Everything You Need to Know About Adding Another Driver to Your Insurance
If someone in your household uses your car often, you should consider adding them to your car insurance. Typically, you can add a family member, friend or roommate to your insurance policy — so long as they have regular access to your vehicle and live in your legal residence. Adding a second driver to your insurance increases your rates, but it also ensures financial protection in case of an emergency.
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Car insurance offers financial protection in the event of an accident. If you’re sharing your car with another person who lives at your legal residence, they may not be covered by your policy’s “permissive use” clause, meaning you risk being denied coverage if they get into an accident while driving your vehicle. Luckily, you can add a second driver to your car insurance to extend coverage to these incidents.
Generally, you can add someone to your policy who has a driver’s license, regularly uses your vehicle and lives at your address. In some cases, you can add drivers who don’t live with you, but this varies based on your insurer and location.
Typically, the process of adding another driver to your policy is as simple as contacting your insurance provider and giving them relevant information about the additional driver. Adding someone to your car insurance will affect your premiums; however, how it affects premiums depends on factors like the other driver’s age and accident history.
Key Takeaways
If someone else uses your car regularly, has a license and lives at your legal address, you can usually add them as a second driver to your car insurance policy.
When you add a second driver to your car insurance policy, you both are covered without having to pay for two full-priced policies.
If you add a more experienced driver, your rates may decrease, while adding a younger driver can increase your premiums.
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What Does Adding a Driver to Your Insurance Mean?
Adding another driver to your car insurance gives them coverage whenever they drive your car.
If you share your vehicle with someone in your household, it’s a good idea to add them to your policy. Including that person on your car insurance ensures you and your loved ones are financially protected in the event of an accident without having to pay for two full-priced policies.
If you share your car with someone else, you may want to consider adding them to your car insurance policy. Typically, you can add drivers that live with you, such as your spouse, roommate or child.
In some cases, you can also add people who don’t live with you but drive your car often. However, this isn’t the case with every insurer or state. Be sure to reach out to your provider to see if this is an option available to you.
Adding someone who regularly uses your car to your insurance policy can:
- Be cheaper than buying two separate policies, especially if the driver is young.
- Potentially lower your total insurance costs if they’re more experienced than you.
- Minimize financial risks in the event of an accident
Can You Add Another Person to Your Insurance Policy?
Yes, you can add another person to your car insurance policy. While there’s no set standard, most auto insurance providers allow you to add four extra drivers to your policy, provided that those persons meet your insurer’s criteria.
Usually, companies require that the folks you add to your insurance have a driver’s license, share an address with you and have access to your car. However, you can also add employees who don’t live with you but use your car regularly, provided your policy is a commercial auto policy. Most personal auto insurance policies don’t allow you to add individuals to your policy using your car for commercial purposes.
Speaking with your insurance provider directly is the best way to learn who you can add to your coverage.
Do You Need to Add Another Driver to Your Insurance?
Having your own car insurance may not be enough if you’re sharing your car with someone you live with. Your insurance provider may decline to pay for damages if, for example, your vehicle is involved in an accident while your uninsured teenage child is driving it. As such, it makes sense to add your spouse, senior parents and any other person in your household who regularly drives your car to your insurance policy.
When Should You Add Someone to Your Insurance Policy?
Who you should add to your car insurance policy will depend on your personal circumstances. Generally, it’s best to add people in your household who regularly drive your car.
If the following individuals use your car regularly, consider adding them to your auto insurance policy:
Significant Other/Partner
If you share your car with your significant other, it’s a good idea to add them to your car insurance policy, especially if you’re living together.
Spouse
You may want to consider adding your spouse to your car insurance if they regularly use your vehicle.
Parent
Adding a more experienced driver, such as your parent, may lower your car insurance rates. That said, the person primarily driving the vehicle must remain the policyholder to avoid denied coverage and fraud charges due to fronting.
Teen Driver
If your teenage child has already obtained a driver’s license and will regularly use your car, be sure to add them to your policy. Adding younger drivers is particularly important, as they’re more likely than other drivers to be involved in accidents due to their inexperience.
Roommate/Boarder
You can also add non-family members, such as your roommate, to your car insurance if you live together and share a car.
Friend
If a friend drives your car often, you might want to consider adding them to your car insurance to ensure coverage in case of an accident. However, if they don’t live with you, this might not be an option depending on your location and insurance company.
Employees
It’s a good idea to add people working for you — such as nannies, maids and helpers — if they’re using your car for daily tasks. However, keep in mind that you may only be able to add these individuals to a commercial auto policy, as most personal auto policies don’t allow you to add individuals using your vehicle for commercial purposes.
Fronting happens when another person is declared as the car’s primary driver when the vehicle will be used primarily by someone else. This typically occurs when a parent buys auto insurance in their name for a car that will only be used by their child. In this case, the child isn’t the primary policyholder, even though they’ll be driving the car most of the time.
People participate in fronting to access lower insurance fees, as car insurance premiums for teen drivers can be expensive. However, fronting is a type of insurance fraud. If you’re caught, you risk being denied coverage and having charges filed against you.
Can I Add a Driver to My Insurance if They Don’t Live With Me?
In most cases, insurance companies won’t allow you to add a driver to your policy that doesn’t live with you. However, some companies might make an exception if the driver you’re adding uses your car regularly. It’s crucial that you contact your insurer directly to understand your options.
Sometimes, it’s unnecessary to add a person to your insurance if they’ll only be driving your car temporarily — such cases are usually covered by your policy’s “permissive use” clause.
How Do You Add a Driver to Your Insurance?
Adding another driver to your car insurance is a simple process that you can do from the comfort of your home. Depending on your provider, adding another driver can be as simple as calling an insurance representative or filling out a form online.
Contact your provider.
If you’ve finally decided to add a second driver to your car insurance, the first step is to contact your insurance provider. Inquire about their processes and requirements, and ask if the application can be completed online.
Gather necessary information.
While the process varies from one insurance provider to another, most companies ask for the basic personal information of the person you’re adding to your policy. It’s a good idea to prepare these details so you can easily access them when needed, including your:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Social Security number
- Occupation
- How long they've had their license
- Any recent traffic tickets or accidents
Have your policy rate updated and processed.
Once the insurance company receives information about the driver you’re adding to your policy, they will update your policy and provide your new premium price. This is also the time to inquire if the provider can offer you any discounts on your policy.
Wait for approval.
From here, the insurance company will check and process your application. Once your carrier issues an approval, the other driver can safely drive your car knowing they are already covered.
How Much Will It Cost to Add a Driver to My Insurance Policy?
Car insurance prices vary based on numerous factors. Whether you’ll see an increase or decrease depends on your additional driver’s age, gender, driving experience and driving history.
While companies don’t disclose how they calculate prices, generally, you can expect lower rates if your second driver decreases the risk of your car being involved in an accident. Likewise, you can expect increased premiums if you add a risky driver to your policy.
As such, adding a parent to your car insurance usually decreases your premiums, while including a teen driver tends to increase your rates.
MoneyGeek has various resources to help you find the cheapest car insurance available for your unique circumstances and needs. When looking for coverage, it’s always a good idea to shop around and compare rates from at least three different companies to find the best premium for you.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Adding Other Drivers to Your Policy
If you’re looking to add another driver to your car insurance policy, MoneyGeek answered some frequently asked questions to help you get started.
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