Adding Your Spouse To Your Car Insurance Policy

Key Points:

• Adding your spouse to your auto insurance policy is typically cheaper than having two separate policies.
• If you don’t add your spouse to your policy, you may be required to specifically exclude them.
• You may not want to add your spouse to your policy if they have a bad driving record or poor credit or if they don’t drive at all.

Thinking about adding a spouse to your car insurance policy? In most cases, it’s a good idea. Insurance companies expect that drivers living in your household will occasionally borrow your car, especially spouses.

In this article, we’ll examine the pros and cons of adding your spouse to your car insurance policy. We’ll also explain when it’s a good idea and when it might not be.

To find the best car insurance company, be sure to shop around and compare quotes. Enter your zip code below to get a few free, personalized quotes for your vehicle.

Should You Add A Spouse To Your Insurance Policy?

Most insurance companies require you to add your spouse to your car insurance policy. In fact, you’re generally supposed to list all licensed drivers in your household on your policy (or specifically exclude them). Insurance companies assume these people may regularly use your car.

If you don’t add your spouse to your policy and they get into an accident while driving your car, your claim will most likely be denied. 

Regardless of insurance company requirements, it’s usually to your benefit to add your spouse to your policy. If you have separate cars and separate policies, you can simply include each other as covered drivers. But depending on your circumstances and driving histories, you could likely save more money if you include both cars and drivers on the same policy. 

Below are a few scenarios to consider when deciding the best way to combine policies with your spouse.

My Spouse And I Have One Vehicle We Share

If you and your spouse share a vehicle, your spouse needs to be added to your coverage (or you to theirs). Your rates are likely to go up when you add another person to your car insurance policy, but it’s cheaper than buying a second policy for your spouse.

If your spouse has a better driving record and credit score, you might even consider registering the car in your spouse’s name and having them listed as the primary policyholder. This might lead to cheaper car insurance rates.

My Spouse And I Have Our Own Vehicles

Even if you and your spouse have separate vehicles, you should consider getting listed on one another’s policies. While adding a spouse to your policy may increase insurance costs slightly, the benefits outweigh any drawbacks.

If you consolidate your current policies under the same insurer, you will likely qualify for a multi-car discount–meaning you’ll pay less overall for insurance on both vehicles. 

Additionally, married drivers typically pay a bit less for insurance than unmarried drivers. So you could save even more just by listing a spouse on your policy. 

Finally, bundling two policies under one account is more convenient. You can manage your car insurance coverage in the same place and pay your bill together, rather than juggling multiple policies and providers, each of which may have a different claims process and billing cycle.

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How To Add Your Spouse To Your Car Insurance

If you are ready to add your spouse to your car insurance, simply contact the insurance provider. A customer representative will walk you through the process.

Or if you prefer to do things online, you can simply log into your policy and look for a button that says “add a driver.” Most major insurers offer options for managing your policy entirely online so you should be able to add someone else to your car insurance in just a few minutes.

When you add your spouse to your policy, you can either add them as a policy co-owner or as a listed driver. Co-owners have control over the policy and can file claims, change insurance coverage, and pay bills. A listed driver is covered by a policy, but can’t actually make changes to or manage the policy. To add your spouse as a co-owner, you’ll likely need to call your insurance company. 

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When Not To Add A Spouse To Your Car Insurance

There are two main reasons you might not want to add your spouse to your car insurance:

1. They have a bad driving record: Understandably, drivers with numerous tickets, accidents, or claims are seen as a higher risk by insurance companies and will pay higher rates.
2. They have bad credit: Drivers with low credit scores are also viewed as riskier to insure and will typically pay more for their car insurance.

So if your spouse has a bad driving record or credit score, it may be better to maintain separate policies. This ensures that only one of you will pay higher rates.

If you choose not to add your spouse to your policy, you will likely need to exclude them from the policy. Excluded drivers are never covered to drive your vehicle. If they drive your car, even for a short distance, and are in an accident, the claim will be denied by your insurance company.

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Adding Your Spouse To Your Car Insurance: Our Take

Marriage may ultimately result in lower car insurance premiums, especially if both people have clean driving records. Additionally, bundling policies is often cheaper than buying two policies separately. So unless your spouse has a bad driving record or poor credit, it’s typically financially advantageous to add them to your car insurance policy.

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Our Recommended Car Insurance Providers

If you’re recently married, it’s a great time to reassess your car insurance options. During your search, consider two providers that performed well in our industry-wide review: USAA and Progressive.

USAA: Best For Military Members

USAA was founded in 1922 and has since grown into one of the largest car insurance companies in the U.S. USAA offers car insurance exclusively to military service members and their families and is renowned for their excellent customer service. If you or your spouse are eligible for a USAA policy, we recommend getting a quote from the insurer.

Read more: USAA insurance review

Progressive: Best For Usage-Based Insurance

We recommend Progressive based, in part, on the company’s highly-rated Snapshot^® usage-based program. Snapshot monitors your driving and gives discounts based on how safely and how often you drive. Progressive also offers a range of other ways to save, including multi-car, multi-policy, good student, and anti-theft device discounts.

Additionally, Progressive is a particularly good option for high-risk drivers, because it offers small and large accident forgiveness.

Read more: Progressive insurance review

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Adding Your Spouse To Your Car Insurance: FAQ

Below are a few frequently asked questions about adding your spouse to your car insurance policy:

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How We Rate Auto Insurers

Our review team extensively researches auto insurance providers to deliver informed and unbiased assessments of leading companies. We evaluate several key rating factors that are important to consumers to determine which providers are the best in the industry:

• 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.
• Availability: Insurance companies that offer wider availability to consumers in terms of state availability and few eligibility requirements are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• 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.
• Pricing: 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.
• 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 a smooth experience.
• Technology: Providers with an online quote tool, easy-to-use claims app and a usage-based insurance app score best in this category.

*Data accurate at time of publication.

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