What it does
CA 04 52 was added with the 11 20 revision to cover damage to, or loss of, a customer's auto or its equipment left in the insured's care as part of the insured's towing operation. Before it existed, tow operators relied on garagekeepers or non-ISO on-hook forms.
ISO's 2026 multistate forms revision (CA-2026-OFR26) introduces a 09 27 edition of this form, approved for policies effective on or after September 1, 2027 in states where it has been adopted; the prior edition remains in use until then and in states that have not adopted the revision.
Who needs it
Towing and recovery companies, roadside assistance contractors and repair shops that tow customers' vehicles. The Massachusetts residual market manual says on-hook coverage "is for insureds who do not have garage or service locations, or who have a towing operation not associated with their own garage operations and are not engaged in Auto Hauling or Trucking operations."
Key points
- Do not duplicate garagekeepers: the same manual says not to attach CA 04 52 when garagekeepers is on the business auto form unless the towing includes transporting between locations other than the insured's own.
- Auto haulers carrying vehicles as cargo need motor truck cargo coverage, not on-hook.
- The Massachusetts manual prices on-hook from the garagekeepers rates (5% of the comprehensive rate and 90% of the collision rate).
Quoting notes
Ask the maximum value of any vehicle towed, the types of tow trucks (wheel-lift, flatbed, heavy wreckers), tows per month and any storage yard. Alaska has its own version (CA 04 63).
