Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published September 17, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Does car insurance cover hitting a deer in Texas?

Texas's insurance regulator says hitting an animal is covered if your policy has comprehensive coverage. This guide sets out what the regulator and the state transportation department say about it.

The short version. Asked whether you're covered if you hit an animal with your car in Texas, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) answers in its auto insurance FAQ: "Yes, if you have comprehensive coverage." The same FAQ says you'll probably pay a deductible, and that state law doesn't allow your company to drop you for an animal claim alone, though it could raise your rate at renewal.

Here's what we'll cover: which coverage TDI points to, how to check whether you have it, swerving, the deductible, injuries, towing and rental cars, renewal and your rate, and what the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says to do at the roadside.

What TDI says about coverage for hitting an animal

TDI's consumer pages place damage from hitting an animal under comprehensive coverage, on the condition that your policy has it. TDI's FAQ and guide name animals, and its auto-theft tip sheet names deer.

TDI's Auto insurance guide defines the two coverages for damage to your own car separately. Collision coverage, it says, pays to repair or replace your car after an accident. Comprehensive coverage, which the guide also labels other than collision, "pays if your car is stolen or damaged by fire, flood, vandalism or something other than a collision."

The guide's table of things that most policies cover includes this row: "Damage to your car because of fire, hail, theft, flood, flying gravel, or hitting an animal (if you have comprehensive coverage)" The guide introduces that table by saying coverages vary by policy, and it says to read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages.

Deer are named on a different page. TDI's tip sheet Auto theft and insurance: How to protect your ride says comprehensive also covers fires, floods, hail, and collisions with deer or other animals. The auto insurance FAQ describes comprehensive as the coverage that pays for damage to your car that isn't caused by a car crash.

A deer strike can feel like a crash, yet in TDI's descriptions it sits alongside fire, hail and theft.

Do you have comprehensive coverage?

To see whether a Texas auto policy has comprehensive coverage, check the declaration page, which TDI's guide says summarizes your coverages, dollar limits and deductibles.

On the minimum, the Auto insurance guide, last updated 12/11/2025, says Texas law requires at least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for property damage, which it calls 30/60/25 coverage. The guide describes that liability coverage as paying to repair the other driver's car, and the other driver's and passengers' medical bills, if you caused the accident. It says separately that, depending on the kind of coverage you have, auto insurance can also pay to repair or replace your car if it's damaged or stolen.

The same guide says that if you still owe money on your car, your lender will require you to have collision and comprehensive coverage. It does not address cars that are paid off, so the policy itself is where to look.

According to the guide, the first page of your policy is the declaration page, with a summary that includes your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles. Check it for comprehensive coverage and the deductible. Our guide on what car insurance is required in Texas covers the liability requirement in more detail.

Swerving to avoid a deer

TxDOT's advice on swerving to avoid a deer in Texas is safety guidance, and it comes with a condition about the traffic behind you. In its Oct. 31, 2024 story Deer in headlights, the tip reads: "If there is no danger of being hit by following traffic, brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near the road but stay in your lane." The story's stated reason is that many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid hitting a deer. The TxDOT story says nothing about insurance.

The TDI pages cited in this guide do not say how a swerve is treated. Reading the guide's two definitions side by side, damage to your own car from hitting a tree or guardrail instead of the animal may be handled under collision coverage, which the guide lists separately from comprehensive. That is our reading of the definitions, and TDI does not state it.

How an insurer treats a specific loss depends on the policy wording and the facts. Your agent or insurer can tell you how your policy would treat a swerve.

How the deductible applies, according to TDI

A comprehensive claim for hitting a deer in Texas will probably come with a deductible, going by TDI's wording. On an animal claim, the auto insurance FAQ says: "You'll probably have to pay a deductible to get your car fixed."

The Auto insurance guide defines a deductible as the amount of a claim that you must pay yourself, and says you must pay one for collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims. Its worked example is a collision claim. On a $1,500 collision claim under a policy with a $500 collision deductible, the company deducts $500 and pays $1,000. Those are TDI's example figures, and the guide gives no separate example for comprehensive.

The guide also says collision and comprehensive coverages don't have dollar limits. In the same guide, TDI says insurance companies will pay for repairs or replacement of your car only up to its actual cash value, which it defines as the cost to replace your car minus depreciation, and that if the cost to repair your car is close to its current value, the company might decide to total it. Our guide on how a car insurance claim works in Texas walks through the payment process.

On filing, TDI's tip sheet Will my premium go up if I file a claim? suggests finding out how much your deductible is and getting repair estimates, and notes that the insurance company will subtract the deductible from your claim payment. That page also says home and auto companies can't charge you more for calling your company or agent to ask questions about your policy or the claims filing process. TDI's guide says to tell your company about an accident as soon as possible.

If someone is hurt

TDI's Auto insurance guide describes personal injury protection and medical payments as coverages that pay medical bills after an auto accident in Texas. It does not address animal strikes, so ask your agent or insurer how your policy applies.

• Personal injury protection (PIP). In the guide, PIP pays your and your passengers' medical bills, and also things like lost wages and other nonmedical costs. It says all auto policies in Texas include PIP coverage, and that if you don't want it, you must tell the company in writing.
• Medical payments coverage. As the guide describes it, this coverage pays your and your passengers' medical bills.

If you declined PIP in writing when you bought the policy, the coverage summary on your declaration page is the place to confirm what you have now.

The guide's claim tips, which are written for auto accidents in general, include calling the police if anyone was injured. TxDOT's story, covered below, says to call 911 after a vehicle strikes a deer.

Towing and a rental car

Towing and rental reimbursement are separate coverages in TDI's Auto insurance guide, and the guide says each has a dollar limit. Neither the guide nor TDI's FAQ mentions animal strikes when describing them.

• Towing and labor. The guide says this coverage pays to tow your car if it can't be driven, and also pays for labor to change a flat tire or jump-start your battery.
• Rental reimbursement. The guide says this coverage pays for you to rent a car if yours is stolen or being repaired after an accident, and that some policies also pay for taxis or ride-hailing services. TDI's auto insurance FAQ puts it as paying for a rental car if your car was stolen or is being repaired because of an accident your policy covers.

On limits, the guide says towing and labor and rental coverages have dollar limits, which are the most the company will pay. It also says your own insurance company will pay for a rental car only for the time it believes is reasonable to repair or replace your car, at a set amount each day and only up to your policy's rental coverage dollar limits.

Because the TDI wording is about accidents in general, your agent or insurer is the one to confirm how rental reimbursement on your policy applies after an animal strike.

What TDI says about nonrenewal and your rate after an animal claim

TDI treats nonrenewal and price as two separate questions after a claim for hitting an animal in Texas. Its auto insurance FAQ, last updated 2/26/2026, answers both in one sentence: "State law doesn't allow your company to drop you if you file a claim for hitting an animal, but it could raise your rate when you renew your coverage."

The Auto insurance guide, last updated 12/11/2025, lists damage from hitting an animal among the claims it says a company can't use as a reason to nonrenew your policy. Both statements are about the animal claim as a reason. The guide lists other grounds for cancellation, including fraud and nonpayment, and the FAQ answers yes when asked whether a company can refuse to renew your policy if you don't respond to its calls or emails after an accident.

On price, TDI's tip sheet Will my premium go up if I file a claim? says it depends on the type of claim and how many you file, but that your home and auto premiums can go up if you file claims and that you could lose any discounts you're getting for being claim free. None of these TDI pages gives a figure for how much.

Claims history can travel between insurers. The same tip sheet says most insurance companies get a report from the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) and, because most companies use CLUE, can learn about home or auto claims you've filed even if the claim was with another insurance company. TDI's guide says you can get a free copy of your report each year by calling LexisNexis at 866-312-8076. Our guide on do car insurance claims follow you in Texas explains how that works.

What TxDOT says to do after hitting a deer

TxDOT's guidance for the moments after a vehicle strikes a deer in Texas is to leave the animal alone, get the car off the road and call 911. Its Oct. 31, 2024 story Deer in headlights says not to touch the animal, because a frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. It continues: "Move your car off the road and call 911. Remain in your vehicle." The story calls the vehicle the safest place and says many secondary crashes occur due to pedestrians in the roadway.

For the insurance side, these are steps you can take. The list is ours. The facts inside each step come from the claim tips in TDI's Auto insurance guide, which are written for auto accidents in general.

• Record the scene. TDI's tips say to note the time, date, and exact location of the accident, record any special circumstance like weather and road conditions, and take pictures of the accident scene.
• Keep the officer's details if police respond. TDI's tips say to get the officer's name and badge number so you can follow up if you need to, and to send the company copies of the police accident report.
• Tell your insurer. TDI's tips say: "Tell your company about the accident as soon as possible. Most companies have deadlines for filing claims." The guide adds that your insurance card should have a number you can call to report claims.

When TxDOT says deer are more active

Deer movement in Texas picks up in the fall, according to TxDOT's Oct. 31, 2024 story Deer in headlights. The story says that in the fall months, especially from October through December, deer are beginning their breeding behavior and moving around to find mates, and that the movement is especially pronounced in the early morning and late evening hours. It adds that a deer could run on or near roadways at any time of the year.

The story quotes TxDOT's director of traffic safety as saying you can encounter a deer on the road almost anywhere in Texas, and not only in rural areas. As of that story, TxDOT put the state's whitetail population at more than 5 million deer, in 252 of 254 counties.

TxDOT's other tips in the story are to take note of deer warning signs, reduce speed if you see a deer near the edge of the roadway, remember that deer seldom run alone, and use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic.

TxDOT's story is about driving safety and does not discuss insurance.

What to do with this

Preparing for a deer strike in Texas starts with reading your own declaration page. This checklist is ours, and it draws on the TDI and TxDOT pages cited above.

• Check for comprehensive coverage. See whether your declaration page lists it, and note the deductible.
• See whether collision is listed too. TDI's guide describes it as a separate coverage from comprehensive.
• Look for towing and labor and rental reimbursement. Note the dollar limits if you have them.
• Check whether PIP is on the policy. TDI's guide says all Texas auto policies include it unless you tell the company in writing that you don't want it.
• Ask about anything unclear. Your agent or insurer can explain your policy wording, and TDI's pages list 800-252-3439 for questions.

Key facts

• TDI's auto insurance FAQ says you are covered for hitting an animal with your car if you have comprehensive coverage, and that you'll probably have to pay a deductible.
• TDI's Auto insurance guide lists hitting an animal among the damage most policies cover if you have comprehensive coverage, and says coverages vary by policy.
• TDI's Auto theft and insurance tip sheet names deer, saying comprehensive also covers collisions with deer or other animals.
• The Auto insurance guide, last updated 12/11/2025, says Texas law requires at least 30/60/25 liability coverage, and that a lender will require collision and comprehensive coverage if you still owe money on your car.
• TDI's auto insurance FAQ, last updated 2/26/2026, says state law doesn't allow your company to drop you if you file a claim for hitting an animal, a statement about that claim alone, but that it could raise your rate when you renew your coverage.
• TDI's Will my premium go up if I file a claim? says most insurance companies get a CLUE report and can learn about claims you filed with another insurance company.
• TxDOT's Oct. 31, 2024 story Deer in headlights says to brake firmly and stay in your lane if there is no danger of being hit by following traffic, and, if your vehicle strikes a deer, not to touch the animal, to move off the road, call 911 and remain in your vehicle.
• The same TxDOT story says deer move around more in the fall months, especially from October through December, and that the movement is especially pronounced in the early morning and late evening hours.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, FAQ: Auto insurance, claims, coverage issues, and more, Auto insurance guide, Auto theft and insurance: How to protect your ride and Will my premium go up if I file a claim?; Texas Department of Transportation, Deer in headlights. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Take the next step

Pull up your declaration page now and look for three things: comprehensive coverage, its deductible, and whether towing and rental reimbursement are listed. If you're reviewing the rest of your auto coverage, how to compare auto insurance in Texas is the guide to read next.

Get a second opinion on your policy — free. Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas that helps you compare car insurance from roughly 20 licensed Texas carriers, so you can see whether your comprehensive and collision coverage fits your needs. It takes a few minutes, and there's no obligation. 📞 Talk to Credify 24/7.

Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas. License TX #3309669 · NPN 21516523.

We compare quotes from multiple licensed Texas carriers; each insurer has sole responsibility for its products.

Coverage varies by insurer. Please review policy documents for complete details.