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It’s a rite of passage: Your child passed their exam for a learner’s permit and is ready to get behind the wheel. But how do you learner-proof your car before they start driving? After you’ve made sure they understand the rules of the road, you’ll need to get them covered under your car insurance policy. Most learner drivers are covered at no charge under a parent’s policy, but once your teen gets a driver’s license, you’ll have to decide whether to officially add them to your policy or have them shop for their own.
Drivers with learner’s permits are required to be insured. In most cases, adding the new driver to a parent’s policy is typically the cheapest option. And, since most new drivers are learning in a parent’s car, this option makes the most sense.
In many states, your policy automatically covers your teen driver, and you don’t need to take further action. But, it’s always a good idea to check with your insurance provider to make sure they’re covered. Some providers require learner drivers to have their name put on the policy.
However, if your new driver has their own car, they’ll need to carry their own insurance policy or be officially added to a parent’s policy — even if they don’t have their official license yet. While they can’t drive their new car without an adult present, they’ll still be required to have a policy that meets your state’s minimum requirements.
In most states, it doesn’t cost extra to add a learner drive to your existing car insurance policy. But you should confirm this with your provider because each state (and/or provider) may do things a little differently.
Once the driver gets their license, they have two options:
If the teen has their own car, titled to a parent, the parent can usually add that vehicle to their existing policy. This option should be a little less expensive than the new driver having their own policy, but it’s a good idea to talk with your insurance provider to discuss the options and costs.
Consider these options for quality car insurance that won’t break the bank.
Progressive
Finder score
What we like: Progressive has long been a popular choice for car insurance — even before Flo! — and offers discounts for teen drivers including rate breaks for telematics users. It'll even give you a discount for adding a new driver who's 18 or younger, as long as you've had the policy for at least 12 months. Progressive is ranked 18th in overall customer satisfaction by J.D. Power.
| Telematics | Snapshot |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | Loan/lease coverage |
| Telematics | Snapshot |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | Loan/lease coverage |
Pretected
Finder score
What we like: If you find it tedious shopping for car insurance and getting individual quotes from multiple providers, you might want to try a marketplace like Pretected instead. It uses a proprietary “smart matching” system that analyzes more than 50 data points and takes into account your individual priorities.
So, whether you have a teen driver, want a telematics program, need gap insurance or have other unique requests, Pretected vows to match you with the most compatible insurer — and save you up to 50% in the process.
| Telematics | Varies by provider |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | Varies by provider |
| Telematics | Varies by provider |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | Varies by provider |
Allstate
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What we like: Unlike some of the major car insurance providers, Allstate offers GAP insurance up to $50,000 — a key add-on if your teen totals a car that isn't paid off yet. And your policy automatically covers permit drivers as a household member.
Enroll your new driver in Allstate's teenSMART program, where certified teens can earn rate discounts. Plus, Allstate offers accident forgiveness even if your young driver was at fault in an accident. Allstate is ranked 8th in overall customer satisfaction by J.D. Power.
| Telematics | Drivewise |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | Yes |
| Telematics | Drivewise |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | Yes |
Geico
Finder score
What we like: Geico has some of the cheapest rates for newer drivers, with good driver and good student discounts. It also helps younger drivers transition to their own policy when the time comes, adding applicable discounts and taking into account their experience on a current policy.
You'll need to notify Geico when your teen gets their permit to add them to your policy, but it shouldn't affect your rates much, if at all. Geico ranked 17th (out of 24) in overall customer satisfaction by J.D. Power.
| Telematics | DriveEasy |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | No |
| Telematics | DriveEasy |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | No |
State Farm
Finder score
What we like: State Farm ranks fifth in overall customer satisfaction by J.D. Power, and it has competitive rates, making it a solid option for car insurance. Adding a learner driver won't affect your premiums, and it offers numerous discounts to reduce premiums once your new driver is fully licensed. Safe driver programs, limited-use discounts and up to 25% off for good students can all help lower your State Farm car insurance premiums.
| Telematics | Drive Safe and Save |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | No |
| Telematics | Drive Safe and Save |
|---|---|
| Gap insurance | No |
Finder’s insurance experts analyzed dozens of insurance providers to find ones that offer the best options for teen drivers. We ultimately chose ones that had competitive rates, multiple discounts for young drivers and good satisfaction ratings.
Some of the criteria we evaluated included:
Finder also maintains strict editorial integrity and independence. Our content and suggestions are fair, accurate and trustworthy, and our advertisers or partners don’t influence our opinions. To learn more, check out our editorial guidelines here.
There are numerous discounts for new drivers. You’ll probably want to take advantage of as many as possible because insurance rates for teens are much higher than for most other drivers.
There are other ways to reduce car insurance premiums for young drivers. For example, if a young driver has an older car, you may not need full coverage, which can provide significant savings. You can also raise the deductible to get a lower rate.
Unfortunately, premiums go up, not down, once a learner driver gets their license. This increase can happen because teens are at a higher risk of getting into an accident.
In fact, the national average for full coverage car insurance for teens is $5,769 a year — or $481 a month — according to data compiled by MarketWatch. For comparison, the overall national average for full-coverage car insurance is $2,681 per year.
However, exact rates are difficult to pinpoint, because there are so many variables involved. Some factors that contribute to auto insurance costs include: the age of the driver, driving record, type of vehicle, coverage level, deductible amount and where you live.
On the upside, with a good driving record, car insurance rates go down for young drivers over time. But, the best way to reduce rates now is to take advantage of as many discounts as possible, maintain a clean driving record and drive a safe vehicle.
While most learner drivers are covered at no charge under their parent’s policy, once that teen gets a driver’s license, you’ll have to make some decisions. Most of the time, it’s going to be less expensive for a newly licensed driver to be added to an existing policy.
Or, teens can get their own insurance policy instead, but it’s costlier. However, some of the best ways to reduce car insurance costs for teens is to maintain good grades and a clean driving record and find a car insurance provider that offers deep discounts to drivers new to the road.
You may need to call to have your child with a learner’s permit added to your insurance policy. However, depending on your policy, insurance provider and the state you live in, your child with a permit may be automatically included in your policy without you having to take any action.
There is usually no extra cost to have a learner driver on your policy. But, once they become licensed, you’ll see a significant hike in your premiums because teen drivers are in a high-risk category for accidents.
For car insurance in California, a parent’s policy automatically covers learner drivers, so you don’t need to do anything different until they get their license, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Still, it’s always a good idea to check with your insurer to make sure your permit driver is covered.
Learner drivers may not need to be added to your insurance policy in Colorado until they get their restricted license, says the Colorado Department of Transportation. However, it does recommend you let your insurance provider know that your teen is now behind the wheel.
You don’t need to add drivers with learner permits to your insurance policy, say McCain Insurance, a Washington-based independent insurance agency. But it recommends talking to your insurance agent now to prepare for upcoming insurance changes.
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Hello, I’m 29 and I have a learners permit. I was wondering how I would go about getting car insurance on my new car so I can register it?
Hello Sarah,
Thank you for your comment.
Please note that when you have a learner’s permit, you can own and insure your own car, but you won’t be able to drive alone and you can expect higher car insurance premiums.
We have a list of several insurers above that can provide you cover for your car. Please remember that some factors may vary per state so it’s important to check which state the car insurance is available. After comparing the policies, please click the Go to Site button to directly get a quote.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement PDS/T&C’s of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
Regards,
Jhezelyn