Adding a Driver to Car Insurance: What to Know

Carrying the minimum car insurance for your state is one of the main requirements to drive legally, and the last thing you want is an uninsured driver driving your vehicle. If you are looking into adding a driver to insurance, you should know a few things first. 

First, it’s important to make sure you can add the driver to your personal insurance, as the driver usually must live with you in order to qualify. You can also usually expect an increase in auto insurance rates because you are covering another driver. 

Read on to learn all the ins and outs of adding a driver to your insurance. We will cover when you should and shouldn’t add a driver, the cost of adding a driver, and more. 

When to Add a Driver to Your Insurance Policy 

If a driver meets the following qualifications, you should add them to your auto insurance policy: 

• The driver has access to your car on a regular basis. 
• The driver lives with you. 
• The driver has a valid driver’s license. 

Basically, if the driver lives with you and has access to your car, they need to be on your auto insurance policy. Even non-related people living with you who are using your car, such as a roommate, should be on your policy. You will also need to add college students who may be away for most of the year but will drive your car when they are back on a break. Find out if you have to add your child to your insurance policy. 

Also, check your state’s requirements for whether a teen with a learner’s permit needs to be added to your insurance policy before or after they get their driver’s license. If you are worried about rate increases when adding a younger driver, make sure to check out the best auto insurance for teens and young drivers to find an affordable rate. 

In addition, while you may not think that your nanny or home health care worker would need to be added to your insurance policy because they don’t live with you, you should reach out to your insurance company to find out its guidelines if they are driving your car frequently. 

When You Shouldn’t Add a Driver to Your Insurance Policy 

There are a few instances where you don’t need to add a driver to your car insurance policy. If drivers don’t live with you and only occasionally borrow your car, you don’t need to add them. For example, if your babysitter borrows your car once a month to pick up kids from school, your babysitter will be covered under your insurance policy without needing to be added. 

This is known as the permissive use clause. Basically, as long as the person you are letting borrow your car only takes it once in a while, they will be covered. So if your roommate owns their own car but took your car grocery shopping once, there is no need to add them. With this info in mind, you should never add someone who wants to be on your insurance but who you don’t live with and doesn’t drive your car, as you could get in trouble. 

How to Add a Driver to Your Insurance Policy 

If the driver meets all the requirements to be added to your auto insurance policy, you can go ahead and add them. To add a driver, you will need to know the following information about the driver: 

• Birth date 
• Driving record history 
• Gender
• Legal name 
• Occupation 
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Years of driving 

The insurance company will use this information to determine the risk level of the driver you are adding and adjust your rates accordingly. 

Cost of Adding Drivers to an Auto Insurance Policy 

In most cases, adding a driver to your insurance policy will increase your rates because it means your car will be driven more, which increases the likelihood of an accident. 

However, if you are wondering exactly how much it is to add someone to car insurance, the answer is it depends upon the driver you are adding and the company. For example, adding a driver to a Geico policy may be less expensive than adding a driver to a Progressive policy. 

Also, if the driver you are adding has a history of accidents and is considered a high-risk driver, you can expect a fairly significant rate hike. On the other hand, if you are adding a driver with an excellent driving record, you may see little to no increase in your auto insurance rates. 

Look at the table below to get an idea of what types of drivers pay for auto insurance coverage. 

Auto Insurance Monthly Rates Based on Driving Record

If you have a teen driver that you are adding to your insurance policy, this will probably raise your rates the most. However, adding a teenage driver to your existing auto insurance policy is much cheaper than having the teenager purchase a separate one. Learn why auto insurance costs more for young drivers.

The Final Word on Adding a Driver to Your Car Insurance 

If the driver lives with you and frequently uses your car, you should absolutely add them to your auto insurance policy. Examples of drivers you can add to your insurance include spouses, children, or roommates. If someone just borrows your car occasionally, however, their use of the car would fall under permissive use, and they will still be covered under your auto insurance policy. 

If you are looking for cheaper rates after adding another driver to your auto insurance policy, you can shop around for auto insurance quotes. Use our free quote comparison tool to find your area’s best car insurance rates.