Can I Add My Girlfriend Or Boyfriend To My Car Insurance?

Adding multiple vehicles to a car insurance policy can often save you money. If you’ve been dating someone for a while, you may be wondering, “Can I add my girlfriend or boyfriend to my car insurance?”

The short answer is yes, but it will depend on your situation. In this guide, our review team addresses when to add your girlfriend or boyfriend to your car insurance policy and when not to. We also discuss some of the best car insurance companies in the industry.

Key Points:

• You can add your girlfriend or boyfriend to your car insurance if you live together.
• You can also add a significant other to your policy if they drive your car once a month or more.
• You don’t need to add your girlfriend or boyfriend if they drive your car less frequently because your policy will cover them.

Can I Add My Girlfriend Or Boyfriend To My Car Insurance?

Yes, you can add your girlfriend or boyfriend to your car insurance. Generally, if you and your significant other live at the same address, your car insurance company will consider them a member of your household and request that you add your boyfriend or girlfriend to your car insurance policy.

You should also add your girlfriend or boyfriend to your car insurance policy if they drive your car frequently (more than 10 to 15 times a year), even if you don’t live together.

What Is Permissive Use?

If your girlfriend or boyfriend doesn’t live with you and uses your vehicle infrequently, she or he might already be covered under your insurance policy’s permissive use clause. The clause covers people who drive your vehicle less than 10 to 15 times a year and who have your consent to drive your vehicle.

There are some exceptions to a permissive use clause. If your significant other falls under any of these restrictions, they may need to be added as a listed driver on your policy:

1. Member of household: If your significant other lives with you and plans to drive your vehicle, they need to be added to your car insurance policy.
2. Uninsured: If your girlfriend or boyfriend is uninsured, your insurance company probably won’t allow you to grant that person permissive use.
3. Little to no driving experience: If your partner has little to no driving experience, they may not be covered under your permissive use clause.
4. Business use: If your girlfriend or boyfriend plans to use your car for business purposes, that may exclude them from your permissive use clause.

When Should I Add My Boyfriend Or Girlfriend To My Car Insurance?

Adding your significant other to your car insurance coverage can save money and hassle for a variety of reasons. Here are some situations in which combining policies is a good idea:

1. Your Partner Lives With You

If your girlfriend or boyfriend lives with you and plans to drive your car regularly, they should be added to your policy. Insurance companies often require this if a member of your household will be driving your vehicle.

2. Your Girlfriend Or Boyfriend Drives Your Vehicle Frequently

Most car insurance companies require people who drive your vehicle frequently to be added to your policy. “Regular usage” is typically defined as someone driving a vehicle more than 10 to 15 times a year. If your significant other needs to be added to your policy because of regular usage, your car insurance rate will likely rise.

3. You Each Own A Vehicle

Insurance companies offer multi-car discounts for policies. If your partner owns a vehicle, you could each get a discount by combining policies.

4. Your Boyfriend Or Girlfriend Doesn’t Have Car Insurance

While most insurers cover drivers you let borrow your car occasionally, some don’t. If your auto insurance provider doesn’t allow permissive use, your policy may not pay for damages if your partner gets in an accident with your car.

When Should I Not Add My Boyfriend Or Girlfriend To My Insurance?

Adding your partner to your car insurance isn’t always a smart decision. Below are six reasons to not put them on your policy:

1. Your Partner Has A Bad Driving Record

Adding them to your policy could significantly raise your rate because bad drivers are more expensive to insure.

2. You Don’t Borrow Each Other’s Vehicles Often

You’ll both likely be covered driving the other’s vehicle under the permissive use clause of your insurance policy. If you live together, though, it’s wise to call your insurance agent and make sure this is OK.

3. Your Partner Has A Poor Credit Score

Adding your girlfriend or boyfriend to your policy could raise your auto insurance rate. Car insurance companies have found a correlation between bad credit scores and the number of insurance claims filed. Because of this, insurance companies often charge higher rates for drivers with poor credit scores.

However, insurance companies in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan aren’t allowed to use credit scores to set insurance rates.

4. One Of You Drives An Expensive Vehicle

In this case, it might be best to keep your own insurance policies. The rates of the non-owner could increase significantly if they’re added to an existing policy with an expensive vehicle.

5. Your Partner Has Fewer Than Nine Years Of Driving Experience

If your girlfriend/boyfriend or domestic partner has little driving experience, adding them to your policy could increase your rate.

6. Your Partner Has A Recent At-Fault Accident

Drivers with recent accidents are considered riskier to insure. If your partner got in an accident within the last three years, they could be seen as a high-risk driver, and your insurance premium could increase.

How To Add Your Partner To Your Car Insurance

There are basically two ways you can combine car insurance policies with your girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner. You could simply call your agent and add them to your existing policy, or you could buy a new policy together.

Calling to put an additional driver on your existing policy is the easiest option, but you have to accept whatever insurance costs the company sets. On the other hand, you could compare free quotes from insurance companies and start a new policy together. This lets you see which provider offers the best car insurance quote and multi-vehicle discount.

Be aware that your current insurance company may not give you the option to keep your partner off of your policy if you live together and they don’t have insurance. Once the company finds out an authorized driver lives with you, it may add your partner whether you want it to or not. You can always shop around for better rates if that happens.

Excluding Your Partner From Your Insurance

If you live with your partner but you don’t want them on your insurance policy, you can inform your insurer that the person is an excluded driver. In this case, they aren’t covered for driving your vehicle at all. Excluding them can be a good idea if you don’t want joint car insurance for some reason. Of course, make sure they don’t actually drive your car, because they won’t be covered on the auto policy.

Conclusion: Can I Add My Girlfriend or Boyfriend to My Car Insurance?

You can add your girlfriend or boyfriend to your insurance policy if you live together or they drive your vehicle frequently. You may also save money with multi-policy or multi-vehicle discounts if you combine coverage. Shop around and compare insurance companies if you decide to add your significant other to your policy.

Our Recommended Car Insurance Providers

Whenever you shop for insurance, we recommend getting quotes from multiple insurers so you can compare options for cheap car insurance. In addition to the insurance company you choose, factors such as your age, vehicle make and model, and driving history can affect your premium. So what’s best for your neighbor might not be best for you.

If you plan to make a change to your auto insurance policy, you should see if you can get a better deal with a different company. Here are three of our top-rated providers:

State Farm: Best Overall Provider

State Farm can be a great option for young drivers and students. The company offers a good student discount of up to 25 percent. Drivers under 25 can also participate in the Steer Clear^® educational program for more discounts.

USAA: Best For Military Members

If you’re a military member, a veteran, or a member of a military family, USAA is worth a look. The company offers some of the best rates for full-coverage insurance and is known for its customer service. USAA frequently earns high scores in J.D. Power consumer surveys.

Geico: Best For Discounts

Geico offers a great multi-vehicle discount of up to 25 percent, which makes it a good option for couples with two or more vehicles. Our team also found Geico’s rates for full-coverage insurance tend to be cheaper than the national average.

Car Insurance for Unmarried Couples: FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions about whether you should add your girlfriend or boyfriend to your car insurance policy.

How We Rate Insurers

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of car insurance providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a car insurance company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

• Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between insurers because so many factors impact annual premiums. The cheapest insurer for one driver may not be the cheapest for another. To determine our cost score, we look at insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services, discount opportunities, and consumer reports.
• Coverage: To determine our coverage score, we look at the number of coverage options available as well as coverage limits and deductible options. Our ratings also take into account additional services and benefits like roadside assistance.
• Reliability: It’s important that an auto insurer is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong financial strength rating from AM Best score best in this category. Established insurers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks.
• Service: We comb through customer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to learn about customer experiences. Insurers with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the claims process, giving higher ratings to car insurance providers that offer easy-to-use claims apps.