy (BAP) is the assembled policy — CA 00 01 plus a declarations page (insured, limits, premium, symbols) plus any endorsements the carrier adds. In everyday use people say "business auto policy," but the coverage grammar underneath is CA 00 01.
What is the difference between symbols 8 and 9?
Symbol 8 is "hired autos only" — vehicles the business leases, rents, hires, or borrows. Symbol 9 is "non-owned autos only" — vehicles the business doesn't own or hire, typically employees' personal cars used for work. Businesses that own no vehicles but have driving employees usually buy liability on symbols 8 and 9 together — that's hired-and-non-owned auto (HNOA) coverage.
Does CA 00 01 cover trucking operations?
Usually not for for-hire trucking. CA 00 01 is the general-business auto form. Motor carriers hauling freight for others are typically written on the ISO Motor Carrier Coverage Form (CA 00 20) — the older Truckers form is CA 00 12 — and interstate/for-hire carriers also carry the federal MCS-90 endorsement. Using CA 00 01 for a for-hire trucking risk is a common coverage error.
What is the current edition of CA 00 01?
The current edition is CA 00 01 11 20 (November 2020). The last two number pairs are the edition date. Earlier editions include CA 00 01 10 13 (October 2013) and 03 10 (March 2010). The edition on your declarations tells you which version of the ISO wording governs your policy.
How do I get hired and non-owned auto coverage under CA 00 01?
Hired-and-non-owned (HNOA) coverage is Covered Autos Liability written on symbols 8 (hired) and 9 (non-owned). A business that owns no vehicles but has employees driving rentals or personal cars for work adds these symbols to its liability coverage — often as an endorsement to a Business Owner's Policy's companion auto coverage, or on a standalone business auto policy.
Quick glossary — CA 00 01 terms
- Covered Auto
- A vehicle that a given coverage applies to, determined by the designation symbols entered on the declarations page.
- Designation Symbol
- A number (1–9, plus 19) that assigns a category of autos to a coverage. Also called a covered-auto symbol.
- Business Auto Policy (BAP)
- The assembled commercial-auto policy: the CA 00 01 coverage form + declarations + endorsements.
- Hired Auto (symbol 8)
- An auto the business leases, hires, rents, or borrows from someone else — not owned.
- Non-Owned Auto (symbol 9)
- An auto the business does not own, hire, or borrow — commonly an employee's personal car used for business.
- Declarations Page
- The policy page that lists the named insured, limits, premium, and the covered-auto symbols that activate each coverage.
- Endorsement
- An add-on form that modifies the base CA 00 01 coverage — broadening or restricting it for a specific policy.
- MCS-90
- A federal financial-responsibility endorsement for interstate/for-hire motor carriers under 49 CFR 387 — separate from the CA 00 01 coverage form.