Can I Add A Car Registered Under Different Name On My Insurance Policy

Information technology'southward not a common scenario, but there are some reasons why you might desire to insure a car you don't actually own — perchance it belongs to a family fellow member, but you're the only one driving it. Generally, whoever is the titled owner of a car needs to be the one to insure it. Car insurance companies want to brand sure the primary policyholder has what'due south chosen insurable involvement in the automobile they're insuring.

Insurable interest essentially means you accept a reason to insure a vehicle. If you're the car'south owner, the reason is self-axiomatic: The car is your investment, and so yous accept a pale in keeping information technology from beingness damaged or destroyed.

Only it's harder to prove your insurable involvement if you don't really own a vehicle. When you're trying to insure a vehicle you lot don't own, car insurance companies will be wary of fraud, and exist far less likely to allow you to accept out a policy. But, while opening a policy on a machine that you don't ain is rare, that doesn't mean yous don't have options.

Key Takeaways

Yous typically cannot insure a car you don't ain, because you lot don't take what's called "insurable interest" in the car
One alternate pick is to co-championship the car and add yourself every bit an possessor
You can besides expect into non-owner insurance, which will cover y'all for liability while driving a machine that isn't yours

Can I insure a auto I don't ain?

Equally mentioned, it's typically impossible to insure a car that you don't own considering insurance companies want you to prove you take insurable interest in the car. If you can't bear witness you have a financial stake in the vehicle, it's unlikely that you volition be able to find an auto insurance company willing to encompass you.

How to evidence insurable interest

In order to prove your insurable interest, when you apply for car insurance y'all may need to submit your motorcar's registration or your car's title, also chosen a pink skid, which is an official certificate that says who owns a vehicle. Only if you don't own a car, and so it's harder to prove to an insurance provider that you have a legitimate reason to insure it.

Other coverage options for a machine that's non in your proper noun

Barring exceptional cases, it volition not be possible for yous to insure a machine y'all don't ain. Still, yous may have a few alternative options.

ane. Co-championship a motorcar

Co-titling a vehicle means you lot're adding an boosted owner to a machine. Each state'southward Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent organization) has specific requirements for doing this, but in club to add an owner to a car, you lot'll likely demand to jointly apply for a new title.

This usually involves filling out a form with the names and information of both drivers who volition exist listed on the championship, paying a fee, and going to the DMV in person to sign the new championship. If the automobile in question was purchased with a loan that hasn't been fully paid off, then you'll need to notify the lienholder and meet if it'due south possible to add an additional owner to the title.

Only once you lot're added to the title as a co-possessor of a automobile, you're complimentary to get an insurance policy on that vehicle. Every bit an owner, you can be the primary policyholder. But whatever other owner should too be listed on the car insurance policy.

2. Adding a named insured to an automobile policy

If y'all live with someone and oft drive their vehicle, say a roommate or family member, an insurance company may require you to exist added every bit a named insured on their car 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 a new named insured to your policy online or over the telephone.

quote

Get a not-possessor's policy, because you lot don't own the car.

Non-possessor insurance

While y'all may not be able to insure a car you lot don't ain, if you'd like to protect yourself as a driver you can look into something called non-owner car insurance. Ideal for drivers who frequently hire or borrow cars, non-owner insurance is a kind of pared-down automobile insurance policy.

Policygenius home and automobile expert Fabio Faschi suggests that anyone trying to figure out how to insure a motorcar they don't own should get non-owner insurance instead. "Get a non-possessor's policy, because y'all don't own the motorcar," Faschi said. "Nosotros'd desire to cover yous for liability, but the vehicle itself has to be insured by the possessor."

Non-owner insurance frequently just includes liability coverage, the courage of near insurance policies. Yous tin sometimes add personal injury protection, which covers your own medical expenses if you cause an accident, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which covers you if you lot're in an accident acquired by a driver without insurance, or whose insurance won't cover the full extent of the harm.

But non-owner insurance doesn't include the kind of coverage that's designed to protect your vehicle, like collision and comprehensive coverage, because there's no vehicle to protect. All the same, if you lot find yourself frequently driving a car that doesn't vest to you, getting non-possessor insurance may exist a more realistic choice than trying to become a car insurance policy for a car that's non in your proper noun.

FAQs

Do you need insurance to drive someone else's machine?

Car insurance typically follows the machine, not the driver. If the owner of the car gives you permission to drive it, you'd be covered by their automobile insurance policy nether what is chosen "permissive use." If you live with the owner of the car, an insurance company may require you lot to exist added to their auto policy. If you drive other people's cars often, you may want to consider purchasing a not-owner car insurance policy.

Tin I register a car without insurance?

Depending on what state you live in, you'll demand to bear witness proof of insurance when registering your car at your land's Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent bureau. Y'all typically take 30 days to transport proof of insurance, which can exist your insurance ID card, auto policy declarations page, or digital insurance card. Even if yours is one of the two states that don't crave auto insurance, at that place may still be steps you accept to take earlier you can drive your new motorcar.

Can insurance and registration be in unlike names?

Depending on what state you live in, if y'all're able to prove insurance involvement in a vehicle and buy a policy for it even though you're not the owner, then the registration and insurance can technically exist under different names, simply for the aforementioned vehicle. But, as we mentioned, it's pretty difficult to have out a policy on a automobile you don't own, and many insurance companies may only decline to write a policy for anyone who is not the vehicle's owner.

Authors

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

Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Expert

Fabio Faschi is a licensed property and prey insurance agent. His expertise on home and motorcar insurance has been featured on Forbes, Consumer Diplomacy, Realtor.com, Apartment Therapy, SFGATE, Bankrate, and Lifehacker.

Questions near this folio? Email u.s.a. at editorial@policygenius.com.