Can you get auto insurance without a license?
Obtaining auto insurance without a license can be done in a few different ways. For one, you can list a different member of your household as the primary driver and list yourself as an excluded driver (this means you're not covered if you drive the car) on your policy. Alternatively, you can purchase comprehensive coverage for a vehicle you keep in storage. Consider purchasing joint ownership auto insurance if you don't have a license currently but plan to obtain one within the year.
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Jeffrey Manola
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Jeffrey Manola is an experienced insurance agent who founded TopQuoteLifeInsurance.com and NoMedicalExamQuotes.com. His mission when creating these sites was to provide online consumers searching for insurance with the most affordable rates available. Not only does he strive to provide consumers with the best prices for insurance coverage, but he also wants those on the market for insurance to ...
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UPDATED: May 11, 2023
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Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We partner with top insurance providers. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: May 11, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We partner with top insurance providers. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
On This Page
- Car insurance can be purchased without a license as long as the unlicensed insurance buyer is listed as an excluded driver
- You can purchase car insurance without a license by either buying comprehensive coverage for a car in storage or by listing a licensed driver as the primary driver on a policy where you are excluded from driving the insured car
- Joint ownership car insurance may be helpful when one member of a household is licensed and another is unlicensed but plans to obtain a driver’s license in the near future
Nearly every state requires licensed drivers to have a minimum amount of insurance coverage before they can drive on public roads. But are there cases where it makes sense to buy auto insurance without a license? And is doing so even possible in the first place? The answer to both of these questions is yes.
Whether you’re looking to insure a vehicle that a relative drives or you want to find reliable coverage for a collector’s car you keep in storage, purchasing auto insurance doesn’t require a driver’s license. While there are a few different options available for buying auto insurance without a driver’s license, keep in mind that any damage to your vehicle won’t be covered if an unlicensed driver is behind the wheel in the event of an accident.
With this guide, we’ll go over the car insurance options available for people without a driver’s license so you can find cheap auto insurance that doesn’t require a license to purchase. We’ll also help you understand which option is right for you based on what type of car you want to insure and how often it’s driven.
After you’ve taken a look at the options available for getting insurance without a license, enter your ZIP code in our free online quote tool to compare rates and find cheap auto insurance that’s right for you.
How can you get auto insurance without a license?
Purchasing auto insurance without a license is fairly straightforward in many cases. Depending on your situation, one of these two approaches should work for you:
- Purchase a policy where you’re listed as an excluded driver and the primary driver is a licensed driver who will drive the car you’re insuring
- Purchase comprehensive auto insurance for your car in storage
That said, keep in mind that auto insurance companies aren’t all equally equipped to handle your coverage needs. For example, if you’re looking for insurance for a collector vehicle that you keep in storage, you’re probably better off speaking with an auto insurance company for classic cars instead of one of the major auto insurers like Geico or Progressive.
What is an excluded driver?
Even if you don’t have a license, most insurance companies should have no problem providing insurance to you as long as it’s written into the policy that coverage won’t apply if you’re driving the car when an accident occurs. For this reason, many auto insurance companies require members of a household who won’t be driving a particular car to be listed as “excluded” on the policy for that vehicle.
An excluded driver is simply a driver that you and your insurance company agree won’t be covered by your insurance policy. For example, if you purchase collision insurance for your car and list yourself as an excluded driver, your auto insurance company won’t have to cover repairs to (or replacement of) your vehicle if you accidentally crash into someone’s property.
Basically, if you want to purchase auto insurance without a license, you’ll have to list yourself as an excluded driver. For this reason, buying auto insurance if you don’t have a driver’s license only really makes sense if you either have car in storage you want to protect or have someone else in your household who will be driving the insured vehicle. In the latter case, you’ll list this other driver (or multiple drivers) in your household as “insured” or “rated,” meaning that if they’re driving the car, it’s covered.
What is joint ownership auto insurance?
If you’re buying car insurance without a driver’s license now but plan to get a license in the future, you may want to be prepared to switch to a joint ownership car insurance plan depending on who in your household drives your insured car. Whether you share a single car or have multiple vehicles, a joint ownership insurance policy can help you and other members of your household save on car insurance.
Joint ownership works by listing more than one person as an insured driver for a single vehicle (or group of vehicles). In other words, multiple drivers can share a car. There are a few ways this can work:
- An insured car is titled with the names of both owners (50/50 ownership on paper)
- An insured car is titled to a single owner with the other person receiving driving privileges
- Drivers with a marital relationship share ownership
As a general rule, how ownership is listed on the auto insurance policy should reflect the actual ownership of the vehicle — whoever bought the car should be listed as the owner. If you first bought car insurance before you had a driver’s license and have been letting someone else in your household drive your car, switching to joint ownership may be as easy as giving the car owner listed on your policy driving privileges.
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Can you buy insurance for a car in storage?
Yes, whether your car is temporarily being stored while you wait for your driver’s license or it’s a classic car that you want to keep in perfect condition, auto insurance coverage is readily available. In most cases, you’ll want to purchase a comprehensive insurance policy.
Comprehensive coverage pays for repair or replacement in the event your car is stolen, vandalized, damaged by a falling object, or even scratched by a wild animal. Basically, any damage from a source other than a collision on the road is covered by comprehensive insurance.
Which https://www.autoinsurance.org/category/auto-insurance-company-reviews/ you should purchase parked car insurance from depends on your vehicle, location, and coverage needs, but you should be able to choose any major auto insurance company in your region unless you want to insure a classic or collector car.
How can you get auto insurance with a suspended license?
If you’re a driver with a suspended license, you have a few more options for purchasing auto insurance than a driver without a license. However, buying auto insurance with a suspended license is almost always more expensive than purchasing insurance with an unrestricted license or no license at all.
Depending in part on the reason for your suspension, many insurance companies will refuse to grant you a policy (or extend your existing one). If you’re unable to find standard auto insurance, you may need to purchase costly, high-risk auto insurance. If you need high-risk insurance, you’ll probably need to file an SR-22 with your state as well.
According to Daryl Graves Law, an SR-22 is a certificate which your insurance company can issue to show that you have met your state’s minimum insurance requirements. A driver is only required to file an SR-22 if they’re ordered to by a court, as is commonly the case with suspended drivers. In some cases, a driver will have their license reinstated after filing an SR-22.
Alternatively, you may be able to save on auto insurance as a driver with a suspended license by taking one of the approaches drivers without a license use to get insurance. You can purchase comprehensive auto insurance for a vehicle that will be kept in storage, or you can ask to be listed as an excluded driver and make a driver without a suspended license the primary driver on your policy.
What to Remember About Getting Insurance Without a License
- You don’t need a license to buy car insurance as long as you list yourself as an excluded driver on your auto insurance policy.
- If you don’t currently have a license, you can buy comprehensive coverage for your car in storage, list a different person (with a license) as the primary driver on your policy, or purchase joint ownership insurance if you plan to obtain a license in the near future.
- Some drivers with a suspended license can either obtain high-risk insurance or take one of the approaches described above commonly used by people without a license who still want insurance.
Are you looking for cheap auto insurance without a license? Try our free online quote tool to compare rates from different insurance companies and find a plan that’s right for you.
Enter your ZIP code below to compare auto insurance rates.
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Jeffrey Manola
Licensed Insurance Agent
Jeffrey Manola is an experienced insurance agent who founded TopQuoteLifeInsurance.com and NoMedicalExamQuotes.com. His mission when creating these sites was to provide online consumers searching for insurance with the most affordable rates available. Not only does he strive to provide consumers with the best prices for insurance coverage, but he also wants those on the market for insurance to ...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.