Do I have to add my teenager to my car insurance?

Do you have to add a teenage driver to your insurance?

Yes, you have to add a teen driver to your insurance. Insurance companies require that all drivers in the household be added to the policy unless you can show that they are insured elsewhere. Here's what you need to know:

Once a teenager has a driver's license, they need at least state minimum coverage.
A teen can be added to a parent’s policy or buy their own, which requires an adult cosigner for minors.
Where you live dictates when you must add a teen driver to your insurance policy, either as soon as they get a permit, or when they are fully licensed.

It's a good idea to talk to someone at your insurance company before your teen starts learning to drive, so you know what to expect.

What happens if you don't add your teen to your insurance? Risks and penalties

If you don't add your teen to your insurance and they drive your vehicle, there can be serious repercussions, including a ticket for driving without insurance and a claimAn insurance claim is a request you make to your insurance company for coverage after your car is damaged or you have an accident. You can file a claim online, by phone, or in writing. denial if the teen driver gets into an accident.

If your teen causes an accident and doesn’t have insurance, your carrier could refuse to pay the claim and even cancel your coverage.
When you find coverage again, rates will be higher due to the previous cancellation
Your teenager could be ticketed for failure to have insurance, which could result in fines and a suspension of their license.

Although car insurance for your teenager is expensive, the negative consequences of allowing them to drive without coverage exceed the cost.

Can a teenager get their own car insurance policy?

A teenager under the age of 18 can't get a car insurance policy on their own. They may be able to get a solo policy if a parent agrees to co-sign, but they can't get coverage alone until they are 18 years old and able to legally sign a contract. Adding a teen to your policy rather than getting their own saves a lot of money.

“By adding a teen driver to your existing auto policy, you can get them the same coverage you have for less money, and since you're probably paying for your teen's insurance either way, why not save,” says Tiffany Wright, spokesperson for AAA.

Insurance discounts and the parent’s insurance history can help lower rates when teens are added to a parent's policy. Without these, teenage drivers face significantly higher premiums.

PEOPLE ASK

How old do you have to be to get car insurance?

In most states, you need to be at least 18 years old to get your own car insurance policy. However, an adult may be able to cosign for a policy if you are still a minor.

Should a teenager be listed as a primary driver?

Not if you can avoid it; listing a teen as a primary drive makes insurance more expensive, because the primary driver largely determines the cost of car insurance for that vehicle.

Since teenagers lack experience behind the wheel, insurers charge them much higher insurance rates. So, if a teenager is the primary driver for a vehicle, that vehicle's insurance rates will be much higher.

If you have more cars than drivers, it may be possible to avoid having a teen listed as the primary driver. Listing a teen driver as secondary will help lower insurance rates since their factors aren’t being used as heavily in rate calculations.

If you can’t avoid having your teenager listed as a primary driver, consider assigning them to the least expensive vehicle on your policy to keep insurance rates as low as possible.

How much do rates increase when you add a teen driver?

In costs an average of $4,515 a year to add a teen driver to a parent's policy, with full coverage.

The table below shows the average cost of adding a teen driver to a parent's policy by carrierAn insurance carrier is the company that provides your car insurance policy and pays claims..

Company	Parents premium, no teen	Cost with a teen female	Cost with a teen male
Travelers	$1,962	$6,089	$7,108
GEICO	$2,159	$6,176	$6,841
Nationwide	$2,524	$8,052	$9,270
Progressive	$2,569	$9,377	$10,266
State Farm	$2,875	$7,329	$8,634
Allstate	$3,159	$9,283	$10,030
Farmers	$3,207	$11,984	$13,020
USAA	$1,628	$5,373	$5,684

Read our methodology

Car insurance calculator for teens: Estimate car insurance cost

Many factors affect car insurance rates, such as age, location, gender and coverage. Use the calculator below to estimate the cost of car insurance for your teenage driver.

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Average car insurance cost for 16-year-old male: By company

Graph

Table

Company	Average annual premium
UAIC	$8,229
GEICO	$8,716
State Farm	$9,967
National General	$10,883
Nationwide	$11,413
Travelers	$13,045
Allstate	$21,894
Mercury Insurance	$24,664
Farmers	$25,885
Progressive	$42,144

Read our methodology

People ask

When do you have to add a child to your car insurance?

Many states don’t require teen drivers to be added until they receive their full license, while others require teens to be added when they get a permit and start practicing. Your insurer will have its own rules, so be sure to ask.

How to get cheaper car insurance for a teenage driver

You can get cheaper car insurance for a teenager by keeping them as a secondary driver on your policy, choosing the cheapest car to insure for your teen, asking about discounts and shopping around.

Avoid adding the teenager as a primary driver. If you have more cars than drivers, consider adding the teen as a secondary driver.
Add the teen to the cheapest car. Putting a teen as the primary driver on a less expensive vehicle lowers overall costs.
Look for discounts. Many insurers offer savings that may be applicable, such as good student, away student, multi-car, and defensive driving discounts.
Shop around. Insurers offer different rates, so compare multiple companies to find the best deal.

Methodology

We partnered with Quadrant Information Services to field car insurance rates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Averages are based on our full coverage data set.

This data set is based on:

Bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident
Property damage liability of $100,000 per incident
Comprehensive and collision deductibles of $500
Honda Accord LX
Good credit
A clean driving record
12-mile commute, 10,000 annual mileage

Rate data is drawn based on:

A policy with two adult drivers on one car
A policy with two adult drivers and one teen driver on one car

Learn more about our data and methodology.

Frequently asked questions

Does my teenager need insurance to drive my car?

Yes, a teenager must be insured like every licensed driver in your state or risk legal penalties and denied claims. However, if your teenager only has a learner's permit, your state may not require them to be added to your insurance policy until they receive a full license.

Does the primary driver on insurance matter?

Yes, the primary driver listed on an insurance policy matters. Insurance companies partially base rates on a vehicle's primary driver. The driver’s age, driving record, gender and marital status can significantly affect car insurance rates.

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