Can You Add A Car To Your Insurance That Is Not In Your Name

It's not a common scenario, but there are some reasons why y'all might want to insure a car you lot don't actually own — maybe it belongs to a family unit member, but you're the only 1 driving it. Generally, whoever is the titled owner of a machine needs to be the one to insure it. Car insurance companies want to make sure the principal policyholder has what'southward called insurable interest in the motorcar they're insuring.

Insurable interest substantially means you have a reason to insure a vehicle. If y'all're the car'south owner, the reason is self-evident: The motorcar is your investment, so you accept a stake in keeping it from being damaged or destroyed.

But it'due south harder to prove your insurable interest if you don't actually own a vehicle. When you're trying to insure a vehicle you don't ain, car insurance companies will be wary of fraud, and exist far less probable to allow yous to accept out a policy. But, while opening a policy on a car that you don't own is rare, that doesn't mean you don't take options.

Key Takeaways

You typically cannot insure a car y'all don't own, because you don't have what's called "insurable interest" in the auto
I alternate pick is to co-title the car and add yourself as an owner
You lot can as well wait into non-possessor insurance, which will encompass yous for liability while driving a car that isn't yours

Tin I insure a auto I don't own?

As mentioned, it's typically impossible to insure a car that y'all don't ain because insurance companies want you to evidence you lot accept insurable interest in the automobile. If yous can't prove you accept a fiscal pale in the vehicle, it'south unlikely that yous will be able to find an auto insurance visitor willing to cover you.

How to testify insurable involvement

In order to prove your insurable interest, when yous employ for car insurance you may need to submit your car'due south registration or your auto's title, besides called a pinkish skid, which is an official certificate that says who owns a vehicle. But if yous don't own a automobile, then it's harder to prove to an insurance provider that you lot have a legitimate reason to insure it.

Other coverage options for a motorcar that'southward not in your proper noun

Barring infrequent cases, it will non be possible for you lot to insure a automobile you lot don't ain. However, you lot may take a few alternative options.

1. Co-championship a car

Co-titling a vehicle means you lot're adding an additional possessor to a car. Each state's Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent organization) has specific requirements for doing this, merely in order to add an owner to a car, you'll likely need to jointly apply for a new title.

This usually involves filling out a grade with the names and information of both drivers who will be listed on the title, paying a fee, and going to the DMV in person to sign the new title. If the auto in question was purchased with a loan that hasn't been fully paid off, and then you'll need to notify the lienholder and run across if information technology'south possible to add an additional possessor to the title.

Just once you're added to the title equally a co-owner of a motorcar, yous're free to get an insurance policy on that vehicle. Equally an owner, you can exist the primary policyholder. But whatever other owner should likewise exist listed on the machine insurance policy.

2. Calculation a named insured to an auto policy

If you live with someone and oft bulldoze their vehicle, say a roommate or family unit fellow member, an insurance company may require you to exist added as a named insured on their auto policy, or vice versa. Typically, every driver in a household should be added equally named insured on a policy. You may be able to add together a new named insured to your policy online or over the phone.

quote

Get a not-owner'due south policy, because you don't own the motorcar.

Non-owner insurance

While you may not be able to insure a car you don't own, if you'd like to protect yourself equally a driver you can await into something called non-owner machine insurance. Platonic for drivers who frequently rent or borrow cars, non-owner insurance is a kind of pared-down machine insurance policy.

Policygenius dwelling and motorcar expert Fabio Faschi suggests that anyone trying to figure out how to insure a car they don't own should go non-possessor insurance instead. "Get a non-owner'south policy, considering you don't own the car," Faschi said. "We'd want to embrace you for liability, merely the vehicle itself has to exist insured by the owner."

Not-owner insurance often just includes liability coverage, the backbone of virtually insurance policies. You can sometimes add personal injury protection, which covers your own medical expenses if you cause an blow, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which covers y'all if y'all're in an accident caused by a driver without insurance, or whose insurance won't cover the total extent of the impairment.

But not-owner insurance doesn't include the kind of coverage that's designed to protect your vehicle, similar collision and comprehensive coverage, because there's no vehicle to protect. Still, if you lot find yourself frequently driving a car that doesn't belong to y'all, getting not-owner insurance may be a more realistic option than trying to get a car insurance policy for a car that's not in your name.

FAQs

Exercise you need insurance to drive someone else'due south car?

Car insurance typically follows the auto, not the driver. If the owner of the car gives you lot permission to bulldoze it, you'd be covered by their auto insurance policy under what is called "permissive use." If y'all live with the owner of the auto, an insurance company may require you to be added to their machine policy. If you lot drive other people'due south cars frequently, you may desire to consider purchasing a not-owner car insurance policy.

Can I annals a car without insurance?

Depending on what country you lot alive in, y'all'll need to show proof of insurance when registering your car at your land's Section of Motor Vehicles or equivalent agency. You typically take xxx days to send proof of insurance, which can exist your insurance ID card, car policy declarations folio, or digital insurance card. Even if yours is ane of the ii states that don't require auto insurance, at that place may nevertheless be steps y'all have to take before you tin drive your new motorcar.

Tin insurance and registration be in different names?

Depending on what state you alive in, if yous're able to prove insurance interest in a vehicle and buy a policy for it even though you're not the owner, then the registration and insurance can technically be nether unlike names, just for the same vehicle. Only, every bit we mentioned, it's pretty hard to take out a policy on a machine you don't own, and many insurance companies may only turn down to write a policy for anyone who is not the vehicle's owner.

Authors

Anna Swartz is a managing editor and car insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our motorcar insurance coverage. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic.com, likewise as an associate author at The Dodo.

Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Expert

Fabio Faschi is a licensed belongings and prey insurance agent. His expertise on abode and auto insurance has been featured on Forbes, Consumer Diplomacy, Realtor.com, Flat Therapy, SFGATE, Bankrate, and Lifehacker.

Questions nearly this page? Email us at editorial@policygenius.com.