If you don’t possess a driving permit would you still be able to insure your car ? Are you wondering how possible it would be? It might shock you to find out that indeed it is possible; though there may be a few obstacles here and there, and of course it’s not going to be the same procedure or as routine as the person who has a license.
Certain folks for legitimate reasons might not possess a permit for driving, yet they need to insure their vehicles like yesterday. If you fall into this category, what do you do? We have prepared this article to answer this question and more.
Before you embark on this journey you should investigate how hard it would be for you to get a US driver’s license. Auto insurance purchase has become almost commoditized with all the major insurance firms now offering fully online shopping experience.
Many, however, will ask for your driver’s license during the quoting process as they use this to look up your driving record and determine whether you’ve had any recent traffic violations under your name.
Given these concerns, if it’s not too much trouble to get a driver’s license you should go ahead and do so. Having said, we recognize that many times this just isn’t possible. You should also check the laws for your specific state regarding ability to insure your vehicle when you don’t have a license for driving.
Many will allow it if your car is only in the garage. However, in most states, it’s a criminal offence punishable by law if you drive without liability insurance and/or a driving permit.
How to purchase auto insurance without a driver’s license
Identify who will vouch for you / whose policy you will be on – the primary driver
Basically, the only reliable way for you to have auto insurance without having a license is to find somebody who will serve as the main driver on the agreement while you remain on the policy as an additional insured.
Ideally, this person also lives with you – such as a young teenager living with his or her parents and being covered by his or her parents’ insurance.
In the event that you and the main driver do not reside in the same abode, then the process is more complicated but it can still be done.
Here, what you want to do is to be named as an additional insured party on the policy, and you want to be excluded as a driver on that same policy.
If you are following this path, you will need to move on to the next step of calling the insurance companies, as not all companies will allow this and almost none of them will have the option to do this online.
Make sure that whatever option you choose, that you have a good and trusting relationship with the primary driver – after all you are relying on them to keep the policy current and maintain adequate coverage.
Call the insurance companies
As we mentioned before, insurance companies are not really set up to process and quote auto insurance for customers without a driver’s license. Your best bet to be able to do so and complete your endeavor is to call various insurance companies and explain your situation to them.
We recommend you start with your current insurance company if you have any other kind of insurance such as a home insurance policy or a renter’s policy, as typically companies that offer these policies will also offer auto insurance.
Insurance is also an industry that always has a certain amount of finessing and an element of bespoke to every policy – it is extremely rare that two different persons pay the same for same policy – insurance companies make accommodations for clients they trust and prefer every day.
If you buy your insurance through a broker then even better, you should be able to just call him or her and have that person figure out the best option and present it to you.
I just recently moved to the US and I have a license from my home country but I don’t have an American one
Perhaps one of the most common reasons for needing insurance prior to having a license is when a recent immigrant is attempting to buy a car.
In this situation, we highly recommend you obtain a US driver’s license as soon as possible as in the US the driver’s license and its unique identifying number are used for a great number of government and business transactions as the default method of identification.
Nevertheless, you may still find you need insurance earlier than when you can get your license, and in that case, we recommend you follow the primary driver option.
Have a garage-keeper policy as part of commercial insurance
This is a very unique situation, but if you happen to own a business that safeguards cars but you do not actually drive them, then some commercial policies could be a fit.
A garage keeper agreement is a policy that protects a business owner for liabilities and damages to cars that they have custody over at their place of business in an overnight capacity.
As with most business insurance policies, there are a great deal of nuances and unique use cases to these policies, and we highly recommend you discuss this with a qualified insurance broker prior to making a purchase if you believe this policy may be a fit for your needs.
Can I Purchase A Vehicle without driving permit?
Reading about all the roadblocks you have to manage when attempting to get insurance without a driver’s license, you may ask yourself whether there are any similar issues with buying a car without driver’s license.
Feel free to relax a bit, as this is more straightforward than buying insurance without a license. A car is a piece of property, and anybody can have ownership over one – most state laws apply to the actual driving of the car and not the ownership of it.
Having seen all the hoops you will have to run through to insure your vehicle without a driving permit, you’d likely agree with us that being in possession of a license is important and then you can get insurance afterwards.