Insurance Forum

[drjoestan]

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Dear Community,

Hello. I have a question I hope you can answer.

First, the state being considered is New York. I am 21 and have my driver's license. I do not own a car or have any kind of driver's insurance. Our family owns two cars that are both registered under my father's name. The car insurance policy on both cars is under my father's name and lists only himself and my mother. That is to say, I am not listed on the car insurance policy.

Previously, I was at school 200 hundred miles from home with no car, so there was no issue. But now I am at home.

I do not drive the two cars mentioned above without permission from my parents. The only time I drive is when it is absolutely necessary, such as when I bring my sister to school or pick her up. I would say I drive on average twice a month.

Does my father need to explicitly call the car insurance company and have my name listed under his policy? I have spend much time searching the internet and have been unable to find a clear answer.

The New York State DMV only talks about the requirement of having the vehicle insured, and does not specify whether drivers themselves must be listed under a policy.

According to "The Truth About Insurance Website" 's page on Auto insurance, since I am a family member of the named insured (my father), I would be covered under the name insured's policy.
link:
[http] :// [www]. thetruthaboutinsurance. [com] /auto-insurance-am-i-covered/

What is the consensus? Am I okay given the conditions on when I would drive the car?

Of course, the best method of resolving the issue is to call the car insurance company directly and ask because they need to know such information anyhow, but in all likelihood the premium would go up and our family is in no mood for the bills to increase any further... I got the driver's license for the sake of being able to drive in when I need to, not as a necessity.

Thank you very much for your time in this matter.


Sincerely,
Joe

[EFLTEACHER]

Originally Posted by drjoestan

Of course, the best method of resolving the issue is to call the car insurance company directly and ask because they need to know such information anyhow, but in all likelihood the premium would go up and our family is in no mood for the bills to increase any further... I got the driver's license for the sake of being able to drive in when I need to, not as a necessity.

Thank you very much for your time in this matter.


Sincerely,
Joe

Some companies write "family policies" , where you would have to be covered if you are part of the family; this could even include the time you are away at school.

[djs]

Consumer questions are always welcome here. You just might have to deal with a few cynical remarks in the answer

I can't speak to New York auto policies, I write in California. In my state (and I assume this applies in New York, but I don't know), a covered driver of a car does not include anyone who lives in the house, unless they are listed on the policy.

A couple of examples:
When you are away at college, and do not reside in the home on a regular basis, when you visit your parents for a weekend (or spring break), you would be covered under permissive driver rules. You are not a normal or frequent driver of the car and would not have to be listed.

On the other hand, when you come home for the summer, or come home where you will be driving the car on any sort of regular basis, if you are not listed but then end up in an accident, your policy may not pay to cover the accident.

There are a lot of reasons behind this, but in general, every driver adds risk to the insurance company. This added risk is usually acceptable to the insurace company, but they may want to have some additional premium to cover the added risk.

Again, I'm not trying to be a New York agent, I'm responding with California answers, which may or may not cross state lines.....

Many carriers have a way to deal with younger drivers who are frequent but not regular drivers of the vehicle. This is especially true if they are still registered in school. They will have a classification such as 'away at school', which acknowledges the use of the car, but that it is with more regularity than a permissive user, but not as often as someone who lives at home full time.

They may also have a 'part-time' driver classification, which basically describes the situation you mention, driving infrequently. The primary driver is the parents. This does not remove any additional premium, but may reduce it. There are always a lot of variables in this type of situation though.

Dan

[CaptiveBroke(r)]

In New York, you would be considered a "restricted" operator if you drive a vehicle less than 50% of the time.

The fact that your Mom and Dad are both listed they would be the primary operators on each vehicle and depending on which car you tell the insurance company you drive, you will be rated as restricted.

Bear in mind that whether you tell the insurance company you drive 1% of the time or 49% of the time, the premium is usually the same.

Also, many companies will offer a discount if you attend school more than 100 miles from home and also offer good student discounts if you maintain a certain grade point average.

Good luck!

[JasonH]

It may vary from company to company but for the one I have if you are under 21 and living in the household you have to be listed as an active driver. If you are 21 or older and live in the household but do not drive the vehicles on a regualr basis you do not need to be listed. A regular basis would be considered 2+ days a month on average. In New York you do not need insurance to mantain a DL. The only eastern state that I know of that requires insurance for a DL is NC.