Do car insurance and registration address have to match?

When it comes to car insurance 101, there are a lot of requirements to owning, insuring, and driving a car. Do your car insurance and registration address have to match? Is it possible to have car registration and insurance at different addresses?

Although the answer is yes, appropriate documentation of your legal ability to drive, your car’s registration status, and your insurance status are usually required if you are in an accident or pulled over by the authorities for any reason.

Before learning more, compare car insurance rates at different addresses now by entering your ZIP code in our free tool above.

Can Car Registration & Insurance Be Registered at Different Addresses?

Whether you have temporarily relocated or have moved across the nation, you might be wondering, “Does my car insurance have to match my registration?” Yes, the address on your insurance can be different from the one on your registration. However, it’s not advisable to have different addresses for too long. Just like your license, the state expects you to update your address in a timely manner if you move. (For more information, read our “Can I get car insurance without registration?“).

Your insurance agent and loan company would also expect to know where your car is being garaged. It helps them set appropriate rates. If you don’t make your payments or don’t maintain proof of required insurance, it also tells your lender where they should look for your car. If you wanted to get your bill at a different location, though, you could change your mailing address for your auto insurance policy or loan.

Can your car insurance be in someone else’s name? You may be insured under someone else’s policy, but have the car registered in your name. Perhaps you are driving a car registered to someone else but have your own insurance. There are many different scenarios that may raise questions about the documentation required to drive and what is legal when it comes to using another address for car insurance.

Teens commonly fall under their parents’ policies. Generally, adults are authorized users to a certain limit set by insurance providers. This means they can make changes to the policy, and they are more responsible in some ways.

Read more:

• Someone Is Using My Address to Buy Car Insurance
• Do car insurance companies check your address?

What are the car insurance and registration requirements?

Can you insure a car at a different address if the car is in your name? Most of the time, the person who owns the vehicle must have it insured in their own name. This protects that person and their investment in the vehicle. *If you list your garaging address as something other than where you actually live, this could constitute fraud. An auto insurance company could cancel your policy or institute other penalties. They generally only do this if the change in information would lead to material changes (such as a different zip code).

There are situations in which someone may choose to have their car insured under another person. For example, if the person who owns the vehicle is not the primary driver of the car, adding a temporary driver to car insurance is an option. In most areas of the country, individuals can insure a vehicle that is not in their own name.

However, some select insurance companies that will refuse to issue a car insurance policy on a vehicle in someone else’s name without the consent of the owner.

The reason for this restriction is to reduce the risk of a vehicle being used in a way that is not in accordance with the terms of its coverage.

For example, a college student may be allowed to utilize the family car only if he or she insures it in their own name and pays the monthly premiums.

The policy will usually be purchased in the state that the car is registered in.

On the other hand, a college student may go to school a long way from home and not bother to get a new car insurance policy based on their new location. Doing this can possibly violate the terms of the policy.

How does an address change affect car insurance rates?

If you are moving, you may wonder, “Does my insurance address have to match my driver’s license or registration?” Yes, you shouldn’t have different addresses on your driving license and car insurance policy. If you do, your insurer may suspect you of lying about your address to get better rates. Although it’s acceptable for them to not match when you are moving, you should get them changed before the state’s local time limit is up.

To help you understand why addresses are so important to insurers, we partnered with Quadrant to show you how rates can change drastically at different addresses. (For more information, read our “Does where you live affect car insurance?“).

Most Expensive Cities for Car Insurance

Now, take a look at how rates may drop when you move to a less expensive city.

Least Expensive Cities for Car Insurance

Do I need to tell my insurer about address changes?

Can you use a different address for car insurance if you moved? It is imperative to keep your personal and contact information up to date any time change your residency, as you may need to make changes to your driver’s license, car insurance policy, or car registration.

Does your license and registration address have to match if it’s just a temporary move? If your move is temporary and you are not changing your residency, such as the case with many college students who have car insurance while living at two addresses:

• Check with the state and municipality you are temporarily living in.
• You may or may not be required to change your address on your driver’s license, especially if you are in your home state.
• Notify your car insurance company of the temporary change.
• If your vehicle belongs to someone else, you will not need to change the registration.
• If it does belong to you, you will need to check with your state about changing the registration.

If your move is permanent:

• In most states, you are required to get a new driver’s license within 30 days.
• If you have not moved out of state, you may simply be required to get a change of address card.
• If you have moved out of state, you will need to register your car in your new home state.
• You should notify your car insurance company of your permanent move.
• Your policy requirements and premiums may change, based on the laws and regulations in your new state.

“Can I register my car at a different address in my state?” Requirements and regulations vary between states and insurance companies, so the answer is always changing.

It is important to research the laws in your state and check with your own car insurance companies if you have any changes or questions.

Drivers Who Need to be on the Insurance Policy

Anyone who drives a particular vehicle on a regular basis should be insured on the policy for that vehicle, regardless of who owns it.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), any policyholder who has multiple people driving their vehicle on a regular basis should have them each listed on the policy, as their insurance won’t cover damages if an unlisted driver crashes the car.

However, there may be situations where an insurance company will make an exception to this rule.

For instance, if a business like an LLC or an S-corporation has multiple drivers, they can purchase an individual insurance policy and have their business drivers covered under the same policy.

It is important that drivers check the terms of their car insurance policy or speak with a customer service agent to see what applies to them when it comes to having individual drivers listed on the policy.

So, do registration and insurance have to match? In general, the address on your car insurance and car registration do not have to match unless you are purposely using a false address on car registration.

If you need to find a car insurance policy that will fit your budget, try an online shopping comparison tool to get the best car insurance rates. You can start comparing rates at your address now by entering your ZIP code below.