Adding a Driver to Auto Insurance: What You Should Know (2026)

Adding a driver to auto insurance is required if they live with you and frequently drive your vehicle. 

Of course, your new driver should carry minimum car insurance for your state to drive legally, so knowing how to add a driver to insurance is important.

Usually, insurance does cost more if you add a driver, but you could save 30% with a multi-vehicle discount.

Read on to learn about adding someone to your auto insurance policy, when to add a new driver, and the cost. You can also enter your ZIP code above to compare quotes from the top providers near you.

When to Add a Driver to Your Auto Insurance Policy

If a driver meets the following qualifications, you should add them to your auto insurance policy: 

• The driver has access to your car on a regular basis. 
• The driver lives with you. 
• The driver has a valid driver’s license. 

Basically, if the driver lives with you and has access to your car, they need to be on your auto insurance policy. Even non-related people living with you who are using your car, such as a roommate, should be on your policy. You will also need to add college students who may be away for most of the year but will drive your car when they are back on a break. Find out if you have to add your child to your insurance policy. 

Also, check your state’s requirements for whether a teen with a learner’s permit needs to be added to your insurance policy before or after they get their driver’s license. If you are worried about rate increases when adding a younger driver, make sure to check out the best auto insurance for teens and young drivers to find an affordable rate. 

In addition, while you may not think that your nanny or home health care worker would need to be added to your insurance policy because they don’t live with you, you should reach out to your insurance company to find out its guidelines if they’re driving your car frequently. 

Read More: Best Rental Car Insurance That Covers Additional Drivers

When You Shouldn’t Add a Driver to Your Car Insurance

There are a few instances where you don’t need to add a driver to your car insurance policy.

Basically, if the person borrowing your car only takes it once in a while, they’re covered. So if your roommate owns their own car but took your car grocery shopping once, there’s no need to add them. With this info in mind, you should never add someone who wants to be on your insurance but who you don’t live with and doesn’t drive your car, as you could get in trouble. 

How to Add a Driver to Your Auto Insurance Policy

If the driver meets all the requirements to be added to your auto insurance policy, you can go ahead and add them. To add a driver, you will need to know the following information about the driver:

• Birth date 
• Driving record history 
• Gender
• Legal name 
• Occupation 
• Social Security number
• Years of driving 

The insurance company will use this information to determine the risk level of the driver you are adding and adjust your rates accordingly.

Cost to Add a New Driver on an Auto Insurance Policy

In most cases, adding a driver to your insurance policy will increase your rates because it means your car will be driven more, which increases the likelihood of an accident.

Fortunately, most insurance companies offer a multi-vehicle auto insurance discount to drivers who insure more than one car with the same company. Check out the table below to find top providers with a multi-car discount:

Multi-Car Auto Insurance Discounts by Provider

However, if you are wondering exactly how much it is to add someone to car insurance, the answer is it depends upon the driver you are adding and the company. For example, adding a driver to car insurance with Geico may be less expensive than adding a driver to a Progressive policy.

Read More:

• Geico Auto Insurance Review
• Progressive Auto Insurance Review

Also, if the driver you are adding has a history of accidents and is considered a high-risk driver, you can expect a fairly significant rate hike. On the other hand, if you are adding a driver with an excellent driving record, you may see little to no increase in your auto insurance rates. 

Look at the table below to get an idea of what types of drivers pay for auto insurance coverage. 

Auto Insurance Rates by Driving Record

If you have a teen driver that you are adding to your insurance policy, this will probably raise your rates the most. However, adding a teenage driver to your existing auto insurance policy is much cheaper than having the teenager purchase a separate one. Learn why auto insurance costs more for young drivers.

More About the Impact of Adding a Driver to Car Insurance

If the driver lives with you and frequently uses your car, you should absolutely add them to your auto insurance policy. Examples of drivers you can add to your insurance include spouses, children, or roommates. If someone just borrows your car occasionally, however, their use of the car would fall under permissive use, and they will still be covered under your auto insurance policy.

If you’re looking for the cheapest auto insurance companies after adding another driver to your auto insurance policy, you can shop around for auto insurance quotes. Use our free quote comparison tool below to find your area’s best car insurance rates.