teen driver insurance rate
Reader’s Question:
My 16 year old daughter has her license now, should I add her to my policy or once she gets her own car? I live in Pennsylvania.
Rachel
Thank you for asking Rachel.
Insurers guidelines are different from each other but generally insurance providers will require you to list all licensed operators in your household on your insurance policy. Since your child has received her license already your auto insurance provider should be informed and they will tell you if you are required to add her or not but most likely you will need to add her in order for her to have coverage and be insured.
An insurance company is allowed to consider all resident drivers of an insured car in rating of an auto insurance policy.
Insurers are usually allowed by state car insurance laws to use classifications that reflect a possible exposure for liability on the part of the insurer, in the event that bodily injury or property damage occurs due to that child’s operation of the vehicle.
Your friend may be able to borrow your car without being added to your insurance but household members with valid licenses usually do need to be listed in your policy so that the person will be properly insured and covered.
If you do not tell your insurance provider about your child being licensed and she is not listed to the policy then she may not be covered if in an accident. Some insurance company may allow your child to be covered for the accident but only after you have paid the premiums that should have been paid for your daughter to be on the policy.
It is noted by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department that the first named insured on a policy can exclude a teenager from the car insurance policy if that individual being excluded can prove he or she has auto insurance with another company. Always remember that if an individual is excluded from your insurance policy there will be no coverage at all extended to them if they drive the vehicle.
Goodluck!
MariCAR