Adding a named driver to your car insurance policy

Whether it’s adding a family member or a friend who wants to borrow your car for a weekend, adding additional drivers to your car insurance policy isn’t difficult but it may affect how much you pay for it.

Finder survey: Would proportion of us would consider having another driver named on our car insurance?

How do I update drivers on my car insurance policy?

Adding or removing drivers from your policy is easy with a simple phone call to your insurance company. In many cases, you can also log in to your online account to update this information.

1. Call your insurance company or log in to your online account.
2. Request to add or remove secondary drivers to your account.
3. Provide the necessary information about the driver.
4. Ask any questions about insurance rates and available discounts.
5. Request mail confirmation as proof for your records or save the updated driver information online.

How much does adding a driver cost?

If you’re a young or new driver, adding someone more experienced to your policy could actually get you a cheaper premium. This is a great way of reducing your insurance premiums when getting your first policy.

On the other hand, if you add a younger driver to your policy, it’s likely that you’ll pay a little more as younger drivers are considered to be more high risk by most insurers.

Factors that can affect the price of your insurance when adding a driver to your policy:

• The age and marital status of the additional driver.
• Their relationship to the policyholder.
• If they own or drive another vehicle. Some insurers may give a discount if the additional driver uses another car.
• Their licence type, how long they’ve had it and any DVLA-reported medical conditions or disabilities.
• Their driving history – any claims and convictions.

You’ll usually need to pay a standard amendment fee, generally between £15 and £30, on top of any changes to your premium.

If you’re adding a driver several times a year, you could be paying successive administration fees. In this case, it might be cheaper to consider keeping them on your policy permanently.

Who should be on my car insurance policy?

The main person insuring the car will be the one deciding all additional drivers. As the main policyholder, you can add secondary drivers if they:

• Are a family member.
• Live at the same home address.
• Use the car regularly.

Drivers you may need to add include:

• Spouse
• Roommates
• Teenage drivers
• Family members living with you

Contact your insurance company if you have a question or special situation. Some insurance companies may require you to add friends or family members who use your car but don’t live at your address.

If the person who uses the car most is listed as an additional driver, it is known as “fronting”. This is illegal and may invalidate your policy, and even land you in court.

What are drivers on my policy covered for?

Any additional or named drivers will get the same level of cover as the main policy holder. What the policy covers depends on the kind of policy the main policy holder has bought.

Frequently asked questions

• What if someone not on my policy borrows my car?

  Though it may seem like nothing to worry about, lending your car to someone who is not named in your insurance policy can have dire consequences. It can result in an average fine of £271, as well as 6 points on your licence and can even see you disqualified from driving in some cases.
  If you’re considering letting someone use your car, you should first make sure they’re covered to drive other vehicles. The majority of fully comprehensive policies allow you to drive another person’s car for limited periods.

• Can I add a temporary driver to my insurance?

  Yes. You can add a temporary driver to your policy for up to 28 days at a time. Some insurers may limit how many times you can do this during a year, but that will vary from insurer to insurer.

• How can I get the best rates after adding or removing a driver?

  If you’re adding a driver you could get a better rate if you add a more experienced driver with a good driving history. Conversely, you may be able to get a better rate if you removed a younger driver, as younger drivers are considered to be a higher risk.

• Should I get my teenager a separate car insurance policy?

  While it’s possible to get a separate car insurance policy for your teenager it will likely be up to 25% more expensive. A better idea may be to add your teenager’s car to your own insurance policy.

  One option to avoid paying the heavy premiums is to get multicar insurance that allows you to cover several cars that are under the same household.

Written by

Esther Wolffowitz

Publisher

Esther Wolffowitz was a publisher at finder.com specialising in insurance. Esther holds an MSc in Media and Communication Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). See full bio