What happens if you add a driver to your car insurance?

Key takeaways

• Spouses and their children often save money by being insured on the same auto insurance policy.

• Your insurance company may require you to add all household members to your policy, even if they don’t drive your vehicle.

• Non-household members may not be eligible to be added to your policy unless they regularly drive your vehicle, share vehicle ownership or meet other insurance company requirements.

Insuring all the drivers in a household on a single car insurance policy usually results in premium savings. One of the most common ways to do this is to add a spouse to your insurance. Based on data sourced from Quadrant Information Services, married couples with one vehicle pay an average annual rate of $2,385 for full coverage insurance. This is noticeably lower than the national average for a single driver, which is $2,543. These savings may sound appealing, but companies often have rules for who you can add to your insurance policy. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team explores common guidelines for adding a driver to your car insurance.

Can multiple drivers share a car insurance policy?

Yes, multiple drivers can share a car insurance policy under certain conditions. With most auto insurance companies, you are required to list all household members, including spouses and children, on your policy if they have a valid driver’s license and access to your vehicle.

If someone you are not related to lives in your household, you may have to add them as a driver depending on how often they drive your vehicle and your car insurance company’s guidelines. For example, a few companies require roommates to be listed, but others do not have that requirement if your roommate has their own insurance policy.

Don’t be surprised if your insurance company requires you to add all licensed (or permitted) household members to your policy, even if they don’t drive your car. This practice is standard for many carriers because anyone with access to your car keys may pose a risk. However, if a household member has their own policy, your carrier might remove them from your policy. For more information, please get in touch with your company directly.

It’s important to note that you cannot add drivers for the sake of consolidating bills or earning discounts. To share a policy, you must have a need to do so, whether from regularly driving the vehicle, shared ownership of the vehicle or your carrier’s requirements. Additionally, while you may be able to add a driver to your policy, you might not be able to add that driver’s vehicle — it depends on how the person is related to you, whether they co-own your car and your company’s guidelines. For more information on multi-car insurance policies, you may want to contact your agent.

With multiple drivers on the same policy, premiums are based on each driver’s risk factors. Insurance companies will pull everyone’s motor vehicle records and claims history to determine overall risk. In turn, insurance companies will calculate a total premium, and you will get one bill to pay.

Best car insurance companies for multiple drivers

The best car insurance companies for multiple drivers may be different for everyone. Getting the best deal on car insurance is based on several rating factors, including driver-specific information such as age (in most states), driving experience, marital status and driving history. The carriers below may be some of the best options based on our holistic evaluation of average car insurance rates for married drivers on one policy.

We also took into account additional metrics about each company, including coverage options, digital presence and things like customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and financial strength ratings from AM Best to assign each insurer a Bankrate Score out of a possible 5.0 points. These Scores are designed to give you a quick way to compare insurers as you start your search.

*Premiums displayed are average annual rates based on married policyholders with a single vehicle

Amica

With Amica, you could save up to 25 percent by insuring multiple vehicles and up to 30 percent for buying more than one insurance product from the carrier. Amica also rewards loyalty, offering a discount for staying insured with the company and for children of current policyholders as a legacy discount if they get their own policy with Amica before turning 30. There are several other opportunities for discounts with Amica, like being claims-free or a homeowner. Amica has a reputation for excellent customer service, as is evidenced by its first-place finish in J.D. Power’s 2023 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. To discuss a quote with Amica, those interested can contact the company over the phone or by visiting www.amica.com.

Learn more: Amica insurance review

Geico

In addition to having some of the lowest average rates on our list for married drivers, you can add multiple drivers to your car insurance policy with Geico and save up to 25 percent by insuring more than one vehicle on your policy, according to the carrier. Good drivers may save even more, a potential discount for remaining accident-free for five years. Drivers looking to save may want to check out Geico’s entire list of potential discounts, which is pretty substantial compared to many other carriers. Geico does, however, score below average in the J.D. Power claims study, so it may not be the best choice for you if strong customer service is your top priority.

Learn more: Geico insurance review

State Farm

If you have a young driver in your household, State Farm offers several discounts that might make it more affordable to insure this age group. The Steer Clear telematics program is designed to make drivers more attentive and aware, rewarding them for good driving habits. Students could also get a discount for maintaining a high GPA. You may save up to 20 percent with the multi-vehicle discount and up to $1,107 when combining home and auto insurance with State Farm. The company comes in at fourth place in the J.D. Power Customer claims study, indicating that it makes its customer relationships a high priority.

Learn more: State Farm insurance review

Nationwide

Nationwide offers a multi-car discount, plus a multi-policy discount if you insure your home, renters, boat, life insurance or motorcycle with the company. Nationwide has competitive low full coverage rates, but drivers seeking minimum coverage may be able to find more affordable coverage with another carrier. Eligible drivers may also stack accident-free, good student and safe driver discounts. However, Nationwide’s below-average ranking with J.D, Power indicates that shoppers who value service may want to speak with existing policyholders about their experiences.

Learn more: Nationwide insurance review

Liberty Mutual

While it doesn’t advertise the specific percentage off, Liberty Mutual offers discounts both for insuring multiple vehicles and for having more than one insurance policy type with the company. Safe drivers may be eligible for accident-free and violation-free discounts for maintaining a clean record. There are also discounts for insuring more than one car and your home or renters insurance with the company. However, Liberty Mutual placed the lowest of any of our chosen companies on the J.D. Power rankings, so it may not be the best option for drivers who value customer service.

Learn more: Liberty Mutual insurance review

How to find cheap car insurance for multiple drivers

One of the best ways to find cheap car insurance for two people or more is to shop around with different carriers. Each company has its own risk guidelines, discounts and rate structures that can change how much you pay for car insurance, especially when insuring multiple drivers. Each person’s driving record and claims history will be reviewed, so if one driver has a risky driving history, it could increase the cost of the entire policy or affect eligibility with a particular carrier.

While there is an increased likelihood of risk, a multiple-driver policy may also make you eligible for more savings opportunities. You may be able to keep the price low with other discounts, like insuring more than one product, being affiliated with an organization, being a safe driver, having low annual mileage and driving a car with safety features. Additionally, if another household member has a clean record and an experienced driving history, it can beneficially impact the rate.

Frequently asked questions

• • The number of drivers you can have on your insurance policy depends on the company. Most companies allow up to a certain amount of vehicles and drivers on a single policy, but if you exceed the number allowed per policy, you can usually get a second policy with the same company. Some providers may allow a higher number of insured vehicles than others. If you are unsure how many drivers or cars you can add, ask your insurance company.

  • Yes, adding a named driver to your policy would affect your insurance premium to account for the named driver’s individual risk factor. Additionally, if the named driver gets into an accident, for instance, the claim would go under your shared vehicle policy, impacting your overall premium.

  • To add another driver to your insurance, call or email your insurance agent or company. If you have online account access or use the insurance company’s mobile app, you may be able to add them there. You will typically need the driver’s full name, date of birth, driver’s license number and reason they are being added.

  • Adding another driver usually affects your rates, but whether or not your auto premium goes up depends on the other driver’s personal factors. In some cases, adding an older driver with a clean driving record could actually reduce your premium, especially if you’re a driver under 25 or someone with infractions on their license.

  • Yes, it is likely that adding a driver to your policy who has moving infractions on their driving record, such as a speeding ticket, will result in an increase to your premium rate. Perhaps the most serious moving violation is a DUI/DWI. According to Bankrate’s research, a driver with a DUI pays roughly 90 percent more for full coverage than a driver with a clean record. Adding a driver with a DUI or DWI to your license, therefore, is almost always going to cause your rate to increase for at least three to five years, if not more.

• • Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2024 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

    • $100,000 bodily injury liability per person

    • $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident

    • $50,000 property damage liability per accident

    • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person

    • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident

    • $500 collision deductible

    • $500 comprehensive deductible

    To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.Status: Rates were evaluated based on the following marital/family status: single (base), married, 40 year married man and woman with a 16-year-old teen driver. Marital status is not a rating factor in HI and MI.

  • Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

    • Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.

    • Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.

    • Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.