Do You Need Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit?

In most states, anyone who drives is legally required to be covered by a car insurance policy. That said, standalone insurance policies tend to be very expensive for teenagers and young adults with no driving experience, so it’s generally cheaper for parents to add their children to an existing policy once they reach driving age.^[1]

If you’re interested in learners driving insurance, keep reading to find out the best way to find a policy and how much you can expect to pay for coverage.

On This Page

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  Who Needs To Be Insured When You’re Learning How To Drive?

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  How Much Car Insurance Do I Need With a Learner’s Permit?

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  How Do You Add a Permit Driver to an Existing Policy?

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  Can I Buy Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit?

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  How Much Does Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit Cost?

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  How To Get Car Insurance for a Permit Driver

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  FAQs

Who Needs To Be Insured When You’re Learning How To Drive?

Drivers who have just earned their learner’s permits are most often teenagers who can be added to their parents’ car insurance policies. However, a young adult who is just beginning to drive can typically buy a standalone car insurance policy or join a policy held by an insured individual they live with such as a spouse or roommate.

In general, car insurance follows the car rather than the driver, which means your vehicle is covered as long as the person driving it has your permission.

Nevertheless, it’s best to add anyone who regularly drives a car you own to your policy including new teen drivers.

Otherwise, your insurance company could deny a car insurance claim if your child gets into a car accident.

How Much Car Insurance Do I Need With a Learner’s Permit?

You are required by law to carry a minimum amount of car insurance in Washington, D.C., and every state besides New Hampshire and Virginia.^[2][3] This generally includes bodily injury and property damage liability insurance and can also include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage.

See the below table for an overview of the mandatory coverage types and coverage limits in each state.^[4]

You should consider buying a policy with higher liability coverage limits than is required by law since the minimum coverage may not be enough to fully take care of the costs if your child is responsible for a car crash. Keep in mind that you will also likely be required to purchase comprehensive and collision coverage if you are financing or leasing the vehicle your child drives.

How Do You Add a Permit Driver to an Existing Policy?

If your spouse or a family member who lives in your home has just gotten their learner’s permit, you can let your insurance carrier know that you would like to add a new person to your policy and share information about the new driver and the vehicle they will be driving with your insurer. Be prepared for your premiums to increase accordingly once they have been added to your policy.

Some insurance companies may allow you to add a teenage driver to your policy before they get their driver’s license at no charge. However, you should always talk to a representative from your insurance company in advance to clarify whether your rates will increase.^[5]

Can I Buy Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit?

You can get car insurance with just a learner’s permit and may even be required to do so depending on your circumstances. For example, you will likely have to buy your own learner’s permit insurance policy if you aren’t in school and don’t live with your parents or another person who has insurance. You should note that, if you live alone and don’t have a license, you could be considered especially high-risk and may have to buy coverage from a non-standard insurer.

In addition, you may have to buy a separate car insurance policy if you are the sole owner listed on your vehicle’s title.^[6] That said, you cannot drive your car unless it is registered and some states require you to have a license to register a vehicle, so drivers with their learner’s permits will usually need to name a licensed driver as a co-owner on their vehicle’s title for registration purposes.^[7]

Keep in mind that adults who start driving after moving out of their parents’ homes may not have to worry about getting insurance with a learner’s permit depending on the state they live in. For example, if you’re at least 18 years old, you can get a driver’s license without first getting a learner’s permit in North Carolina.^[8]

How Much Does Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit Cost?

Car insurance coverage is more expensive for inexperienced drivers, with teenagers paying an average premium of $277.64 per month, which is more than double the average cost for drivers in their 30s. Of course, exact premiums for learner’s permit drivers can vary based on factors like their location, policy details and, in many states, gender.

Teenagers tend to have the highest premiums of all age groups because they are nearly four times more likely to get into car accidents than drivers over the age of 20 and roughly three times more likely to get into fatal collisions, making them particularly risky to insure.^[9] If you opt to add a teenage child to your existing policy, you can expect your rates to increase by around 50% to 100%.^[10]

Nevertheless, many car insurance companies offer discounts that can help new drivers offset their high premiums. Some of the discounts that are most relevant for learning drivers include the following:

• Good student: Several insurers offer good student discounts that apply to drivers who maintain good grades in school. To qualify, a student will usually need to maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA), or a B average.
• Multi-car: Another benefit to adding a teen driver to your existing auto insurance policy is the fact that many insurance providers will give you a discounted rate if your policy covers multiple vehicles.
• Anti-theft devices: Installing anti-theft devices and other safety features in a new driver’s vehicle can not only keep them safer but also lead to lower insurance rates.
• New car: Although you may be tempted to give your child a hand-me-down car when they get their permit, you could get an auto insurance discount if you instead buy them a new vehicle that hit the market within the past few years.
• Away-from-home: You can also get a discount on your car insurance premiums if your child is away at college or a boarding school and won’t be driving their vehicle while they are gone since there is a much lower chance that you will need to file a claim for a car that is rarely on the road.

How To Get Car Insurance for a Permit Driver

Anytime someone in your household starts driving for the first time, it’s important to comparison shop by collecting quotes from three to five auto insurance companies. Even if you already have car insurance, a different insurer could offer you a better rate than your current carrier after taking the new teenage driver into account.

Before providing you with a quote, an insurance company will need information like the make and model of your cars, the age and driving record of everyone who will be covered by the policy and more. To avoid providing this laundry list of information to each insurance carrier individually, consider taking advantage of an online insurance marketplace like SmartFinancial.

If you type your zip code below, we’ll direct you to a simple questionnaire about your coverage needs and budget. From there, we can connect you with car insurance agents in your area who can provide you with free car insurance quotes, sometimes in just a few minutes.