author-img
Written by:
Prachi Singh
Contributing Writer
Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.
author
Reviewed by:
Laura Longero
reviewer icon
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Question: My boyfriend was driving my car, and we were involved in an accident that wasn’t his fault. The other driver was ticketed. My boyfriend does not live with me. He is not included nor excluded from my policy. Two days after the accident, I received calls and emails from my insurance company requesting that I either add him to my policy or exclude him from my policy effective the day I purchased the policy. This seems a little odd to me. Is this a proper procedure? 

Answer: Though it may seem odd to you, it’s not unusual for a car insurance company to require someone to be placed on your car insurance policy if the insurer has found (according to their rules) that this person drives the insured car enough to be considered a regular (or occasional) driver.

Most personal auto insurance policies require you only to list licensed household members, with others that you let drive the car covered as permissive users; however, there are times that non-household residents do need to be listed and rated as drivers on your policy. It appears that your boyfriend falls into the occasional driver category for your carrier and has since the inception of your policy.

An occasional driver is typically defined as a driver who doesn’t live in your household and drives your car frequently. How often they can drive your car and be considered an occasional driver varies by insurer.

Your car insurance company is now aware that your boyfriend drives your car and finds that his risk warrants him being rated as a driver or requires you to exclude him so that they aren’t subjected to the risks associated with him driving your car.

In general, an occasional driver is rated lower than a primary driver. If your boyfriend has a good driving record, then adding him may not affect your rates much. But if he has a bad driving record, especially with a serious offense, it could raise your rates by a fair amount.

Not all insurance companies require what your insurer has; it depends upon state laws, their guidelines, how often the person drives your car, and other factors. Your agent should be able to explain to you why the insurer decided that your boyfriend had to be added to the policy effective date.

If you still feel it’s unfair after speaking to your agent, you can contact your state’s insurance regulator to discuss the situation.

Car insurance companies’ underwriting rules vary, so compare car insurance quotes from companies that might be a better fit. Other insurers may also require your boyfriend to be on the policy as an occasional driver but have cheaper rates. You may find car insurance carriers who don’t require your boyfriend to be added or excluded but covered as a permissive user.

Penny Gusner contributed to this story.

Laura Longero

Ask the Insurance Expert

Laura Longero

Executive Editor

Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

John McCormick

Ask the Insurance Expert

John McCormick

Editorial Director

John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.

Leslie Kasperowicz

Ask the Insurance Expert

Leslie Kasperowicz

Managing Editor

Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.

Nupur Gambhir

Ask the Insurance Expert

Nupur Gambhir

Managing Editor

Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.

Please Enter Valid Question. Min 50 to max 250 characters are allowed. Only (& ? , .) charcters are allowed.
Please Enter Valid Email.
Error: Security check failed
Thank You, Your message has been received. Our team of auto insurance experts typically answers questions within five working days. Note that due to the volume of questions we receive, not all may be answered. Due to technical error, please try again later.
Compare top carriers in your area Get quotes near you!
Please enter valid zip
author image
Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.