Is it cheaper to be added as a driver to your parent's policy or get your own policy?

Asked by: Ashton Haley  |  Last update: May 27, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (39 votes)

Unless your parents have a poor driving record, it is usually cheaper to be listed on their policy than to have your own. Your parents' years of driving experience will help lower the premium.

Is it cheaper to get added to your parents' insurance?

There are undeniable advantages to being listed as a driver on your parents' car insurance policy, including: Cost Savings: Adding a young driver to an existing policy is cheaper than obtaining individual coverage. Parents with a good driving record can significantly benefit their children's rates.

Is it cheaper to add a driver to a policy?

Adding a driver to your car insurance can potentially increase the cost of your insurance premiums. Whether it goes up or not can depend on various factors, such as the new driver's age, driving history, and other individual risk factors.

When should you be added to your parent's car insurance?

Do my parents have to put me on their car insurance? Only if you live with them. Insurers typically require all licensed drivers who live at the same address to be listed on a policy, especially if they frequently borrow each other's cars.

Can my son drive my car if he is not insured?

Most insurers cover someone else driving the policyholder's car with their permission once in a while. But, if you're going to start driving one of your parent's cars regularly, you'll need to be added or named on their auto insurance. You can't legally drive your parents' car without any insurance at all, either.

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19 related questions found

When should your child get their own car insurance?

As kids grow up, when do they need to get their own auto insurance policy? If your child has moved out of your house and is no longer a dependent, they need to have their own insurance policy. Under most personal auto insurance policies, the “insured” covered by the policy includes “family members”.

What happens if I don't add my teenager to my car insurance?

Failing to add your teenager to your auto insurance can lead to coverage denial, legal penalties and policy cancellation. Lack of driving experience and perceived higher risk contribute to higher car premiums for teen drivers.

When should I add a driver to my car insurance?

You can usually add a driver to your insurance policy at any time. However, you may need to wait until your child gets their full license to include them on your policy.

Can my son drive my car if he doesn't live with me?

If your son doesn't live with you but needs to borrow your car, he can do so with your permission. It is known as permissive use, which means that when someone who doesn't live with you gets permission to borrow your car, they are also “borrowing” your auto insurance coverage.

Is it cheaper to add an additional driver?

Adding a named driver is a great way of reducing your premiums if you are a younger driver without much experience on the road. It essentially lets the insurer know that you will not be the only driver using the car and so a more experienced, typically older, additional driver can serve as a reassurance to providers.

Can someone drive my car if they are not on my insurance Progressive?

While there are exceptions, car insurance generally follows the car and not the driver. Allowing another licensed driver to borrow your vehicle is known as "permissive use," which means you give someone, who isn't listed on your car insurance policy, permission to operate your vehicle.

Will my insurance go up if I add a driver?

Typically, adding drivers to your policy can increase your premium. For example, there is a reason adding a teenage or newly licensed driver to an auto policy can result in an increase in insurance premiums.

At what age is insurance most expensive?

Key takeaways. 18-year-old drivers on their own policy pay the highest car insurance premiums out of the age groups Bankrate analyzed. The most significant difference in premiums by gender occurs at age 18. On average, 18-year-old males cost 9 percent less to insure than their female counterparts.

Is it cheaper for my son to have his own car insurance?

Generally, it is much cheaper to keep your teen driver on a shared family policy, instead of getting them their own policy. Increasing the average age of the insured drivers on the policy helps push down rates by decreasing the total amount of risk insured by the underwriter.

Can I remove my son from my car insurance when he goes to college Progressive?

You can remove a listed driver from your car insurance policy if they no longer live with you and no longer drive your vehicle. If you have a child away at college or who moves out temporarily, it's a good idea to keep them on your policy. Doing so ensures that they can drive your vehicle during breaks.

What happens if my girlfriend is driving my car and gets in an accident?

When it comes to insurance coverage, policies in California typically follow the vehicle, meaning that your policy would cover damages even if someone else was driving your car. However, there are exceptions to this coverage, which we will discuss in the following subsections.

Can my husband drive my car if he is not on my insurance?

Usually, yes. Your car insurance coverage should be able to extend to anyone else driving your car. Even if someone isn't listed on the policy, they can operate your vehicle. If you explicitly name someone as an excluded driver in your policy, however, none of this applies to them.

How much does it cost to add a new driver on insurance?

By state, those in California experience the highest average percentage increase. Adding a 21-year-old driver boosts the cost of insurance by an average of 191.4%, from $2,062 to $6,009, or $3,947.

Does your insurance go up if your child gets their license?

Once your child gets a license, you have 60 days by law to inform your insurance carrier. In most cases, because an insurance carrier will see a new driver as a greater risk, your insurance premium will increase, sometimes significantly (up to 60% for a two-car family).

What happens if a driver is not listed on an insurance policy?

You regularly allow a family member or friend to drive your car, but they aren't named on your auto policy. If this person gets in an accident while driving your car, your insurance company will likely deny your claim, leaving you liable for the damages.

Should I put my adult child on my car insurance?

According to Lynch, a child living at home or going away to college or graduate school will be allowed to remain on their parents auto policy with no additional fees until age 24, unless he or she has purchased a separate insurance policy.

Is it better to put a car in a child's name?

Register the car in your child's name.

Generally and statistically speaking, college students are more likely than other types of drivers to get into car accidents. Recognizing this, insurance carriers may very well charge more to insure your son or daughter.

What happens if you don't add a driver to your insurance?

If someone in your household, who is unknown to your insurance company, gets in an accident, your insurer might rescind or cancel your policy and/or deny your insurance claim because they've been kept in the dark.