Can You Get Car Insurance Without a Driver's License?

The short answer

Insurance covers a vehicle and the people who drive it. Insurers mainly care about who will be behind the wheel. If you own a car but won't be driving it, many insurers will write a policy with you as the owner (named insured) and a licensed family member, partner or caregiver as the primary driver.

Some insurers require the named insured to have a license, so you may need to call several companies or work with an independent agent. Expect to explain who will drive the car, how often, and where it is kept.

Common reasons people need this

• An older adult or person with a medical condition owns a car that a relative or caregiver drives for them.
• A parent owns the car their licensed teen or adult child drives.
• Someone's license is suspended but they want to keep the car insured and avoid a gap in coverage.
• A new U.S. resident has a foreign license and hasn't yet gotten a state license.
• A collector owns a car that is stored or only moved occasionally by someone else.

How insurers typically set it up

Tell the insurer the truth about who drives the car. Listing a licensed driver who never actually uses the car to get a lower price is misrepresentation and can lead to a denied claim or canceled policy. For more on how listed and excluded drivers work, see who is covered on your policy.

If your license is suspended or revoked

Keeping insurance during a suspension can help you avoid a lapse, which insurers treat as a risk factor. Your options depend on why the license was suspended:

• You still own a car. Keep it insured with a licensed person listed as the driver, and consider excluding yourself until your license is reinstated.
• The state requires proof of insurance to reinstate. Many states require an SR-22 (or FR-44 in Florida and Virginia) certificate filed by your insurer. See what SR-22 insurance is.
• You don't own a car. A non-owner policy can satisfy a filing requirement once you are allowed to drive again.

Canceling insurance while the car stays registered can cause problems of its own. In New York, for example, the DMV requires you to turn in your plates before liability coverage ends, or your registration and license can be suspended.

Learner's permits and foreign licenses

Learner's permits. Many insurers extend a household policy to a permit holder driving with a licensed adult, sometimes at no extra charge until the teen is fully licensed. Rules vary, so tell your insurer when someone in the household gets a permit.

Foreign or international licenses. Some insurers will write a policy for a driver with a foreign license, while others require a U.S. license. Prices may reflect limited U.S. driving history. States also set deadlines for new residents to get a state license, so check with your DMV.

What drives the price when the owner doesn't drive

When you don't drive, the insurer prices the policy mostly on the people who do. Expect these factors to matter most:

• The listed driver's age, experience and record. A young driver or one with tickets raises the premium even though you own the car.
• Where the car is garaged. Rates are based on the address where the car is kept overnight, which may be the driver's home rather than yours. Give the insurer the real garaging address.
• The vehicle itself. Repair costs, theft rates and safety features affect the physical damage part of the price.
• Your own insurance history. Some insurers look at the named insured's prior coverage and, where allowed, credit-based insurance score, even if you won't drive.
• Coverage choices. Liability limits, deductibles and whether you carry collision and comprehensive.

If the car will sit unused for months, ask whether reducing coverage is allowed in your state without affecting the registration. Some states treat any drop in liability coverage on a registered car as a lapse.

Mistakes to avoid

• Letting an unlicensed person drive "just this once." An unlicensed driver may break the law, and a claim may be denied, especially if that person is excluded.
• Leaving regular drivers off the policy. Insurers generally expect every household member with a license, and anyone who drives the car regularly, to be listed or formally excluded.
• Canceling coverage on a registered car. Many states check insurance electronically and can suspend a registration when coverage ends.
• Assuming the driver's own policy covers your car. Insurance generally follows the car, so the owner's policy is usually primary when someone else drives it.

Steps to get a car insured when you don't drive

1. Decide who will drive the car regularly and confirm they have a valid license.
2. Gather the car's VIN, the title and registration details, and the driver's license number and date of birth.
3. Ask each insurer whether it will insure an unlicensed or non-driving owner, and whether it requires a named driver exclusion.
4. Compare quotes with identical coverage. The premium estimator can show how the primary driver's age and record affect cost.
5. Keep the policy active without gaps, and update it if the driver or your license status changes.

Related guides

• Who Is Covered on Your Car Insurance? Household Members, Permissive Use and Excluded Drivers
• What Is SR-22 Insurance? Who Needs It, How Long It Lasts and How FR-44 Differs
• Non-Owner Car Insurance: What It Covers and Who Needs It
• Insuring a Car That's Not in Your Name: Insurable Interest, Titles and Borrowed Cars
• Teen Driver Car Insurance: Adding Your Teen, Choosing a Car and Cutting Costs