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What’s camera insurance?

Camera insurance is part of what we call Valuable Personal Property, or VPP, insurance. It helps protect your personal cameras and equipment beyond what a homeowners or renters policy covers. Plus, there’s no deductible.

How it works

In general, you give us a detailed description of each item and tell us what it would cost to replace it.

High-value cameras or equipment may need a receipt, an appraisal or other documentation to show proof of ownership and value. You can insure one item or many, and limits start at $100.

What does camera insurance cover? 

We cover personal cameras, video cameras and their associated equipment, gear and accessories. Here are some examples.

  • Digital single-lens reflex, or DSLR, cameras

  • Point-and-shoot cameras

  • Video cameras

  • Lenses and lens filters

  • Stabilizers

  • External flashes

  • Camera bags

  • Tripods

  • Batteries

  • Chargers

Are you covered if you make money taking photos?

Whether you’re a full-time photographer or just take photos as a side hustle, a VPP policy won’t cover the items you use for business.

You may have to worry about more than just lost, stolen or damaged gear. To help cover your equipment, business income and liability, consider a small business insurance policy.

Learn about business insurance

Is your camera equipment covered when you travel?

It is if you’re taking it with you for personal use. If you’re traveling for your full-time or side photography gig, you’ll want to protect your camera and gear with small business insurance.

How much does camera insurance cost?

It depends on your items, their value and how much coverage you get.

Our rates start as low as $2 per month.‍ ‍ See note 1 Plus, we offer savings on auto and either homeowners or renters insurance when members bundle their policies with camera insurance.‍ ‍ See note 2

Is a camera policy worth it?

You can rest easier knowing you have protection if something goes wrong. Plus, you’ll have coverage benefits you won’t get with homeowners insurance.

  • You’ll never pay a deductible.
  • Your things are covered at their replacement cost when you file a claim.‍ ‍ See note 3
  • If you report a VPP claim, you won’t pay a higher premium the way you might with homeowners insurance.

What else can VPP cover?

You’ve got other important belongings, so let’s get them covered too. VPP insurance includes these categories:

Camera insurance FAQ

Not on a VPP policy. Your homeowners or renters insurance can protect the drone from losses that the policy covers. For example, if someone sues you for damages you caused while using your personal drone, those policies may offer protection.

Your home and renters policies usually don’t cover damage from crashes and other accidents, but you can add a USAA Technology Endorsement.‍ ‍ See note 4 It helps cover personal drones under 10 pounds for common accidents like drops, spills and crashes.

If you own a drone for commercial use, the USAA Insurance Agency has an alliance with Falcon. They have coverage to help protect your commercial drone.

We’ll need the following details for your camera and any equipment you have.

  • Type of item like whether it’s a camera, lens, flash or other item
  • Manufacturer's name
  • Model name or number
  • Serial number if you have it
  • Detachable lens info with purchase date within the past five years
  • If you inherited or owned the item for more than five years and it’s still made, we’ll need the:
    • Date and amount of retail or manufacturer’s value. 
    • Name of retailer or manufacturer.
  • If you inherited or owned the item for more than five years and it’s no longer made, we’ll need an appraisal with the date.

To file a claim, tell us what happened. We’ll also need the value of the item and proof of ownership. You can upload those files to My Documents on usaa.com or the USAA Mobile App.

Replacement cost coverage means you can repair or replace your stolen or damaged property with items similar in quality and worth.

The amount we pay is determined at the time of the claim, up to your policy's limit. Some exceptions or conditions may apply. Refer to your policy for details.