If you own a car, you should have car insurance. Every state requires you to have at least liability insurance to drive a car on public roads. And, if you have an auto loan, chances are that your lender requires full coverage insurance.
However, car insurance isn’t just about meeting legal or auto loan requirements. Insurance protects you from significant financial losses in the event of an accident.
If you get into a car accident, all you usually need to do is pay your deductible. Your insurance policy will cover any additional costs relating to vehicle repairs, medical expenses, and liability. Such could sometimes amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
However, any driver you expect to drive your car regularly must be included in your insurance policy. If you haven’t added your spouse, child, or roommate to your policy, you may want to consider doing so sooner rather than later.
Why You Might Want to Add A Driver to Your Insurance
Anyone living in your home with a driver’s license and access to your vehicle should be included on your insurance policy. This way, if they borrow your car and get into an accident, you’re not left with the financial burden of covering damages.
You might want to add a driver to your car insurance policy for several reasons, such as:
You Got Married
Congratulations, you’ve tied the knot. That means you’ve got a partner to share the rest of your life with! That also means you’re probably going to share your car with them. Even if you both have a vehicle, you must add each other to your insurance policy.
If you don’t add each other to your insurance policies and an accident occurs, the insurance company is unlikely to cover the damages. This is especially true if the driver you live with is uninsured, meaning you’re on the hook for thousands of dollars or more.
You and Your Significant Other Live Together
Even if you’re not married, if you live in the same house as your significant other, you must add them to your car insurance policy. After all, you’re both likely to drive each other’s car from time to time. Ensure you’re covered regardless of who’s behind the wheel.
Your Parent Moved In
It’s common for parents to move in with their children later in life. Maybe they need a little financial assistance, or perhaps you need help with your kids while you’re at work. No matter the reason, when your parent moves in, it’s a good idea to add them to your car insurance policy.
As mentioned above, your insurance policy should include anyone of age who drives, lives in your home, and has access to your car.
If you add your parent to your insurance policy when they move in with you, you can rest assured that you’re covered.
You Have Roommates that Share Your Car
It’s common for roommates to share cars from time to time. However, if you expect your roommate to drive your car, understand that most insurance companies won’t add roommates to a policy, especially if they have their own vehicles and their own insurance. Occasional sharing of vehicles is covered without the need to be listed as an insured or a driver.
Your Child Moved Back Home
It can be difficult for young adults to make it on their own. According to Pew Research, 52% of young adults in the United States live with their parents. When your child moves back home, there’s a strong chance that they’re going to use your car.
Make sure you’re protected if something happens by adding them to your car insurance policy.
You Have a New Teen Driver
There’s nothing like watching your children grow up. The teenage years are packed with milestones — one of the biggest is driving. You’ll never forget the day your teenager brings home a learner’s permit or the day they obtain their driver’s license. Neither will they.
However, once they have access to drive your car, it’s important to add them to your coverage. This way, you don’t experience significant financial loss if they’re in an accident.
How Will This Affect My Car Insurance Cost?
Whether or not adding a driver to your car insurance policy will affect your rate depends on various details. Two of the most important factors include:
- The Driver’s Age: Young drivers with little experience behind the wheel pose significant risks to the insurance company. As a result, if you’re adding a teen driver or a young adult to your policy, you can expect an increase in your premiums.
- The Driver’s Driving Record: Insurance companies pay close attention to each driver’s history behind the wheel. If the driver you’re adding has multiple tickets or accidents over the past few years, chances are your premiums will go up. On the other hand, if the driver hasn’t had any tickets or accidents in the last several years, your premiums may not move at all.
If you’re worried about the cost of adding a driver to your car insurance, consider calling your insurance company and asking how much it would cost. If it’s too much for you to cover, consider asking the person you’re adding to your policy to cover their share of the bill.
Benefits of Adding a Driver to Car Insurance
Adding a driver to your car insurance policy isn’t a status symbol. After all, you’re not going to pay just to have someone else’s name on your insurance policy; there have to be benefits involved — and there are. Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Vehicle Damage Coverage: If you let an uninsured driver that lives with you drive your car and they get into an accident, you may find yourself having to pay the repair bills. That could cost you thousands of dollars.
- Medical Coverage: You care about the people you live with. If something were to happen to them, you’d want to make sure they can afford their medical bills. When you add a driver to your insurance policy, you can rest assured that if that driver gets behind the wheel, they’re covered. Even passengers in a vehicle have access to medical coverage in the event of an accident.
- Liability: If the driver is under 18 years old, you may be liable for someone else’s damages if they get into an accident. When you add the driver to your insurance policy, your insurance company will jump in to help with that liability. Keep in mind that occasionally using the car with permission is sometimes an option and would also allow this coverage.
How to Add to Your Existing Policy
It’s simple to add a driver to an existing car insurance policy. You just need to have the right information and be willing to make a call to your insurance company. Find the details about doing so below.
Information You’ll Need to Add a Driver to Your Car Insurance
The information you need helps the insurer identify the driver and the risk they pose to the company when you add them to your policy. Be ready to provide the following:
- Driver’s License: You’ll need the driver’s license number of anyone you’d like to add. You may also need the date the license was issued and the expiration date to complete the process.
- Driver’s Identification Information: This includes information like the driver’s full name, birthday, social security number, and address.
- Driving Record: It’s important that you’re upfront with your insurance company about the new driver’s driving record. That means you need to be aware of any tickets or accidents the driver has had in at least the past three years. An insurance company will always verify this.
Steps to Adding a Driver to Your Car Insurance Policy
If you’re ready to add a driver to your car insurance, follow the steps below to get the job done:
- Gather Information: As mentioned above, you’ll need quite a bit of information about the new driver to add them to your policy. Gather all the information you need to start the process.
- Contact Your Insurance Company: Next, contact your insurance company by phone or online. Our team at Torian Insurance is ready to help you at any time.
- Agree to the Change: Before your insurance company can make a change to your policy, you need to agree to the change and any change in premiums that come along with it. You may be able to do so verbally, or you may be required to agree in writing by signing your name on a few documents.
Can Someone Drive My Car if Not on My Insurance?
Most car insurance companies cover you, anyone listed on your policy, and anyone you’ve permitted to drive your car. If someone is not covered under your insurance and gets into an accident, the insurance company would likely be forced to pay the claim anyways. However, there are some exceptions if the insurance company has certain rules about this. For example:
- Your car insurance company might not cover damages if the driver lives with you and isn’t listed on your policy.
- Your car insurance company may not cover damages if the driver doesn’t have a driver’s license.
- Your insurance company may not cover the damages if the person you allow to drive is on a do-not-insure list. This typically happens when the driver has a significant history of accidents or moving violations.
Can I Add Someone to My Insurance That Doesn’t Live with Me?
In most cases, you must live with anyone you plan on adding to your car insurance policy. There’s a good reason for that too.
Most car insurance companies cover you, anyone on your policy, and any licensed drivers you allow to drive your car who don’t live with you. So, if the person you plan to add doesn’t live with you and has a driver’s license, there’s likely no need to add them to your insurance policy.
Can You Add A Driver Temporarily?
You can temporarily add a driver to your car insurance, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessary. In fact, in most cases, it’s not.
Most car insurance companies cover permissible use. That means if you permit someone else to drive your car, your insurance company will cover damages if they get into an accident. However, there are some instances where you may want to add a driver to your policy temporarily.
For example, you may have a child in college who’s coming home for a few months. In this case, your child will live with you for a period of time and probably should be added to your insurance policy. This is especially true if you expect your child to occasionally drive your car while they’re home.
FAQ: Adding a Driver to Car Insurance
Find the answers to some of the most common questions about adding a driver to car insurance below.
Should I Add My Significant Other to My Insurance Policy?
Whether or not you should add your significant other to your insurance policy depends on whether or not you live together. If not, they’re already likely covered by your insurance policy. If so, you should strongly consider adding them.
Is It Cheaper to Add a Driver or Have That Driver Open Their Own Policy?
It will likely be cheaper to add a driver to your policy rather than have two policies on a single vehicle. The only time it would make sense to have two policies is if the other driver is expected to pay the difference in your premium but you’re not sure they will keep up with that expectation.
Should I Add a Car to My Insurance?
If you live with someone else and you both have vehicles, it may be a good idea to add their car to your policy or your car to theirs to reduce the overall cost of insurance.
Ready to Add A Driver to Your Plan?
Whether you’re interested in a car insurance plan for yourself or multiple drivers, you should do yourself a favor and contact Torian Insurance. Torian works with the leading insurance underwriters in the United States and gets them to compete for your business. In the end, you get the best possible coverage at the lowest possible rates. What are you waiting for? Get a quote from Torian Insurance today!
