Can I add someone to my car insurance that doesn't live with me?

Your car insurance and registration have to be under the same name in most cases. New York, North Carolina, and New Jersey are a few of the states with laws requiring that the name on a car’s insurance policy and registration match. But even though other states don’t have it written into law, insuring a car that is not registered in your name can still be difficult and make the claims process harder. ... read full answer

If you do need to insure a vehicle that is not titled in your name, you’d need to prove you have an “insurable interest” in it. That means you would be affected financially if something happened to the car. Examples include the vehicle’s owner, its lienholder, or a co-signatory.

Insurance for a car not registered to you

You might want to insure a car that isn’t registered to you because you frequently rent or borrow one. But even if you have regular access to the same vehicle, you can’t insure it on your own. Instead, you should be a listed driver on the owner’s insurance policy, which serves as the primary insurance in the event of an accident.

You can get additional liability coverage by purchasing non-owner car insurance if you don’t own a car.

Someone else insuring a car whose title is in your name

If your insurance company has reason to believe your car was insured by someone else for fraudulent reasons, they will deny payment for your claims. If you have several accidents or traffic violations, you can’t just get a friend or family member to insure your car so the premiums are cheaper. Insurers fully investigate claims, and any discrepancy between the names on the policy and the title will be explored before any claims are paid out.

Adding a driver to a car insurance policy can cost as little as $0 extra, or it can add as much as 100%+ to your annual premium. The exact cost of adding a driver to an existing policy depends on the person you’re adding, whether you need to insure an additional vehicle, and which car insurance company covers you. The riskier the additional driver is to insurers, the more it will cost to add them to your policy.... read full answer

For example, adding an experienced driver with a clean driving record won’t cost as much as adding a newly-licensed teenager. Adding a teen driver to a policy increases the premium by an average of 140% to 160%, according to several studies, but it could be much higher or lower depending on your state.

Why Adding Another Driver to Car Insurance Affects Premiums?

Having someone else listed on your policy means it won’t always be you (and your level of risk) behind the wheel. Remember, car insurance follows the car, and insurers calculate prices based on the risk that the car will be in an accident. That risk is different when more people get the chance to drive.

Simply adding a second driver to an already covered vehicle won’t always spike your rate. But if you’re adding both a driver and their personal vehicle to your policy, your rates will likely go up quite a bit. Adding a car creates the need for more coverage, which costs more.

Here’s an example of how premiums might change on a six-month policy covering a 2014 Hyundai Sonata after the addition of a 16-year-old, a 30-year-old, and a 50-year-old, respectively.

As you can see, the cost of adding a driver is highest when that driver is a newly-licensed teen. Otherwise, it’s usually very affordable to add a driver. In some cases, it could even save you money.

Kids should get their own car insurance when they purchase and title their own car and no longer live at home. Although some insurance companies will let you add a vehicle not registered in your name to your policy, most will only allow cars titled in the name of the primary policyholder to be added.... read full answer

If your child lives with you, it’s assumed they have regular access to your vehicle, and most insurers will require them to be listed on your policy. As soon as your teen driver is licensed, you’ll need to add them to your policy or prove to your insurer that they are either insured or permanently residing elsewhere. If you title a car in your child’s name, your child will have to get their own policy. But you can still list them as a driver on your policy if they are living at home and will have access to your covered vehicles.

There is no set age at which you have to remove your child from your car insurance policy. They can remain on your policy indefinitely, as long as they live at your address and the title remains in your name. It is possible to exclude your child from your insurance policy, but that means your child has zero coverage if they get into an accident driving one of your cars. If your child has had multiple tickets, a license suspension or a DUI, your insurer may require you to exclude your child from your policy.

Having a young driver on your policy has drawbacks for you as the primary policyholder. The biggest disadvantage is that your child’s driving habits become part of your insurance history, since your policy will pay for their claims. If your child gets into an accident, you will see premiums go up for everyone listed on the policy.

On the bright side, it is more cost-effective to add your child to your policy. Teenagers will get a more affordable rate if they are listed as a driver on a parent’s policy than they would on their own policy. Plus, you’re eligible for discounts your child might not be, like bundling with homeowner’s coverage. Although car insurance for teens is always expensive, you may be eligible for additional discounts if your child has good grades, attends driver education courses, or takes a defensive driving class.