Key Takeaways
You can usually add someone to your policy if they live at your home, have a driver's license, and use your car often. When you sign up for insurance for the first time, most companies make you add family members. You may be able to add members who don't live with you, but it depends on your agent and where you live. If you add someone, your car insurance rates will increase, but how much it will increase will depend on the other driver's age and accident history.
You can easily add a new driver to your car insurance from the comfort of your home. To add a new driver, you may only need to call your insurance company or fill out a form online, depending on the company.
1. Call your service provider
The first thing you should do to add a second driver to your car insurance is call your insurance company. Find out how they do things and what they need from you. Also, ask if you can fill out the application online.
2. Get the information you need
The process is different for each insurance company, but most of them will ask for general personal information about the person you're adding to your policy, such as:
Getting this information ready will make it easier to find when needed.
3. Get your policy rate changed and processed.
The insurance company will update your policy and give you a new monthly price once they get information about the driver you want to add. You should also ask the provider if they can offer any discounts on your insurance.
4. Wait for approval
The insurance company will then scrutinize your application and proceed with the process. If your insurance company agrees, the other driver can drive your car without worrying about their insurance.
Company | Annual Premium w/ Secondary Driver | Annual Premium for 2 Single Drivers |
---|---|---|
Nationwide | $1,423 | $2,163 |
State Farm | $1,432 | $2,081 |
Farmers | $1,466 | $2,827 |
Progressive | $1,561 | $2,536 |
Travelers | $1,662 | $2,327 |
Allstate | $1,692 | $2,549 |
Car insurance rates rely on factors like age, gender, driving record, and experience of the additional driver. Adding a parent to your policy can lower rates while adding a teen driver can raise them. High-risk drivers may increase rates, but theirs may decrease.
Ultimately, you will determine who to add to your car insurance policy. Adding people to your family who drive your car often is usually the best thing to do. If any of the following people use your car often, you might want to add them to your auto insurance. It's a good idea to add your partner to your car insurance if you share your car with them, especially if you live together.
Partner | If your partner often uses your car, you might want to add them to your insurance. |
Parent | Your car insurance rates might decrease if you add a more experienced driver, like your parent. Still, the person who drives the car most of the time needs to stay on the insurance so that they don't get turned down for coverage or face fraud charges for "fronting." |
Teenage Driver | Add your teen, provisional, and temporary drivers to your car insurance coverage if they have a license and frequently use your car, as they are more likely to cause crashes. |
Roommate or boarder: | Also, if you live with someone and share a car with them, like a neighbor, you can add them to your car insurance. If you and your roommates sometimes swap cars, you should inform your insurance company about this. Some may make you include all licensed drivers in your family on your insurance, even if they already have their own. Talk to your roommate about splitting a multi-car cover to save money on car insurance. Bundling your home and car will also save you money. |
Friend | Add your friend to your car insurance if they drive your car a lot to cover you if they get into an accident. However, this might not be possible if they don't live with you, which is decided by where you live and your insurance company. |
Employees | You should add people who work for you, like nannies, maids, and helpers, if they use your car for work every day. Remember, though, that you might only be able to add these people to commercial auto insurance. Most personal auto policies don't let you add people who use your car for business. |
As a rule, anyone who lives with you and has a driver's license can be added to your car insurance. Adding another driver should fit your wants and your insurance company's rules, whether it's a family member, friend, or roommate. Depending on the case, you might want to add someone for a short time or for good. The best way to do things for you will depend on your service.
If someone might use your car, you might want to add them to your insurance. Most of the time, listed drivers get the same coverage as members. This is a proactive move that makes financial sense.
A clause in most car insurance plans is called "permissive use." If the permissive user isn't a listed driver, your insurance company might not pay for the damages if they have an accident. This is because you didn't name them directly in your policy. People who are easy to trust can usually borrow your car 12 times a year. You must add someone to your policy if they live with you and drive your car often.
You should add a named driver to your car if a family member, friend, or roommate drives it a lot. That way, you'll be covered if something goes wrong.
If your kid or another family member just got their driver's license, adding them to your policy can help protect you.
You should usually add your partner or spouse to your contract if you share a car and are married or in a serious relationship.
If someone uses your car for a long time, like a friend who visits for a few weeks, you might want to add them to your insurance temporarily.
If someone moves in with you and will regularly have access to your car, you should think about adding them.
Should someone with a bad driving record or no insurance use your car and cause an accident, your insurance company may demand that you pay for it. This risk can be lessened by adding them to your insurance.
Your car insurance rates might decrease if you cover more than one driver under the same policy. Bankrate's rate data, sourced from Quadrant Information Services, shows that married couples with only one car pay an average of $1,898 per year for full coverage and $595 for minimum coverage. This coverage is much less than the average of $2,014 per year for full coverage and $622 for minimum coverage that a single driver with one car pays. Find out more about car insurance for multiple drivers to decide if a cover for more than one driver is right for you.
When you add a driver to your car insurance, your rates will change. And adding a second driver doesn't always make your rates go up. In some cases, it can make your rates go down a lot, based on who the primary and secondary drivers are.
Young permit drivers in their teens pay expensive insurance from $6912 annually. This is because insurance companies find them to be big risks, and there is no exact track record of permitted drivers driving.
The person who isn't on the finalized driver list cannot drive your car. You won't get insurance coverage if he has an accident.
Adding a teen to a parent's car insurance costs an average of $278 monthly but is 48% less expensive than getting their coverage.
The auto insurance rates published in this guide are based on the results of research completed by Way.com’s data team. Using a mix of public and internal data, we analyzed millions of rate averages across U.S. ZIP codes.
Quotes are typically based on a full coverage policy average unless otherwise noted within the content.
These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes will differ. Given this, it’s important to go through our insurance steps form to find how much you can save with way.com
Way.com’s Insurance Broker Quote Data
Access your digital insurance card through the app. You no longer need to carry your physical insurance card with you.
Receive reminders before your renewal. Way.com will also send new quotes from up to 45 insurance companies with your renewal reminder.
Keep everyone on your policy up to date by sharing your insurance information.
Make changes to your policy right from the app (coming soon) and ask for expert advice.