Additional drivers

An insurance policy defines additional drivers as individuals listed on the policy who may operate the insured vehicle but are not the primary driver. Insurers require all household members with access to the car, such as spouses or teenagers, be added as additional drivers to ensure coverage; according to NAIC, unlisted frequent drivers can void claims.

Adding an additional driver typically increases annual premiums by 10–15% due to higher risk exposure. State Farm and GEICO both require disclosure of additional drivers during application to avoid misrepresentation penalties.

Teenage drivers added as additional drivers raise average six-month premiums by $806 in the US, based on 2023 ValuePenguin data. Only licensed drivers can be added as additional drivers; insurers like Progressive verify DMV records before approval.

Policyholders must update their insurer when a new regular driver begins using the insured vehicle, as failure can result in denied claims. Additional drivers share liability limits with the primary insured, so claim payouts for incidents caused by them count against the policy’s total limit–Allstate stipulates this clearly in its auto policy documents.

Rental car insurance allows customers to add extra authorized drivers for a daily fee, which ranges from $10–$15 per day at major agencies like Hertz and Enterprise, as reported by the Insurance Information Database. Excluding high-risk individuals–such as those with DUIs–from being named as additional drivers is common; policies may explicitly exclude them or raise rates significantly if included.

Temporary visitors–like out-of-town relatives–cannot be formally listed as additional drivers unless they reside at the policyholder’s address or have regular use of the car, per standard underwriting guidelines from Travelers and Liberty Mutual.