Quick answer, no, you do not need to inform your insurance agency until your child has obtained their drivers license.
Some insurance companies will ask the names and dates of birth of each family member and will follow up with you to see if they have obtained their drivers license; however it is always a good idea to check in with your insurance agent. In general most insurance companies do not charge for junior drivers who only hold a permit. Once the tests have been passed and someone holds a drivers license you need to report to your insurance company and add them to the policy.
If you have a licensed driver living in your home then by law the driver needs to be listed on your policy, or prove they have their own insurance. Many people believe that the insurance follows the car (i.e., if someone borrow’s the car and gets into an accident it is okay because the car is insured). We do not recommend your take this stance. It is not helpful to your young driver, you, or someone that could potentially be involved in an accident with your teen driver.
Potential ways to save on insurance costs for your teen driver:
- Depending on number of cars you have registered under your policy you could sign your young driver on as a principal operator or occasional operator of the vehicles. Then the rate for having a young driver – if you have 3 cars they get ranked as a principal operator even if they are only driving occasionally.
- A Good Student Discount for B average or 3.0 in college is a common practice for insurance companies.
- In New York you can take Drivers Ed or Defensive Driving and those help reduce costs.
- Once you have been licensed for 3 years insurance rates can go down. There is a surcharge for inexperienced license drivers, which is removed after three years, depending on carrier it could go down each year. Plan on first three years of having a license to pay 20-25% higher for insurance rates.
As always, please contact us at Kaplan Insurance if you have any questions about your auto insurance policy and your options for your teen drivers. It is our goal to make sure you have the best coverage at rates you can afford.
Read more on our blog about Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers