Can You Get A Driver's License If You Dont Have Registered Insurance

The thought of purchasing car insurance without a driver's license seems counterintuitive — why would yous demand automobile insurance if you can't legally drive a car? But you can get automobile insurance without a license — and in some cases, it'south in your best interest.

While it'due south possible to get motorcar insurance without a license, information technology isn't an like shooting fish in a barrel thing to do, as nearly carriers typically ask for a valid commuter's license number when you use. Obviously, you run into a problem from the showtime — if you lot don't accept a driver's license, how do you get car insurance? And why would yous even want to?

In that location are actually several scenarios where buying car insurance without a license is as much a necessity every bit it is a practicality. Maybe you own a car and don't accept a license, but your spouse or kids will be driving and they need motorcar coverage. Or perchance you can no longer drive, merely continue a car on hand and so that someone is able to take you to piece of work or appointments. Or maybe y'all have a let and are working towards having a license, so you want to look into buying insurance.

Central Takeaways

If yous don't accept a valid license, many insurers will plow you down for coverage
Without a license, you lot withal may exist able to purchase coverage by listing other drivers in your house equally the primary drivers on the policy
If you accept a license but it'south been suspended, you'll demand to find an insurance carrier willing to accept you on as a "loftier-risk" driver

Reasons to buy car insurance without a license

There are a multifariousness of instances where buying auto insurance without a license may actually be a practiced idea. Here are some scenarios when you might consider getting car insurance even though you don't have a valid driver'due south license:

one. Getting car insurance for an underage driver

Nearly states don't allow people under the historic period of 18 to enter into a contract. That ways if y'all have a relative similar a teenage child who drives, you may need to exist included on their car insurance policy, fifty-fifty if you lot don't have a license yourself. Auto insurance is specially pricey for high schoolhouse and college-aged kids, and then it'south worth looking into automobile insurance discounts for students to try and offset those high rates.

2. Getting car insurance when y'all have a personal commuter

If y'all've got a personal chauffeur taking you place-to-identify, you may non need a license just you lot nevertheless need machine insurance for any vehicles you own. If you no longer bulldoze considering of age or health-related bug but you have someone who drives y'all to appointments or work, you besides demand car insurance even though you're not the one behind the wheel.

Car insurance starts to increase in price as you lot accomplish retirement age because older drivers are seen as riskier to insure. Nonetheless, if you're non listed on your policy equally the chief driver, the age factor shouldn't thing, and you may fifty-fifty exist able to apply certain discounts to your car insurance policy.

3. Getting auto insurance with a permit

Most states offer conditional licenses to people learning how to drive, usually called learner's permits. If you lot're a teen with a permit, y'all should be listed on your parents' policy. Just if you have your ain automobile and don't have a household policy to join, yous may demand to purchase motorcar insurance while you still have a permit. However, if y'all're under xviii, y'all'll demand an developed on the policy too.

4. Getting car insurance for a vintage or collectible motorcar

Allow'due south say you have a car worthy of display in a museum but you don't actually bulldoze information technology. Sure, you may not demand collision or personal injury coverages, but you're going to desire to protect it from full or partial loss just every bit you would with another kind of valuable or collectible. Nearly of these types of unique car insurance policies are sold by specialty insurers, and also tin can include standard automobile coverages in example you exercise accept a license and decide to drive information technology anytime.

five. Getting machine insurance when wellness problems go along y'all from driving

If y'all aren't able to drive due to physical harm merely demand a caregiver to drive your vehicle for you lot, you lot may exist able to insure your car and include your caregiver (or caregivers) every bit a covered commuter. Just similar a policy when you have a chauffeur, your car insurance can protect your vehicle even if you can't drive it.

How to buy car insurance without a license

When you utilize for automobile insurance, you typically demand to include a valid driver'due south license number. If you don't take a license, y'all tin can't provide that number — and insuring an unlicensed driver makes car insurance companies nervous.

But in some cases, y'all can still purchase auto insurance even without a license. Instead of including your own commuter's license number, some companies may let y'all to utilise for a policy using the name and license number of the principal driver or primary commuter. That way you're listed on the policy, the cars you ain are insured, but yous're not technically a driver.

Who can be a primary driver on a machine insurance policy?

Any licensed driver can be named your primary driver, regardless of whether they live with you or not. If you're insuring a car for your spouse, you should list them as a primary driver. If it'southward for your teenager, you list their name. If y'all're buying insurance on a car so your roommate, caretaker or friend tin drive yous around, y'all'll demand their name and license information.

Insurers employ driving records as 1 of many factors to calculate your car insurance premium . That's why a driver's license number is required. But if you're not a driver on your ain policy, the carrier will set a rate based on the driving histories of the primary driver instead.

The insurer wants to set the rates based on likely activity with the car; if someone else is going to be driving a vehicle the most, having their driving tape exist a factor in calculating your rate for coverage makes sense.

What is an excluded driver?

If y'all find a company that will write you a policy without a license, you lot may need to proper name yourself equally an excluded driver on the policy, which is exactly what it sounds like: information technology ways your machine insurance doesn't employ if you lot're driving.

You can't drive your car if you lot don't take a valid license, and your insurance company wants to make sure you know that — and that they won't pay if you do. Car insurance does not give you permission to bulldoze a car — but a valid driver'southward license does that. If you don't have a driver'due south license, you tin't legally bulldoze.

If you're planning on getting a license in the future, once you become your license, you'll have to contact your insurance company to be named as a driver on the policy — until then, you won't be covered, even if y'all take your license. Be aware that your rates may change in one case you get your license and add together yourself as a driver on the policy — as a new commuter, yous'll likely be rated at a higher rate than your previous primary driver.

Proceed in mind, non all insurers volition let you lot include a primary driver other than yourself on an insurance policy. If you don't have a license, you may need to shop around quite a bit to find a company willing to have you on.

Many of the biggest car insurance companies — similar Land Subcontract and Allstate — will turn y'all abroad if you don't have a license. This leaves you with the smaller, regional carriers to choose from.

Be wary of insurers who don't require any sort of license information. These are typically smaller insurers, not major players, and you may not be getting the best price or coverage with them since driving records determine what rates and coverage you lot'll exist offered. Information technology'd be all-time to avoid carriers who don't require that information.

An contained banker can help you figure out how to buy a policy without a valid license, and may be able to help y'all figure out other options if yous aren't able to buy coverage for yourself.

Can y'all get car insurance with a suspended license?

We've covered scenarios where you might need machine insurance despite not having a valid driver's license. Only what if yous did have a license, and it's been suspended?

There are several reasons why your driver's license can be suspended, including being convicted of a DUI, having echo traffic violations or having an at-fault accident without machine insurance. If your license is suspended, you lot can't legally drive until it's reinstated. But that doesn't hateful you don't need auto insurance.

In fact, if your license is suspended, you lot may actually need car insurance, to prove to the state that you're protected. Y'all prove your insurance coverage to the state by having your carrier submit an SR-22 compliance grade to them.

SR-22 car insurance

An SR-22, sometimes chosen a "certificate of financial responsibility" or a "certificate of liability insurance," is a document that confirms to your country's DMV that you have the state-minimum amounts of liability coverage . It's non a special kind of policy; information technology'southward a normal car insurance policy with an SR-22 form attached.

Any major insurer tin submit an SR-22 class on your behalf, but they aren't required to take you on every bit a customer. You'll typically be labeled a loftier-chance driver, and not all insurance companies are willing to insure loftier-run a risk drivers.

In fact, if you lot have a suspended license and require an SR-22 form, you may have to shop around quite a chip to discover a company that will still sell you an affordable policy.

→ Learn more nearly getting motorcar insurance with an SR-22

Anna Swartz is a managing editor and auto insurance skillful at Policygenius, where she oversees our auto insurance coverage. Previously, she was a senior staff author at Mic.com, equally well as an associate writer at The Dodo.

Editor & Home and Auto Insurance Expert

Stephanie Nieves is a erstwhile editor and insurance expert at Policygenius, where she covered home and auto insurance. Her work has besides appeared in Business Insider, Money, HerMoney, PayScale, and The Muse.