Fee glossary · Optional add-on
SLI / LIS: Supplemental liability insurance
Optional coverage that raises the liability limits for injury or damage you cause to other people or their property while driving the rental.
Also shown as: SLI LIS EP extended protection supplemental liability
What to know
- How much liability coverage comes with the car by default varies by state and by company.
- If you own a car, your personal auto policy's liability coverage often extends to a rental car. Check your policy's declarations page.
- Credit-card rental benefits usually cover damage to the rental car, not liability to others, so SLI is the one most often worth thinking about. Decide before you get to the counter.
At the counter, say
"I have my own liability coverage. I am declining SLI."
Check on your agreement
- SLI shows declined if you declined it.
- No similarly named product ("EP", "extended protection") was added in its place.
On a real receipt
Routes' own public BBB replies describe SLI and toll packages as optional. See Routes Car Rental.
If it was charged anyway
- Ask for a corrected, itemized receipt before you leave the lot.
- Do not sign a release that trades a partial refund for your card-dispute rights unless you have decided that is what you want.
- Send your card issuer a written billing-error notice within 60 days after the first statement showing the charge (15 U.S.C. § 1666; CFPB guide).
- Use the receipt checker to total it and draft the letter.
Related company pages
Frequently asked questions
Do I need supplemental liability insurance on a rental car?
It depends on what you already have. If your personal auto policy's liability limits extend to rentals and you are comfortable with them, SLI is usually redundant. People without a personal auto policy sometimes buy it on purpose.
Is SLI the same as the collision damage waiver?
No. The waiver concerns damage to the rental car itself. SLI concerns your liability to other people.
Can the counter require SLI?
A company can set its own rental terms, but an optional product should be presented as optional. If you are told it is mandatory, ask where the agreement says so, write down the answer, and keep a copy.
Reviewed . General consumer information, not legal advice. See something wrong? Request a correction.