Can you get insurance on a learner's permit?

You can get car insurance without a license from some small local insurers. To get car insurance without a license you need to exclude yourself as a driver on the policy and list a licensed family member, friend, or caretaker as the primary driver. It’s possible, with some effort, to insure your car so someone else can drive it.… read full answer

How to Get Car Insurance Without a License

1. Contact regional insurance companies or a local independent agent.

Focusing on smaller companies will give you the best chance of finding coverage as an unlicensed driver. Most national companies will not insure you without a license. The risk is too high, in their eyes, that you will drive the car yourself.

2. List yourself as an excluded driver on the policy.

This is a legal statement that, as an unlicensed driver, you are not going to drive the car. Note that if you do drive illegally and get into an accident, the insurance company will not cover any claims. If you get or regain your license while the car is insured, you must notify your insurance company and provide your new license number before you are legally insured on the policy.

3. List the person who will operate the vehicle the most as the primary driver on the policy.

This can be a spouse, family member, roommate, caretaker or friend. They may live with you or not. They must, of course, have a valid driver’s license.

4. List the primary driver on your registration as part-owner.

Try this step if you can’t find any company that will insure the car for you without a license. There should be no trouble insuring the car with a licensed driver listed as co-owner.

Why You Might Need Car Insurance Without a License

• Your license is suspended and you need to file an SR-22 or FR-44 to reinstate it
• You only have a learner’s permit
• You are insuring a collectible vehicle that you won’t drive
• You own a car that is driven by a caregiver or chauffeur
• You need to co-sign a policy for an underage driver

If no one is going to drive the car, but you want to protect it against accidental damage while it’s stored, you have the option of purchasing comprehensive-only or parked-car coverage. You will have to cancel your registration and turn in your plates to do this, but it is cheaper than buying a policy that also offers liability coverage. This type of insurance is offered by many national firms such as Allstate and State Farm.

Drivers with a learner’s permit need to be covered under an insurance policy. Having insurance coverage while learning to drive provides protection in the event of an accident or another driving mishap. But even though drivers with a learner’s permit need insurance coverage, they usually don’t need their own car insurance… read full answer policy.

If a young person with a learner’s permit is driving with a licensed, insured adult over the age of 21, that person’s insurance typically would provide coverage in the event of an accident. Moreover, if the driver is a teen, they do not need to obtain their own coverage unless they are the sole owner of a car. Usually, teen drivers with learner’s permits are covered by their parent’s insurance, because they are either borrowing their parent’s car or are listed as a co-owner with their parents.

Older people who are learning to drive and are not covered by a relative’s or roommate’s policy are normally covered by the policy of the person whose car they are borrowing during driving lessons. However, if they purchase a car before obtaining a license and are listed as the sole owner of that car, then they will need to purchase insurance coverage in order to avoid breaking state laws.

You can insure a car that you don’t own in most states if you can prove insurable interest. This means you have a financial stake in the vehicle and will suffer a loss if anything happens to it, which reduces the risk of you committing insurance fraud.

For example, even though you don’t fully own a vehicle that’s leased or financed, you have money invested in the car’s wellbeing. Just keep in mind that some states, like New York, do not allow you to insure a car that isn’t registered to you, even if you can prove insurable interest.… read full answer

How to Insure a Car That You Don't Own

1. Re-title the car

The easiest way to prove insurable interest in a car is to add your name to the title and registration. This is a good option if the vehicle isn’t financed and you live with the owner.

2. Prove financial dependence

You can prove insurable interest by demonstrating a financial dependence on the vehicle. For example, if you don’t own a car and have to drive a particular friend’s vehicle for your daily commute, you may be able to convince the insurer that you have a stake in the car.

3. Purchase a non-owner policy

If you can’t prove insurable interest in a car that you don’t own, then you should consider purchasing a non-owner insurance policy. This is a special type of insurance that covers you when you drive rented or borrowed vehicles, and it’s a good investment if you’re regularly driving someone else’s car.

However, you cannot purchase a non-owner policy if you live in the same household as someone who owns a car. In that case, the owner of the car should add you to their insurance policy as an additional driver. To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to non-owner car insurance.