Can Roommates Share Car Insurance? (2024)

Many insurers, including Progressive, allow roommates to share car insurance. If both cars are kept at the same address overnight, you can share a policy, even if you drive different vehicles or don't share a last name. Adding a roommate to your auto insurance will raise the cost of your individual policy, but it could be lower than the combined cost of two separate policies.

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Can Roommates Share Car Insurance? (1)

Do I have to put my roommate on my car insurance?

No, as long as your roommate won't be driving your car. If your roommate drives your car at all, even occasionally, you'll want to add them as a driver on your car insurance policy. Depending on your insurer, your vehicle may not be covered if your roommate gets in an accident and isn't listed as a driver on your policy.

Depending on your state's insurance requirements and insurance company, you may be required to disclose any driving-age people living at your residence. A disclosure would include providing the name, age, and license status of your roommate, but they can be excluded from your coverage if they don't drive your vehicle.

Can my roommate drive my car if they aren't on my policy?

To ensure coverage, your roommate should be listed as a driver on your policy before they drive your vehicle. Damage to your vehicle may be covered if you've given your roommate permission to drive your car and they aren't listed on your policy, but it will depend on the situation and the insurer.

Who qualifies as a roommate?

For insurance purposes, any member of your household counts as a roommate except for your spouse. This could be a friend, sibling, relative, fiancé, significant other, or anyone else who shares your living space.

Pros and cons of roommates sharing car insurance

Pros

  1. Potential savings

    It could be cheaper to share one policy than own separate policies because you'll split the cost of insurance.

  2. Freedom to swap vehicles

    You're usually covered when driving each other's cars.

  3. Multi-car discount

    With some insurers, including Progressive, roommates can get a multi-car discount for having more than one car on a policy.

Cons

  1. Potentially higher rates

    If your roommate has violations on their motor vehicle report, a lower insurance score, or drives an expensive car, the cost of your individual policy could increase. If a roommate files a claim on your policy, it could also raise your insurance rate in the future.

  2. Loss of discounts

    You could lose some discounts or other incentives for being a safe driver if your roommate's driving record isn't as clean as yours.

FAQs about roommates and car insurance

If we combine policies, how should we split the bill?

Many insurers, including Progressive, will provide a breakdown of the cost per vehicle so you and your roommate can split your car insurance effectively. Dividing up the cost per driver for shared coverages like liability may be more complicated. However, some insurers, including Progressive, will include the cost of liability coverage per vehicle in their breakdown as well. It's ultimately up to you and your roommate to decide how to split these costs, but the person with more accidents and driving violations should probably pay more because they're more expensive to insure.

What happens if my roommate moves out?

Your former roommate will need their own policy because their vehicle will be kept at a different location. They can stay on your policy as a covered driver if they continue to borrow your car, but the roommate's vehicle must be removed from your policy.

How to add a roommate to your policy

Current Progressive customers

Log in to your policy or call 1-866-749-7436 to add your roommate. We'll need your roommate's date of birth, vehicle identification number, driving history, and license information.

New Progressive customers

Quote car insurance online or call 1-866-749-7436 and we can help you properly cover all of the drivers and vehicles at your residence.

Looking for more information about auto insurance? Our car insurance resource center has you covered.

Can Roommates Share Car Insurance? (2)

Quote car insurance online or give us a call

  • Or, call 1-866-749-7436

Learn more about car insurance policies.

Can Roommates Share Car Insurance? (2024)

FAQs

Can I share car insurance with my roommate? ›

To ensure coverage, your roommate should be listed as a driver on your policy before they drive your vehicle. Damage to your vehicle may be covered if you've given your roommate permission to drive your car and they aren't listed on your policy, but it will depend on the situation and the insurer.

Can two people share the same insurance? ›

Most insurance companies allow you (and may require you) to add another driver to your car insurance policy if the person drives the insured cars regularly or shares the same permanent residence. Most insurers will also allow you to share a single car insurance policy with someone if you live with them.

Can friends share car insurance? ›

In most cases, one insurance policy covers all drivers in a single household. This also applies to friends who all live together under the same roof. So, assuming all of your friends live at the same address, you can add more than one friend to your car insurance policy.

Can members of the same household have different car insurance? ›

Yes, you can have two separate policies. This can have its benefits in some cases. However, you will still need to be listed on each other's policies as household members/spouses but you can be excluded. Being excluded means you would not be covered under the policy at all.

Can you share insurance with someone you live with? ›

Most insurers allow you to add a significant other, such as a boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé, or domestic partner, to your car insurance policy if you live together. Depending on the insurer, a significant other can also add their vehicle to a joint policy if both cars are kept at the same permanent residence.

Can I insure my son's car if he doesn't live with me? ›

Some insurers allow you to include family members who don't live with you, like adult children, parents, or siblings if you provide a strong case for it. Some insurers also allow domestic partners and significant others who don't live with you to be added to your policy if they meet specific criteria.

Can I drive my boyfriend's car if I'm not on his insurance? ›

You can not drive a vehicle in California without insurance, and you or the person you're borrowing from must have insurance to drive legally. Your regular auto insurance policy in Los Angeles tends to follow the car instead of the person who has paid for the insurance. The same applies to when you borrow a car.

What happens if both parties have the same car insurance? ›

In order to avoid a conflict of interest, an auto insurer will generally assign two separate adjusters, one to each driver, in order to evaluate their claim and liability independently. If both agree as to which driver was at fault, the insurer will process the claim in favor of the other driver.

Does adding someone to your car insurance make it cheaper? ›

As such, adding a parent to your car insurance usually decreases your premiums, while including a teen driver tends to increase your rates. Adding a high-risk driver to your insurance will raise your rates but will likely significantly make it cheaper for them.

Can I add someone who doesn't live with me to my car insurance? ›

Yes, it is possible to add someone to your car insurance policy who doesn't live with you, depending on your insurance company's policies. Typically, insurance companies allow you to add immediate family members or someone who regularly drives your vehicle.

Can I let someone drive my car with Progressive? ›

Allowing another licensed driver to borrow your vehicle is known as "permissive use," which means you give someone, who isn't listed on your car insurance policy, permission to operate your vehicle. If they're involved in an accident, your auto insurance may pay for the damages and injuries, up to your coverage limits.

How does insurance work if you borrow someone's car? ›

Generally, insurance coverage follows the vehicle rather than the driver. So in most instances, as long as the owner of the car has insurance, it's covered even if someone other than the owner is driving it — as long as they have the owner's permission.

Should my wife and I be on the same auto insurance policy? ›

Married people are often seen by insurance companies as more stable and therefore, less of a risk. This means combining your car insurance can save you money. Plus, having multiple vehicles on a policy, and/or adding renters or homeowners insurance can mean even more discounts.

Can I have multiple people on my car insurance? ›

Interestingly, two different people can insure the same car at the same time. Options for this include non-owner car insurance policies or short-term car insurance. However, for long-term arrangements, it's usually more economical to be added as a named driver to the existing policy of the car's owner.

Can the car and insurance be in two different names? ›

In most states, the names on a vehicle's registration and your proof of insurance don't have to be the same from a legal perspective. However, an insurer can decide not to insure a person whose name is not on the vehicle's registration.

Can my roommates and I share renters insurance? ›

Does each roommate need renters insurance? Does renters insurance cover all roommates? Your renters insurance generally won't cover your roommates' things unless they're related to you or their names are listed on your policy. Unrelated roommates should generally buy their own renters insurance.

Can I share my car with a friend? ›

Make sure you are fully aware of the liability you may be opening yourself, and your auto policy, up to before handing over your keys. "Don't be cavalier about lending your car," adds Salvatore. "If you know someone isn't a good driver, think twice about giving your permission.

Is it cheaper to be on the same car insurance? ›

Combining a low-risk driver's policy with a high-risk driver's will likely increase the low-risk driver's car insurance rates. However, the total cost for both might still be lower because of other factors like a multi-car discount. It's a good idea to do your research before deciding.

Do I have to add my teenager to my car insurance in Texas? ›

Though Texas law doesn't require specific coverage for teens driving with a licensed adult on a learner's permit, a licensed teen driver is subject to the same minimum automobile insurance requirements as any other driver.

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