Car insurance for additional drivers
Learn more about how to add another driver to your car insurance policy
When you’re buying a new car, you might not be purchasing it just for yourself to drive. Families and couples may have two or more people that drive the vehicle at any given time. So, what happens with your car insurance when there’s more than one driver?
What does additional driver coverage include?
You don’t need a separate policy to have an additional driver for your vehicle. Instead, most car insurance policies that cover you, will also allow you to add a ‘named driver’ on the same policy.
All car insurance policies will require a ‘main driver ’. This is usually the person that purchased the vehicle or that drives it the most. You can even add a temporary additional driver on some policies.
How to add an additional driver to your insurance policy
The process of adding another driver to your insurance policy can vary depending on your insurance provider. If you’re adding a named driver to your existing policy, you may be able to apply online or contact your provider to give them the details of the driver you’d like to add.
For both of these options, you'll be asked for the additional drivers name as well as information such as:
- their DOB and occupation
- their driver’s license number
- their home address
- any history of convictions or accidents they have
- any refused or cancelled insurance policies
- any medical conditions that could impact your ability to drive
Does being a named driver cover you comprehensively?
If you have comprehensive cover on your own car, it doesn't mean you're insured to drive anyone else's car.
If the main policy on the car you'd like to drive is comprehensive, then being added as a named driver will usually mean your covered comprehensively too. But, you should always check the details with your provider. A named driver's excess might be different to the main driver's.
How much does it cost to add an additional driver?
The fee to add an additional driver can vary depending on the provider, as well as the additional drivers information. For the same reason car insurance costs less or more depending on the person, adding another driver to your policy is no different.
Impact on your insurance premium
If you choose to add a named driver, there’s a chance your car insurance premium can go up as well as down. This all depends on who you’re going to add to the policy. The age, driving history, and occupation of the new named driver will inform how much you’ll pay on your premium. A more experienced driver being added to a policy can potentially bring down the cost, but there’s no guarantee for this and your premium could just as easily go up instead of down.
It's worth knowing that named drivers wouldn't qualify for a no claim discount. If the main driver makes a claim on their insurance policy, their no claim discount could be affected.
How to remove an additional driver from your policy?
This should be as simple as informing your insurance provider that the person is no longer driving the vehicle and needs to be taken off the policy. This amendment could cost you money if you do it before renewing your policy, and it could also increase or decrease your premium.
Related articles
