Let\u2019s say your car is being repaired at the shop and your mother-in-law says you can borrow hers. Or you\u2019re home from college, but left your car on campus and want to meet your friends uptown for a game of basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you drive someone else’s car? And how does it work with insurance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, insurance follows the car. You can drive someone else\u2019s car if you have their permission, you\u2019re not using the vehicle for business purposes and you\u2019re not listed as an excluded driver on their auto insurance policy. <\/a>However, specific permissions and coverages can still vary by state and provider. Let\u2019s dig deeper into the subtleties of whether car insurance covers the car or the driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, not usually. Most drivers who aren\u2019t listed on a car\u2019s insurance policy can still use the vehicle as long as they have the owner\u2019s permission. This is known as \u201cpermissive use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Put simply, permissive use assumes that whomever is behind the wheel of a motor vehicle has permission to be there. It also protects car owners in case the person driving their car absolutely doesn\u2019t have permission \u2014 if your vehicle is stolen, for example, or someone takes your car without consent, it\u2019s considered non-permissive use and you\u2019ll not be held liable for any damages they cause in an accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two ways to obtain permission to drive someone else\u2019s car:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that the legal answer to \u201cCan I drive someone else’s car?\u201d varies across insurance policies and states \u2014 so be sure the vehicle owner checks their auto insurance coverage details regarding permissive use before you drive their car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If any of the following situations apply, a person may not be insured to drive someone else\u2019s car \u2014 and it might even be illegal. Here are a few reasons a driver may not be covered by a car owner\u2019s policy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have permission to drive a car and get into an accident, the car owner\u2019s insurance will act as the primary policy for any damages that you caused. That means it will pay out first, and any other applicable policies \u2014 like your own car insurance \u2014 will be considered excess or secondary coverage that pays for damages exceeding the owner\u2019s policy limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what the car owner\u2019s car insurance policy should cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few types of coverage that may not apply to unlisted drivers. For instance, if the car owner has medical payments coverage (MedPay<\/a>) or personal injury protection (PIP<\/a>), it will typically follow them if they drive someone else\u2019s car, but won\u2019t cover you when driving theirs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that if your policy includes full coverage<\/a> options like collision insurance and comprehensive insurance, that likely won\u2019t apply if you\u2019re driving someone else\u2019s car. It will all depend on the details of your specific policy\u2019s coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re uninsured and borrow a car, you\u2019re likely still covered by the vehicle-owner\u2019s policy. However, any property damages or medical expenses that surpass their coverage limits will be your financial responsibility. So the owner\u2019s insurance will cover large payouts up to their coverage limits, but you\u2019re responsible for everything else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you frequently borrow the same car from the same driver, there are two main options: you can look into purchasing a non-owners policy, or have the main driver add you as a named driver on their policy. Most insurance providers require policyholders to include immediate family members, spouses and other household members on their insurance policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also choose to list friends, family, or anyone else who is likely to use your car, but you typically can\u2019t add a non-related driver who lives at different addresses. Keep in mind that the more drivers are listed on a policy, the more it will cost. Be mindful of who you add to your policy: High-risk<\/a> drivers with a history of accidents, traffic violations, insurance lapses or poor credit that are added to your policy can increase your premiums.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIs it illegal to drive someone else’s car? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s not always legal to drive someone else\u2019s car<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Do you need insurance to drive someone else’s car?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Uninsured drivers driving insured car<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Instead of driving a car without insurance, it\u2019s a good idea for borrowers to buy non-owner car insurance<\/a>. This keeps drivers protected in an accident even if they don\u2019t own their own vehicle.<\/span><\/div>Being added as a covered driver may be a better option<\/h2>\n\n\n\n