Can I Put my Car Insurance under my Dad’s Name?

Deciding to get your car insurance listed under your dad’s name is not a new practice. Many children choose to list their coverage with an older, more experienced relative.

However, every insurance provider will have a different set of rules that go hand-in-hand with multiple vehicle policies. Some may not work for what you need. Young teens and college students can almost always be on their parents’ policies. Some policies may require you live in the same household. As an adult, it could be a bit harder.

Before you join your dad’s auto insurance policy, it’s crucial that you consider different factors, including:

• Your household situation
• Who is responsible for the bill
• Both of your previous insurance histories and driving records

Compare car insurance quotes today and see how much you could save!

How Does Your Age and Living Situation Affect Insurance?

One big factor that you should review before joining your dad’s policy is your age and where you’re living. Insurance providers will often look at this as well. So reviewing it up front will help to alleviate any surprises.

When looking at the household, your insurance carrier is likely to consider anyone of a legal driving age that carries a license to be an additional driver. What this means is that the insurance policy may require you to be listed on your dad’s other vehicle policies while also having additional drivers listed under your car.

For example, if you live in your home with your dad, your mom, and your 14-year-old brother, then your insurance provider may see three potential drivers of any vehicle in the household.

This means that you may be listed on their vehicles while they may end up listed on your vehicle as well. When insurance providers add additional drivers to a car, they may also increase the policy premium amount to compensate for the added risk exposure. You may not save as much money as you had originally expected.

Another factor to consider is your age since younger drivers are often viewed as inexperienced and prone to accidents.

Many insurance companies look at statistics when trying to determine the most accurate policy terms and auto insurance premiums amounts, which means that the younger, less experienced drivers often get higher premium rates than their more experienced parents or guardians.

When you put your car insurance under your dad’s name, his provider may raise the premium rates to compensate for the additional risk you introduce. All this is dependent on whether you live in the same house. You also have to decide if you’re going to be a second named insured. In other words, can you make changes to the policy if you want to?

Does Your Insurance History And Your Driving Record Play A Role?

One of the biggest factors that any insurance carrier will take into account is the driving record and insurance history of any potential driver. One reason an adult may want to get insurance under a parent’s name is if their license has been suspended. Getting your dad on as the primary could make it easier to get in the door, or it may not.

Insurance companies look at the individual records of different drivers in the house for legal reasons and to determine the right rate. It’s not a fair price if you get a lower rate than someone else exactly like you because you’re on your dad’s policy. Even though your dad may be a desirable insured, if you have anything too serious like an SR-22 requirement, they may still reject your family.

This means that you may be subject to review before you are provided coverage if your history includes any of the following:

• Previous claims
• Accidents
• Traffic citations or moving violations

If you have a poor driving record, for instance, insurance providers may be reluctant to provide you with coverage.

If you have a lackluster insurance history or a lapse in coverage, having a policy under your dad’s name could be an easier solution. If your dad has his own policy, you may want to compare rates for his policy and what it would cost to add him to yours. If they do decide to add you, they may charge you higher premiums to prepare for the added risk you introduce.

When two people are listed on the same policy, such as you and your dad, his insurance history and driving record are looked at in conjunction with yours. In other words, if your insurance was cancelled or you let it lapse, this will still factor into their decision. If your dad is the primary party responsible for payment, lapsing due to payment may not be as important to major institutions.

This means that his insurance carrier could consider him a moderate risk on his own, but when you are added to the picture that risk could become too large for them to accept. If they do choose to provide coverage, they may provide it with a substantial premium increase.

Remember that some coverage options are a privilege, not a right or a state requirement. What this means is that your provider may decide to remove coverage options, such as collision, comprehensive, or glass coverage, if there are too many claims filed.

This is one way they can reduce the risk they are exposed to without having to cancel the policy.

Be sure to have an open, candid discussion with your dad about your history before attempting to join his policy. Ask him about his past and anything that could negatively affect you as well.

If his current provider does not seem like a good fit, you may want to consider other providers to meet your needs.

Paying The Premium And Managing The Policy

Determining who is responsible for paying the policy premiums and maintaining the policy is something that should be taken into consideration.

Although this may not directly affect your ability to join his policy, this can be an important discussion that you two should have about how to make this new policy merger work for the both of you.

In many cases, insurance providers assign one or two individuals as the named insured, which is the primary policyholder. This named insured often received policy correspondence, billing notices, and other pertinent information.

This means that you will want to find out if your dad is listing you as a named insured and what your responsibilities are regarding your portion of the policy coverage.

If you are responsible for paying part or all of the premium, making sure you receive billing notices on time is important.

Conclusion

Deciding to put your car insurance coverage under your dad’s name is a decision you can make, but make sure you are informed and well prepared before proceeding.

Due to the factors that can influence your policy coverage, it’s important that you know what you need from an insurance policy, how much you’re willing to spend, and who is responsible for maintaining it.

If the current provider is unable or unwilling to meet your needs, you may want to consider looking at coverage through another provider.

Each carrier works a little differently and offers different premium costs based on your coverage options, so be sure to get multiple quotes before making a final decision. Start here by comparing several insurers at once!