Does car insurance cover drivers other than you?

If you’ve bought a new car or are looking to switch car insurers, then it's also time to get, or update, your car insurance coverage. With costs and coverages to think about, it can be easy to forget the details often necessary in an insurance policy—like listing all known drivers.

As you go through the insurance quote process, you may not know who is and isn’t necessary to list as a driver on your policy. Your roommate? What about your partner? The babysitter? 

Let's dive in and get into why it's important to make sure you have all drivers listed on your policy and some of the consequences of undisclosed drivers. Bottom line, if they're listed on your car insurance they're covered. And if they're not listed, maybe they should be listed.

What is an undisclosed driver?

An undisclosed driver is anyone who regularly drives your vehicle and isn’t listed on your car insurance policy. When you begin a car insurance quote, you will be asked to provide information for every driver of your car or cars. But knowing who and who not to list can be difficult, especially when you think about people who don’t live in your home but do drive your car on occasion.

Who do I need to list on my car insurance policy?

As you go through the quote process of getting insurance, you will be asked to list drivers, including yourself. Here's some direction to follow when determining who to list on your insurance policy:

• Children who have an active driver's license; including children away at school

• Spouses and legal partners

• Any household member who regularly operates your vehicle

• Anyone who shares ownership of your vehicle

You should also list anyone who has regular access to your vehicle—roommates, neighbors, friends or relatives—unless they have their own insurance. What do we mean by regular access? If someone regularly drives your car more than twice a month, they should be listed on your policy. 

And if you have a situation that feels like it falls in the gray area, it’s a good idea to contact your car insurance company with questions.

Why is it important to list all drivers?

Signing up for car insurance can feel like information overload, which is why forgetting to name a driver on your policy is understandable. But having an undisclosed driver can be risky for a number of reasons.

• Risk 1: Failing to let your insurer know about every driver, may impact whether or not a claim is covered. Here’s an example: If an undisclosed driver is involved in an accident, there’s a chance that your car insurance won’t cover the losses or damages to your vehicle. 

• Risk 2:A policy without all drivers won’t be accurately represented in your rate. If your insurer discovers other drivers, you may see an unexpected rate change—which isn’t ideal for you or your wallet.

Not to mention, some car insurance companies may choose to drop you as a customer if you didn’t disclose all drivers during your initial quote phase or when a driver started operating your vehicle regularly.

Having all drivers listed on your car insurance helps ensure there’s coverage in the event of an accident (loss) and gives you an accurate car insurance premium.

It’s time to disclose all drivers

Diving into car insurance specifics can seem overwhelming, so a helpful tip as you’re shopping for car insurance or starting a quote is to write down who in the last month has driven your car. You'll be glad you have something to reference when you're asked to list all drivers for a car insurance quote. 

And in case you need it, let this serve as your reminder to take a peek at your policy—who’s listed? Who’s not? Who can be removed? Who needs to be added? Listed drivers equal covered drivers, and in times when you need car insurance to shine the most, you’ll be glad you did. 

The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with HiRoad®. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. HiRoad is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. HiRoad makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.