Can I add relatives to my car insurance policy?
You can add family members to your car insurance policy. Any relative has to be added to your insurance if they're driving a vehicle that's on your policy.
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Michael Vereecke
Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist
Michael Vereecke is the president of Customers First Insurance Group. He has been a licensed insurance agent for over 13 years. He also carries a Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) Designation, providing him the expertise to spot holes in businesses’ coverage. Since 2009, he has worked with many insurance providers, giving him unique insight into the insurance market, differences in ...
Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist
UPDATED: Jul 31, 2024
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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: Jul 31, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Adding relatives to your auto insurance policy is a relatively easy process
- Know the definition of a household member as it relates to insurance purposes
- Make sure you are aware of who actually needs to be added to your insurance policy
- Research your state’s requirements for all drivers before adding any relatives to your policy
What defines someone as a household member?
For insurance purposes, household members include all family members of driving age who are residents at the policy’s address. A person who is not a relative and who is of driving age may also be required to be listed on your policy depending, again, on the state in which you live.
If you do not disclose this information, then you might be in breach of the contract and therefore your claims might not be paid out!
Worst case scenario: the cousin who has a history of DUIs and lives with you takes the car out for a spin and rams it into a tree. If you didn’t list that cousin on your insurance form, the insurance company would have a reason not to pay your claim.
Even worse, the insurance company could force you to sue your own cousin for vehicular theft.
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Do you have to add relatives to your car insurance policy?
The truth of the matter is that any relative, or any other driver in your household, has to be added to your auto insurance policy if they plan on driving the insured vehicle.
There really isn’t a choice in the matter unless you live in those two states (New Hampshire and Wisconsin) that don’t require mandatory liability car insurance.
New Hampshire does not require you to buy a minimum liability policy. Wisconsin also doesn’t require mandatory auto insurance, but you do have to have proof of $60,000 in reserve.
If you don’t reveal everyone within your household, you might be committing insurance fraud.
Read more: Can car insurance companies require information about the people who live with you?
For instance, in order to properly assess your rates, the insurance industry has to know if someone with three DUIs in the last three months is living within your household.
As a general rule, the car insurance company will want to know everyone who lives in your household in order that they may determine risk.
How this works, in theory, is that the more people you have on your policy, the more likely you’ll run into a factor that could raise the cost of the policy.
If you have many drivers or a high-risk driver in your home, then it might be wise to seek out something called an “exclusion” for that one relative. But that one relative would have to have his or her own car and own insurance.
As usual, these rules may vary from state to state. Be certain to check.
Case Studies: Adding Relatives to Your Car Insurance Policy
Case Study 1: Mandatory Inclusion of Relatives
John wants to add his sister, Sarah, to his car insurance policy since she occasionally drives his insured vehicle. He learns that any relative who plans on driving the insured vehicle must be added to the policy. Failure to disclose all household members can lead to potential issues, including insurance fraud.
John understands the importance of providing accurate information to his insurance company and promptly adds Sarah to his policy to ensure proper coverage.
Case Study 2: Excluding High-Risk Relatives
Mary has a cousin, Alex, who has multiple DUIs and lives with her. She is concerned about the impact on her car insurance rates if she adds Alex to her policy. After researching her state’s regulations, Mary discovers that she may be able to exclude a high-risk relative from her coverage.
However, this would require Alex to have his own car and insurance. Mary considers this option as a way to mitigate the potential rate increase.
Case Study 3: Breach of Contract and Denial of Claims
Robert fails to disclose his cousin, Mike, who has a history of driving violations, on his car insurance policy. Unfortunately, Mike gets into an accident while driving Robert’s insured vehicle. When Robert files a claim, the insurance company discovers that he omitted information about a household member with a history of driving violations.
This breach of contract gives the insurance company grounds to deny the claim, leaving Robert responsible for the damages. He realizes the importance of providing complete and accurate information to avoid such consequences.
What happens when you add a driver to your insurance?
There are many factors that determine whether you should add relatives to your policy. These are generally the same factors that affect auto insurance costs generally.
- One factor is the age of drivers who are under 25 years old.
- Another factor is if a relative has had tickets or moving violations within the last few years.
Minor misdemeanors, such as parking offenses, do not make a huge difference. However, serious violations, like multiple DUIs, would very likely increase your rate because you would be adding someone who is in a high-risk category.
If you have a relative in a high-risk category, then you might want to consider excluding this relative from your coverage.
However, excluding a driver is not as easy as it sounds and may require that the person in the household being excluded has his own insurance and car.
For example, in Pennsylvania, you can exclude a family member but that person has to prove that she or he has insurance with another company or is a part of the Commonwealth’s Assigned Risk Plan.
Again, your state may have differing requirements.
Read More:
- Does car insurance cover excluded drivers?
- Does car insurance cover all the drivers in a single home?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add relatives to my car insurance policy?
Yes, you can add family members to your car insurance policy. If they are driving a vehicle that is on your policy, they need to be added as insured drivers.
Do you have to add relatives to your car insurance policy?
Yes, any relative or driver in your household who plans on driving the insured vehicle must be added to your auto insurance policy. There are only two states, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, that do not require mandatory liability car insurance.
What defines someone as a household member?
For insurance purposes, household members include all family members of driving age who are residents at the policy’s address. Depending on the state you live in, a person who is not a relative and who is of driving age may also be required to be listed on your policy.
What happens when you add a driver to your insurance?
Adding a driver to your insurance can affect your rates based on various factors. Minor misdemeanors like parking offenses may not have a significant impact, but serious violations such as multiple DUIs can increase your rate due to the high-risk category of the added driver. It’s important to consider excluding high-risk relatives from your coverage, but this may require them to have their own insurance and car.
What happens if I don’t disclose all household members on my car insurance policy?
Failing to disclose all household members on your car insurance policy can lead to potential issues, including insurance fraud. Insurance companies need to know all individuals living in your household to accurately assess risk and determine appropriate rates. If you omit information about a household member with a history of driving violations or accidents, it could result in a breach of contract, denial of claims, or even legal consequences. It is essential to provide complete and accurate information when adding relatives or other drivers to your car insurance policy.
Can I add my brother to my car insurance?
Yes, you can add your brother to your car insurance policy if he lives with you or frequently drives your car. Insurance companies typically allow for adding immediate family members who share the same residence.
Can I add my brother’s car to my insurance?
Yes, you can add your brother’s car to your insurance policy if you both live in the same household and both vehicles are registered at the same address.
Can I add my sister to my car insurance?
Yes, you can add your sister to your car insurance policy if she lives with you or frequently drives your car. Insurance companies generally allow for adding family members who reside at the same address.
Can I add a family member to my car insurance?
Yes, you can add a family member to your car insurance policy if they live with you or regularly use your vehicle. Most insurance companies allow this to ensure coverage in case of an accident.
Can a family member insure my car?
Yes, a family member can insure your car if they have an insurable interest in the vehicle, meaning they have a legitimate reason to insure it, such as regularly using it or helping to pay for it.
Can a grandparent put a grandchild on their car insurance?
Yes, a grandparent can typically add a grandchild to their car insurance policy if the grandchild lives with them or uses their vehicle regularly.
Can an insurance company automatically add someone to your policy?
Insurance companies can add someone to your policy if that person is a known driver in your household. This is often done to ensure that all regular drivers are covered. However, you should always be notified before any changes are made.
Can I add a car to my insurance online?
Yes, many insurance companies allow you to add a car to your insurance policy online through their customer portal or mobile app.
Can I add a car to my insurance policy?
Yes, you can add a car to your insurance policy by contacting your insurance company and providing the necessary details about the vehicle.
Can I add a driver to my car insurance?
Yes, you can add a driver to your car insurance policy by contacting your insurance company and providing the required information about the new driver.
Can I add a second car to my insurance policy?
Yes, you can add a second car to your insurance policy. Most insurers offer multi-car discounts if you insure more than one vehicle on the same policy.
Can I add a vehicle to my AAA insurance online?
Yes, you can add a vehicle to your AAA insurance policy online by logging into your account on the AAA website or using their mobile app.
Can I add my boyfriend to my car insurance?
Yes, you can add your boyfriend to your car insurance policy if he lives with you or regularly drives your car. Insurance companies often require that all regular drivers of a vehicle be listed on the policy.
Do all household members need to be on car insurance?
Yes, most insurance companies require that all licensed drivers in your household be listed on your car insurance policy. This ensures that all potential drivers are covered in case of an accident.
How to add a car to insurance?
To add a car to your insurance, contact your insurance provider and provide the vehicle details, such as the make, model, year, and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You can usually do this online, over the phone, or through an insurance agent.
How to add a person to car insurance?
To add a person to your car insurance, contact your insurance provider and provide the individual’s details, including their name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and driving history. This can typically be done online, over the phone, or through an insurance agent.
Free Car Insurance Comparison
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap car insurance rates.
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Michael Vereecke
Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist
Michael Vereecke is the president of Customers First Insurance Group. He has been a licensed insurance agent for over 13 years. He also carries a Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) Designation, providing him the expertise to spot holes in businesses’ coverage. Since 2009, he has worked with many insurance providers, giving him unique insight into the insurance market, differences in ...
Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist
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.