Catherine leverages her background in education and finance to write articles that help readers make informed decisions about their insurance and finances.
3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content
Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score
Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Save up to $717 by comparing quotes from the top 100+ insurance companies
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
Advertiser Disclosure
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Why you can trust Insurify: Comparing accurate insurance quotes should never put you at risk of spam. We earn an agent commission only if you buy a policy based on our quotes. Our editorial team follows a rigorous set of editorial standards and operates independently from our insurance partners. Learn more.
Cheapest recent rates
Drivers using Insurify have found quotes as cheap as $35/mo for liability only and $40/mo for full coverage.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on April 18, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from April 18, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on April 18, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from April 18, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
Most of the time, the people listed on your car insurance policy will reside in your household, like your spouse, partner, or children. However, in certain circumstances, you can add someone who doesn’t live with you to your car insurance. For example, you might want to add your children’s caregiver to your insurance because they often drive your car.
Here’s what you need to know about adding people outside your household to your car insurance policy.
Quick Facts
It’s important to list anyone who drives your car regularly on your car insurance policy, whether they live with you or not.
Peoples’ driving history can affect your car insurance premiums — in both positive and negative ways.[1]
Always check with your insurance company if you’re unsure whether to add someone to your policy.
Can you add someone to your car insurance if they don’t live with you?
Yes, in a few circumstances, you can add someone to your car insurance policy if they don’t live with you. A car insurance company might not allow you to add a friend who lives at a different address to your insurance policy. But the insurer might accept a caregiver who comes to your house regularly and drives your car to bring your children to their extracurricular activities.
If someone who isn’t properly insured through your or their own policy drives your car, you run the risk of not having coverage for a claim. Each insurer is different, and so are insurance policies. If you have questions about what situations and who your policy covers, ask your insurance agent what they recommend.
Here are examples of people outside your household who you can typically add to your policy:
A nanny or babysitter who drives your car
A nurse or caregiver who is in your household regularly and might borrow your vehicle
A family member who visits and wants to drive your car
Neighbors who may borrow your car on occasion
Children who are away at college
Compare Car Insurance Quotes
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
Who you should add to your policy
Your insurance company will typically require you to list household members of driving age on your car insurance policy. But different driver categories affect your insurance rates in different ways.
Rated driver
A rated driver is a person who lives with you and drives your car. Rated drivers are typically family members or someone who lives with you, like a live-in partner or roommate. This is different from a listed driver, and rated drivers influence your premium rates.[1]
Listed driver
A listed driver is someone who is on your insurance policy but doesn’t usually drive your vehicle. Insurance companies will typically ask you to list all household members who are drivers on your policy, but listed drivers won’t affect your premiums. For example, if your spouse has their own car that they drive regularly instead of yours, they may be a listed driver.
Non-driver
A non-driver is someone who lives at your address but doesn’t drive and doesn’t have a license. For example, this might include a grandparent who lives with you but doesn’t drive and doesn’t plan to renew their license.
Other insurance driver
An other insurance driver is a driver who has their own insurance policy. Your insurance company might want proof of their insurance if they live in your household and may drive your car.
Excluded driver
An excluded driver is a driver you specifically leave off your insurance policy because of the effect their driving history may have on your premiums. For example, if a member of your family has a history of speeding tickets, adding them to your policy because you live in the same home might cause you to have to pay higher premiums.[1]
If you exclude them from your policy, they won’t be able to drive your vehicle and have insurance coverage. However, it’s possible to lower your car insurance rate by not including them on your policy.
What is permissive use?
When you give permission to someone to drive your car but your policy doesn’t list them, it’s called permissive use. In these cases, their liability insurance will cover them, even when driving your car.[1]
On the other hand, if someone uses your car without asking, it’s nonpermissive use. It’s important to understand whether your car insurance company will cover claims for accidents involving a driver who has permission to use your car — and people who don’t.[2]
What is nonowner car insurance?
Licensed drivers who don’t own vehicles still need car insurance for situations in which they rent or borrow a car. Drivers can purchase nonowner car insurance, which provides liability protection if they’re in an accident.
Keep in Mind
Nonowner car insurance only covers damages and injuries you cause to other drivers and their vehicles; it doesn’t cover damage to the vehicle you drive or your own injuries. The vehicle owner’s insurance policy covers damages to the vehicle.
What happens when you add someone to your car insurance policy?
People can add roommates, spouses, and newly licensed teen drivers to their car insurance policies. How it affects the policy depends on the driver’s history.[1]
If you add an inexperienced teen driver to your insurance policy, your premiums may increase, but they could be eligible for a good student discount.
If the driver you add to your insurance has a poor driving history, your premiums could increase.
Once someone you add moves out of your home, like a roommate, you can typically take them off your policy.
Each time your policy renews, make sure to speak with your insurer or insurance agent to see if you’re eligible for any new discounts that can save you money long-term.
Compare Car Insurance Quotes
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
How to add a friend to your car insurance policy
To add a friend to your car insurance policy, follow these four steps:
Contact your car insurance company or agent. Before you gather your friend’s information, first contact your insurer or insurance agent to make sure you’re allowed to add your friend to your policy. If you are, move on to the next step.
Gather personal information. To add a friend to your policy, you’ll likely need their personal information, including full name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and anything else your insurer requests.
Ask about discounts. You may be eligible for discounts after adding your friend to your car insurance policy. For example, you might be able to secure a safe driver or a good student discount if your friend meets those qualifications.
Keep open communication. Once your friend is on your car insurance policy, keep open communication about who’s paying for the policy and how you want them to handle your vehicle if they drive it.
Adding drivers to your car insurance FAQs
If you’re thinking about adding a driver to your car insurance policy, here’s some additional information that may help you navigate the process. You can also dive deeper by reading Insurify’s guide on adding a teen driver to your car insurance.
Can people in the same house have different car insurance?
It depends on the insurance company. If drivers in the household have good driving records, they could benefit from being on the same car insurance policy. Many car insurance companies offer multi-car discounts.
However, if a driver has a poor driving record or bad credit, you might consider having a separate policy from them or excluding them as a driver if their poor history would cause your premium to be more expensive. It’s important to talk to your agent or insurance company to determine what your insurer allows and what would benefit your personal situation the most.
Does your live-in boyfriend or girlfriend need to be on your car insurance?
Most insurance companies ask that you list all drivers living in your household on your car insurance policy. If you decide to insure all vehicles at your house on the same policy, you could qualify for a multi-car discount as well.[3]
Can you add a non-family member to liability car insurance?
In many cases, you can add a non-family member to liability car insurance, especially if they live with you or drive your car regularly. For example, if you have a nanny who uses your car daily to drive your children to activities, many insurers would allow you to add them to your insurance.
Can unrelated people be on the same car insurance policy?
Yes, unrelated people can be on the same car insurance policy. For example, if you have a non-family roommate or long-term partner, they can be on your car insurance policy if they live at the same address.
Do you have to add roommates to your car insurance?
It depends on your insurance company. Some will require you to list all drivers who live at your residence on your policy. Others might not require roommates to be on your policy if they never drive your car. It’s important to have proper insurance, so if you have any questions about your particular roommate situation and whether they have to be on your insurance, call your insurance company to find out.
Can your college student stay on your auto insurance policy?
Yes. Even if your college student moves away to attend school, you can typically keep them on your car insurance policy. Your child will likely need their own insurance policy once they move out of your home permanently or purchase a car themselves and have the title in their name. When in doubt, call your insurance company or broker to determine whether your college student can remain on your policy.
Nolo. "Who is Covered by Permissive Use Car Insurance?."
Nolo. "Insurance Coverage for Unmarried Partners Living Together."
Catherine Collins
Catherine Collins is a freelance financial writer and author based in Detroit. She's the co-founder of MillennialHomeowner.com and MomsGotMoney.com, and author of the book Mom’s Got Money: A millennial mom’s guide to managing money like a boss. She has written for US News, Huffington Post, Money, Business Insider, Investopedia, Entrepreneur, Go Banking Rates, and many other publications. She currently resides in Detroit, Michigan with her boy-girl twins and a rescue dog named Julep.
3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content
Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score
Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)