Tracey L. Wells

Licensed Insurance Agent & Agency Owner

Tracey L. Wells is a licensed insurance agent and Farmers insurance agency owner with 23 years of experience. He is proud to be a local Farmers agent serving Grayson, Georgia and surrounding areas. With experience as both an underwriter and agent, he provides his customers with insight that others agents may not have. His agency offers all lines of insurance including home, life, auto, RV, busi...

Licensed Insurance Agent & Agency Owner

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

UPDATED: Jun 27, 2023

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UPDATED: Jun 27, 2023Fact Checked

Learning to drive is a major stepping stone in life, opening one of the first gateways to adulthood. Most drivers begin driving between 15 and 16, and must go through a transitional period with a learner’s permit before obtaining a full driver’s license. Laws vary from one state to the next, but generally new drivers will need to abide by certain restrictions on their license until they turn a certain age. For example, drivers with a learner’s permit may not be able to drive after dark or drive without an adult in the car with them.

Car Insurance for Young Drivers

Auto insurance pays for damage to a vehicle; it also covers any damage caused by that vehicle as a result of an accident. Because coverage follows the vehicle, not the driver, the vehicle’s owner should be the person who purchases the auto insurance policy. Any claims would be paid to the name listed on the title of the car; this name should match the policyholder’s name on the insurance.

This means that unless you are the owner of your vehicle, you do not need to buy auto insurance. Most people co-own vehicles with their parents until they leave the house, and some individuals continue to stay on their parent’s policy well into their college years. Usually, parents will just add a vehicle to the existing auto policy or take out a separate policy for the vehicle the child usually drives.

It is important, however, to add any young drivers to the auto policy regardless of whether they own their own vehicle. While auto insurance coverage will usually transfer to anyone in the home, the claims process becomes much easier whenever a driver is already listed on the policy. Your insurance company will also need to know for underwriting purposes who is driving the vehicle; the identity and age of all the drivers in the household will affect your rates, and if you are found to have people repeatedly driving your vehicles without being listed on the policy your insurance company may drop you from coverage.

Special Considerations for Young Drivers

If your child is listed on your insurance policy, he or she will be covered under any first-party medical coverage you carry. This medical coverage will apply to any vehicle-related injury, whether or not the child was driving and regardless of what vehicle is involved. For example, if you carry personal injury protection on your policy and your child is hit as a pedestrian, those injuries would be covered under your insurance. This policy extends to any resident relative in your home.

Whenever you add a young driver to your insurance, you can expect your rates to increase. You can counteract this rate increase slightly by taking out a separate policy for your child’s vehicle and listing him on that policy, then excluding him from the policy holding all of the other vehicles in the home. Bear in mind that if you do this, you cannot allow your child to drive any other vehicle in the home; an accident caused by an excluded driver will be rejected and you will have to pay the damage out of pocket.

Your child may be qualify for discounted car insurance rates by taking additional driver’s education courses or by maintaining good grades. Most car insurance companies offer student discounts to high school and college students; be sure to ask your agent or customer service representative if you can enroll your teenager in that type of program.

Also bear in mind that regardless of your child being listed on the insurance policy, he or she will not be able to file a claim if he or she is under 18 years old. Minors cannot make any changes to an auto policy, discuss coverage, make inspection appointments or handle any other aspects of a claim. This means that if your child is involved in an accident that you will need to handle the claim for him.

Adding your child to your car insurance policy early on will help him to obtain his own policy more easily in the future. Individuals with a long history of car insurance will qualify for lower rates and better policies when they obtain their own policy.

Case Studies: Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit

Case Study 1: Jane’s Experience

Jane, a 16-year-old high school student, recently obtained her learner’s permit. Her parents owned a car and had an existing car insurance policy. They decided to add Jane as a listed driver on their policy to ensure she was covered while driving their vehicle. This decision provided Jane with the necessary insurance coverage and peace of mind during her learning period.

Case Study 2: Mark’s Separate Policy

Mark, an 18-year-old college student, had his own car and learner’s permit. His parents already had their own car insurance policy, but Mark wanted to establish his own insurance history. He decided to take out a separate car insurance policy for his vehicle and included himself as the primary driver. By doing so, he built his insurance record early on, which would help him secure better rates and policies in the future.

Case Study 3: Sarah’s Parental Coverage

Sarah, a 17-year-old high school student, often borrowed her parents’ car to practice driving. Her parents added her as a listed driver on their car insurance policy to ensure she was covered under their coverage. This decision provided Sarah with protection in case of any accidents or damage caused while she was driving their vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need car insurance with a learner’s permit?

Yes, you do. If you are driving a car with a learner’s permit, you are required to be covered under a car insurance policy.

Whose car insurance policy covers a driver with a learner’s permit?

If you are driving someone else’s car with their permission, their insurance policy will cover you. If you have your own car, you will need to have your own car insurance policy.

Will adding a young driver to my car insurance policy increase my rates?

Yes, it usually will. However, you can counteract this rate increase slightly by taking out a separate policy for your child’s vehicle and listing him on that policy, then excluding him from the policy holding all of the other vehicles in the home.

Can a minor file a car insurance claim?

No, minors cannot make any changes to an auto policy, discuss coverage, make inspection appointments, or handle any other aspects of a claim. This means that if your child is involved in an accident, you will need to handle the claim for him.

Can a young driver qualify for discounted car insurance rates?

Yes, young drivers may qualify for discounted car insurance rates by taking additional driver’s education courses or by maintaining good grades.

Will adding a young driver to my car insurance policy help him obtain his own policy more easily in the future?

Yes, adding your child to your car insurance policy early on will help him obtain his own policy more easily in the future. Individuals with a long history of car insurance will qualify for lower rates and better policies when they obtain their own policy.

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Tracey L. Wells

Licensed Insurance Agent & Agency Owner

Tracey L. Wells is a licensed insurance agent and Farmers insurance agency owner with 23 years of experience. He is proud to be a local Farmers agent serving Grayson, Georgia and surrounding areas. With experience as both an underwriter and agent, he provides his customers with insight that others agents may not have. His agency offers all lines of insurance including home, life, auto, RV, busi...

Licensed Insurance Agent & Agency Owner

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 car insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything car insurance-related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by car insurance experts.