Do I need a license to keep insurance if I’m not driving? Will USAA still cover me?

I have the chance to get USAA for car insurance because my parent served in the military. I know I need a valid license or permit to keep the insurance, but I’m in a unique situation…

I’m disabled and have trouble driving. I have a permit, but I haven’t been able to get my license yet. My partner usually drives me. We can’t get married because I’d lose my SSI. Both of our names are on the car title, but I’m the primary owner.

Does USAA require me to keep my permit? Are there exceptions for people like me who can’t drive due to disability and rely on their partner? If not, that’s okay, but USAA probably offers the cheapest rates we can get without leaving out things like uninsured motorist coverage. We’ve been in accidents before and had close calls. There are too many accidents in our area in California, so we need a good option. Thanks for reading! I hope this makes sense.

Hmm, I’m not entirely sure what you’re asking, but I’ll try my best:

  1. If you’re asking about keeping USAA membership, I believe once you’ve been listed on a policy for at least one day, you’re permanently eligible to be a member. There might be some exceptions, but that’s what I was told when I joined.

  2. Your situation is a bit tricky, and you should reach out to USAA for clarification. You mentioned both your names are on the car title. That means you both have legal responsibility to make sure the car is insured and anyone who regularly drives it should be listed on the policy. Does your partner have insurance somewhere else? If not, you need to list them on the policy because most insurance policies require anyone who drives the car regularly to be listed. If you didn’t, it could get complicated if there’s an accident. Usually, anyone with a learner’s permit or a full license in the household needs to be listed.

  3. As for keeping a permit, if you don’t plan on driving, you could let it expire and you might not need to be listed on the insurance policy. As long as your partner is listed as the driver, you should still be covered by USAA. I got added to my spouse’s policy before we were married, for example, and it worked fine. There could be state-specific rules, though, so definitely check with USAA.

I don’t think you need to mention your disability when you ask USAA about this. Just ask them what would happen if you stopped trying to get your full license. You might want to do that after your partner is added to the policy, though, so they don’t cancel it if they think no one is listed as the driver.

@Cameron
Ok cool, I’ll try that. My partner is on the policy, but I’m not sure if we need to be married for him to be on USAA since I’m the one with the membership. I’m the policy owner because my parent has USAA, not him. So I’m really just wondering if I can stop trying to get my license (or not feel pressured) and still keep my insurance. Some insurances, like USAA, need the policy holder to have a license or permit. My partner would be on my policy, but we only have USAA because of me. So I’m hoping as long as my partner is licensed, I can still have insurance. I’d be a non-driver but still the car’s owner. I’ll just hope they don’t deny me when I call. Wish me luck!

@Mars
Yeah, that’s a pretty specific situation. USAA is the only one who can give you a solid answer. When I looked into whether my kids could be members (because I’m married to a service member’s child), they said it’s guaranteed as long as they’re listed on a USAA policy for at least one day. I think it’s the same for spouses, but I’m not sure about non-spouse partners.

@Mars
I used to work at USAA (left a couple of weeks ago). You don’t need a license to get insurance with them; you just need to be eligible, which you are through your parent. They’ll list you as a non-driver and mark your license as a ‘permit.’ Your partner is fine to be added, as long as they don’t have insurance with someone else. If you both live together, they’ll be listed as a ‘cohabitant’ and added as a regular driver. If your partner doesn’t live with you, it could get complicated. But generally, the registration must be in your name or both of your names.

TLDR: You’re good to have the policy without a license, and your partner should be fine to be listed as a driver if you both live together.

@Chan
This is exactly the info I was looking for! We live together, so that should help. I was worried we’d have to be married or something :sweat_smile:

I had a girlfriend I added to my policy, and there were no issues. Your situation is a bit different, but I covered her car under her name as well. So I don’t think you’d have any trouble. This was a few years ago, though, so make sure to call them and confirm.

Just a heads up, I had to leave USAA because it became too expensive for the coverage and service. Be sure to check your rates every year.

USAA can add a cohabitant to your policy. If you say you’re dating and living together, your partner can be added and you can be listed as a non-driver due to your medical reasons. The DMV may know about your medical issues, but the best thing to do is call USAA and ask a representative.

@Riley
Awesome! My worry was that when I call, my rate will go up because of the medical issues, like I’d be seen as a risky driver. My quote is already pretty high, so I hope it goes well. I feel better about asking now, thanks! I couldn’t find anything online that really matched my situation.

Also, as long as your parent served and signed up for USAA, you have the opportunity to get it too.