A 24-year-old in my house will soon get a learner’s permit. I will occasionally take her out and teach her how to drive my car, but she won’t be driving much otherwise. Do I need to add her to my insurance policy?
You should add drivers with a permit to the household so they are covered when driving. There’s no added cost when they have just a permit. The premium only goes up when they get their license. If you have an umbrella policy, that’s a different story.
- I work for USAA
@Pax
Actually, I do have an umbrella. I’ll call when we get the permit.
@Pax
What does an umbrella policy have to do with a permit driver?
Jess said:
@Pax
What does an umbrella policy have to do with a permit driver?
An umbrella policy is affected by any driver in the household, whether they have a permit or a license. But with just a permit, your auto insurance premium doesn’t change.
@Pax
Thanks. Looks like I need to call in my permit driver’s info.
Join the crowd, my son is 29 and still only has a permit, no license yet.
Dale said:
Join the crowd, my son is 29 and still only has a permit, no license yet.
I managed to get my kids to go through it in high school. The deciding factor was pointing out that even if they didn’t want to drive, they should get their license while they’re young because it’s easier, and it’s needed for ID everywhere.
It depends on the state. In Virginia, you don’t have to add a driver with a learner’s permit. They’re considered a driver under instruction while they have a permit.
Yes, you need to add them to the policy to make sure they’re covered. Good news though, they won’t charge you for it.
Dale said:
Yes, you need to add them to the policy to make sure they’re covered. Good news though, they won’t charge you for it.
Thanks. That’s the kind of answer I was hoping for. Glad I don’t have to pay the full price for a 24-year-old driver.
@Clovis
When you add them as a fully licensed driver, be ready for a big jump in rates. Just a heads up…
Phoenix said:
@Clovis
When you add them as a fully licensed driver, be ready for a big jump in rates. Just a heads up…
I’ve heard that rates tend to go down when someone turns 25. I really hope that’s true.
When I took my kids out to start their practice, we had the first session in a parking lot. I drove to a big empty lot, had them get behind the wheel and figure out all the controls. Then we did some basic driving exercises, like understanding the difference between hard and soft braking, using a light touch on the accelerator, and making turns. I chose a big parking lot so we wouldn’t have to worry about other traffic. At one point, I had them put the car in park and set the brake while I stood in different spots so they could practice using their mirrors. Once I felt we’d practiced enough, I drove home but kept talking about what we just learned.
That second driving lesson was much easier after that.
You need to notify them that you have a new driver. They won’t charge you extra for having a permit. They’ll check the DMV records regularly to see when the permit changes to a license, and they’ll automatically add the driver once that happens.
Yes, since they live with you, you need to add them. If the insurer finds out you let your kid drive without being on the policy, they might drop you and deny any claims from when they got the permit. They could even retroactively deny claims. This isn’t just USAA, most insurers would do the same.
The good news is that USAA doesn’t raise rates for someone with just a permit. The rates stay the same until they get their license.