When purchasing car insurance, you might assume you can choose who is covered in the policy, but that isn’t always the case. One factor insurance companies evaluate when determining rates is household risk. Most companies assume that anyone living in your home, such as family members or roommates, has access to your vehicle. To account for the risk of additional drivers, you may be forced to add any member of your household of driving age to your policy. But what if you don’t want to? This is when a driver exclusion can come in handy. Bankrate explains the pros and cons of excluded drivers and additional options to remove drivers from your insurance policy.
Why would I exclude a driver from my policy?
Most (not all) insurance companies automatically extend coverage from your auto policy to permissive use drivers. Permissive use simply means that you have given someone permission to drive your vehicle, even though they are not a covered driver on the policy. This situation usually occurs when family is visiting from out of town or a friend needs to borrow your truck to pick up their latest Craigslist purchase.
It’s when the use and access of your vehicle is infrequent and expressed (verbal or written) permission is granted.
However, there is also implied use, where permission doesn’t need to be expressed but can be assumed based on prior behavior or living situation. An example of implied use is a roommate, significant other or family member who lives with you. And this is the type of risk insurance companies are concerned with.
Every licensed household member can grab your car keys and borrow your vehicle creates additional risk for the auto insurer, which is why insurers want to know who is licensed in the household.
The only household members who might not need to be listed on your policy are licensed drivers who don’t have access to your car, drivers insured on their own auto insurance policies and unlicensed household members. When quoting your auto insurance policy, insurance carriers will let you know who is required to be on your policy.
If you have a household member who is required to be listed on your policy, but you do not want to insure them, this is where carriers may have the option for you to exclude them. For example, if a household member has a recent history of moving violations or at-fault accidents, the insurance company may give you an option to include them at a higher premium or exclude them to protect your rates.
You also may not be able to insure them with your current carrier if they do not meet the carrier’s requirements. For example, a driver with a DUI on their driving record may not qualify for coverage through your insurer. Therefore, to retain your coverage, you may have to exclude them and require them to seek coverage elsewhere.
Why would a family member’s driving record impact my car insurance?
Insurance companies work under the assumption that anyone living in your household has access to your vehicle and can drive it at any time. This increases the risk of your auto insurer having to pay out a claim. And if one of your family members is an inexperienced or high-risk driver, their dangerous driving habits can affect how much you pay for car insurance due to that increased risk of a claim payout.
How do I exclude a driver from my auto insurance policy?
Each carrier has its own driver exclusion process, but it usually includes completing a named driver exclusion or operator exclusion form. Some carriers offering driver exclusion insurance where allowed are:
While named driver exclusions are available in most states, rules vary between states and carriers. Some states do not allow drivers to exclude a spouse from coverage and a handful of states do not allow for excluded drivers at all. If you want to remove a driver from your car insurance, here are the steps to take.
Determine eligibility for exclusion
Regardless of the reason for excluding a driver, you have to check with your insurance company or agent first. You will be asked why you want to exclude the driver and the company will determine if it’s possible. There are a few instances where an insurance company might grant a driver exclusion, such as:
- Disabled household members
- High-risk drivers
- Elderly relatives who can no longer drive
Exclude the driver
If the insurance company approves the exclusion, you will have to sign a driver exclusion form. You may also have to provide supporting documents, like proof of other insurance or state-issued ID. Depending on the carrier, it may be signed electronically or completed through the mail.
What happens if an excluded driver has an accident?
Once a driver is excluded, you will receive an updated car insurance policy. Review it to make sure the correct driver is excluded. Understand that this driver is not covered to drive in any scenario — even if you permit them to drive or it’s an emergency. Going forward, the only way they can be covered to drive your vehicle is to add them back to the policy as an active driver.
Policyholders who allow excluded drivers to use their vehicles risk paying out-of-pocket for any accident the driver may cause and having their policy canceled for breaking the driver exclusion agreement.
Can my car insurance company require me to exclude a driver?
Your insurance company cannot require you to exclude a driver, but it can create a situation where it’s the only option. The company could charge extremely high insurance premiums or even cancel your insurance policy if they deem the driver in question too risky to insure. If your policy is canceled, you could have trouble finding new insurance at an affordable rate.
Some insurance companies only cover drivers listed as active on the insurance policy and do not offer permissive use coverage. In this situation, carriers usually require the information of all licensed drivers in your household, but covered drivers are listed as active, and drivers without coverage have an excluded designation assigned to their name.
Excluding vs. removing a driver on a car insurance policy
As your household changes, so may your insurance needs. Most of the time, removing a driver from your policy is a simple process and a driver exclusion isn’t needed. Depending on your carrier, once you remove a driver from your policy, they may still be covered to drive your vehicle occasionally. You probably don’t need a driver exclusion when the driver:
- Has a clean driving record and is over the age of 24
- Has proof of other insurance
- Has proof they moved to a different state
- Has proof they surrendered their driver’s license
However, you may want to inquire about a driver exclusion for the following common situations:
- An inexperienced driver in the household doesn’t drive your vehicle but has a valid license
- A high-risk driver moves out of your home, but you don’t have sufficient proof of other insurance
- A high-risk driver moves out of your home, but the insurance carrier deems their new location still gives them access to your vehicle
- Your spouse has a valid license for identification purposes but doesn’t drive
- An elderly household member no longer drives but doesn’t want to surrender their license
Frequently asked questions
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No, a listed or active driver does not have to live at the same address to be listed on your auto insurance. If your friend or relative at a different address regularly drives your vehicle, it could make sense to name them as an operator on your car insurance policy so they are properly covered if they get into an accident. However, your insurance carrier could potentially cancel your policy if they think the driver keeps your vehicle at their address instead of yours, which is a common rate evasion scheme.
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If you give an uninsured driver — meaning someone who doesn’t have a car insurance policy of their own — permission to drive your insured vehicle, they should be covered under your auto insurance policy if they get into an accident, unless you have them listed as excluded on your policy. However, you should always check with your insurance company or agent or read your policy before you let someone drive your car to make sure they are covered.
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Adding a driver can increase your insurance premiums, but not always. The likelihood and amount of higher rates will depend on the driver’s experience behind the wheel, their driving record and how many cars you have on your policy. For example, if you only have one car, the new driver may be listed as an “occasional operator” since you are the primary driver. If the new driver has a clean driving record, your rate might not increase at all or only slightly. However, if the new driver is the primary driver of a vehicle or has driving activity, your rate will probably increase.
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