When you purposely prohibit a driver from being covered under your car insurance coverage, they are called an excluded driver. There are numerous reasons that you may want to exclude a driver from your policy, but it’s important to understand that if an excluded driver drives your vehicle and causes an accident, they will not be covered under your policy.

Savings

Compare rates and save on auto insurance today!

ZIP code
Close X
Advertising Disclosure
This advertisement is powered by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate. The offers and links that appear on this advertisement are from companies that compensate Coverage.com in different ways. The compensation received and other factors, such as your location, may impact what offers and links appear, and how, where and in what order they appear. While we seek to provide a wide range of offers, we do not include every product or service that may be available. Our goal is to keep information accurate and timely, but some information may not be current. Your actual offer from an advertiser may be different from the offer on this advertisement. All offers are subject to additional terms and conditions.

Compare auto insurance rates

Answer a few questions to see personalized rates from top carriers.
Caret DownCaret Up
Please select age
Location-Icon
Badge No spam. No fees. No surprises.

Save on auto insurance with quotes from trusted providers like:

Progressive

Drivers switch & save an average of $750+/year

Liberty Mutual

Are you overpaying for auto insurance?

Allstate

Safe drivers choose Allstate®

Powered by Coverage.com (NPN: 19966249)
Insurance Disclosure

Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

See more providers in
Choose from insurers in

Whether or not you have the option to exclude a driver will depend on the state you live in and the insurance carrier you choose. However, one reason you may opt to exclude someone in order to avoid insuring a high-risk driver or to save money on their policy; an insurer may even decline to offer you coverage unless a certain driver is excluded. Once a driver is excluded, though, they won’t be covered at all if they drive your vehicle, even if you gave them permission to do so.

Why would I exclude a driver from my policy?

When it comes to car insurance, all licensed drivers in a household usually have to be insured on the same policy. This means anyone with a driver’s license who lives with you, like your spouse, kids, relatives or roommates, may need to be listed. Every licensed household member can grab your car keys and borrow your vehicle creates risk for the auto insurer, which is why insurers want to know who is licensed in the household.

The only household members who might not need to be listed on your policy are licensed drivers who don’t have access to your car, drivers insured on their own auto insurance policies and unlicensed household members. When quoting your auto insurance policy, insurance carriers will let you know who is required to be on your policy.

If you have a household member who is required to be listed on your policy, but you do not want to insure them, this is where carriers may have the option for you to exclude them. For example, if a household member has a recent history of tickets or accidents, the insurance company may give you an option to include them at a higher premium or exclude them to protect your rates.

You also may not be able to insure them with your current carrier if they do not meet the carrier’s requirements. For example, a driver with multiple incidents on their driving record may not be eligible for coverage through your insurer. Therefore, to retain your coverage, you may have to exclude them and require them to seek coverage elsewhere.

Why would a family member’s driving record impact my car insurance?

Insurance companies work under the assumption that anyone living in your household has access to your vehicle and can drive it at any time. This increases the risk of your auto insurer having to pay out a claim. And if one of your family members is a high-risk driver, their dangerous driving habits can affect how much you pay for car insurance due to that increased risk of a claim payout.

How do I exclude a driver from my auto insurance policy?

Not all auto insurance companies allow driver exclusions, and some states outlaw it completely. And, it may be difficult to get a driver exclusion in other states because of the risk to the insurance company.

However, it may be possible to exclude drivers from your policy in some cases. If you want to remove a driver from your car insurance, here are the steps to take.

Determine eligibility for exclusion

Regardless of the reason for excluding a driver, you have to check with your insurance company first. You will be asked why you want to exclude the driver and the company will determine if it’s possible. There are a few instances where an insurance company might grant a driver exclusion, such as:

  • Disabled household members
  • High-risk drivers
  • Elderly relatives who can no longer drive

Exclude the driver

If the insurance company approves the exclusion, you will have to sign a driver exclusion form. You may also have to provide supporting documents, like a state-issued ID for your father who is no longer able to drive.

Review your updated policy and understand the implications

Once a driver is excluded, you will receive an updated car insurance policy. Review it to make sure the correct driver is excluded. Understand that this driver is not covered to drive in any scenario — even if you give them permission to drive or it’s an emergency.

Can my car insurance company require me to exclude a driver?

Your insurance company cannot require you to exclude a driver, but it can create a situation where it’s the only option. The company could charge extremely high insurance premiums or even non-renew your insurance policy. If your policy is canceled, you could have trouble finding new insurance at an affordable rate.

Frequently asked questions

    • No, a named driver does not have to live at the same address to be listed on your auto insurance. If your friend or relative at a different address regularly drives your vehicle, it could make sense to name them as an operator on your car insurance policy so they are properly covered if they get into an accident.
    • If you give an uninsured driver — meaning someone who doesn’t have a car insurance policy of their own — permission to drive your insured vehicle, they should be covered under your auto insurance policy if they get into an accident, unless you have them listed as excluded on your policy. However, you should always check with your insurance company or read your policy before you let someone drive your car to make sure they are covered.
    • Adding a driver will usually increase your insurance premiums, but the amount of the increase will depend on the driver’s experience behind the wheel and their driving record. If they have a clean driving record, your rates may decrease or only increase slightly. But if the driver has a ticket or at-fault accident on their record or is an inexperienced driver, your car insurance premiums could increase substantially.
    • If you want to remove an excluded driver from your policy, you have to contact your insurance company. Simply removing a driver from your policy differs from removing an excluded driver. If someone no longer lives at your address, you can remove them without as many extra steps. But if they are listed as an excluded driver, the insurance company gets to make the decision.