Compare Best Car Insurance Companies That Don’t Require Spouses To Be on the Same Policy [2023]

Married couples are not required to have joint insurance policies to own a car. However, if you and your spouse have good driving records, you may qualify for several discounts, and it may benefit you to share a policy together to bundle multiple cars and other insurance policies.

Insurance companies will typically charge you lower rates as a married couple. Still, if your spouse has a poor driving history, your insurance rates will be affected. They could increase due to them being included in your policy.

Many insurers will require you to add your spouse to your policy if you’re both living in the same household (unless your state gives you the option to exclude your spouse). But there are a select few that do not have this requirement.

Keep reading to learn more about car insurance rates from car insurance companies that don’t require spouses to be on the same policy. Enter your ZIP code now to compare free quotes from companies in your area today.

What are companies that don’t require spouses to be on the same policy?

Most companies require all licensed drivers to be listed on a car insurance policy, as stated before. Still, a few companies don’t have that requirement and allow what is called an “excluded driver.”

In some states — New York, Kansas, Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin — excluding a driver is not allowed. This is because car insurers in those states will not sell you a policy unless you include every person you live with (of driving age) on your policy.

It is best to check state laws if you plan to move to another state or simply need a better policy in the state you’re currently residing in.

But there are a few affordable car insurance companies don’t require spouses to be on the same policy.

USAA Car Insurance

USAA does not require all licensed drivers to be listed on your car insurance policy, but they strongly recommend it. Because your car insurance covers people who use your vehicle with your permission, they would receive coverage in the event of an accident.

However, it is not always beneficial to have your spouse listed on your policy.

USAA states that these are some of the reasons why your insurances rates might increase as a result of adding your spouse onto your policy:

In these cases, excluding a spouse from your car insurance will typically result in lower deductibles and more cost-effective rates, especially if they have poor driving habits.

USAA also offers Named Driver Exclusions under their comprehensive car insurance policies.

This will:

• Prevent specific drivers on your policy from being covered by collision and/or comprehensive coverage on one particular automobile
• This can lower your rates, but if the excluded driver operates the automobile and is involved in a car accident, you are not insured for collision and/or comprehensive coverage; which means you could be held personally responsible

If you choose USAA’s standard policy, Named Driver Exclusion will be available under the comprehensive and collision coverage. However, if you select the basic policy (liability), these coverage options are not available.

Suppose you do choose to stick with liability. In that case, there are a few options available in the event of an accident involving your spouse:

These will also be determined state to state when you buy car insurance from car insurance companies that don’t require spouses to be on the same policy.

Travelers Car Insurance

Most Travelers car insurance policies provide basic coverage in these situations. If someone drives your car with your permission (whether by verbally telling them or handing them the keys), they will usually be covered under the terms of your policy.

Drivers who are not on your policy might also be covered in the following situations:

• When extended family members visit you or stay with you at your home
• When sharing the driving responsibility on a road trip or a long drive
• When friends and family members borrow your car when theirs is being repaired

There are also a few scenarios in specific drivers or activities that will not be covered by your policy:

• Paid Car-Sharing: such as renting out your car to a car-sharing company (taxis services or professional businesses that involve transportation); there are other policies available with Travelers for these situations
• Excluded Drivers: in some states, excluded drivers may have a minimal amount of coverage, though this (and the exact type of coverage provided) will depend on where you live
• Commercial Activities: this can include using the vehicle to deliver pizzas, driving for a transportation network company that offers car rides or ride-sharing, or operating some sort of delivery or concierge service

You will likely need a separate insurance policy or supplement to carry insurance for any of these types of activities.

Farmers Car Insurance

With Farmers car insurance, they allow excluded drivers and have a prevision called permissive use. This provision covers any person, including your spouse, under your policy while using your insured car with your permission.

It is an added feature available when purchasing collision coverage from Farmers; however, you will need to make sure that it is included and active before letting anyone borrow your vehicle.

Under permissive use, the borrower or spouse is covered the same way as you, with minor limitations. Collision coverage is also a requirement with permissive use, so if you don’t have it, the damage to your car will not be covered.

In some cases, only bodily injury and property damage liability will be covered in certain situations. So it is best if you plan on lending your car to your spouse for a short time, that they have car insurance if the damages exceed the covered costs.

If your spouse does not have insurance, your policy limits could be exhausted in the event of a serious accident. When this happens, you will be held responsible for any amount that your policy doesn’t cover.

Permissive use is only intended for occasional, short-term borrowing, so if your spouse is driving your car regularly, they will need to be added to your policy.

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Do married couples have to be on the same car insurance policy?

The short answer is technically yes, in most cases.

Most major insurance companies do require that all licensed drivers need to be listed on your car insurance policy. This is for the simple fact that if a family member or spouse needs to borrow your car and winds up in an accident, they are covered under your policy.

Since most spouses will have immediate access to your vehicle, most companies will require them to be listed.

A few situations in which married couples may choose to have separate insurance policies, such as one spouse having poor credit or a history with traffic violations and a bad driving record.

In these instances, it might be best to find options that support separate spousal policies.

Can unmarried couples be on the same car insurance?

As long as both parties are licensed drivers, yes. Most car insurance companies require all licensed drivers in the same household to be registered as authorized drivers. This is if someone gets into an accident in your vehicle, they are covered.

According to Experian, if your spouse or partner has a fairly decent credit score, driving record and works within small radium from where you live, you won’t see a drastic increase in your rates if you decide to add them to your policy.

Most of the time, it is beneficial too. For example, combining car insurance after marriage and having joint car insurance for married couples will result in deeper discounts and lower rates.

Insurance companies consider married couples a lower risk to insure than those that are single. While that may seem like an outdated stereotype, car insurance companies have drastically different rates for both married and single consumers.

Do car insurance companies ask for proof of marriage?

Not in every case, but some companies will have you fill out a formal document stating you would like your spouse to be added officially to your insurance policy.

If your car insurance company does need you to provide proof of marriage, a simple photocopy of your marriage license is all you need to prove marital status.

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Car Insurance Companies That Don’t Require Spouses To Be on the Same Policy: Key Takeaways

Car insurance rates from car insurance companies that don’t require spouses to be on the same policy will differ from state to state. Therefore, it is always best to check to ensure that your state does not require your spouse to be listed on your policy.

While it is always best to have complete coverage if your spouse needs to borrow your vehicle, it might not always be financially plausible.

With some critical factors like a poor driving record, poor credit score, or a severe traffic violation influencing your policy’s rates, it might be in your best interest to keep you and your spouse’s policies separate.

USAA, Travelers, and Farmers are all great companies that provide plenty of options when it comes to making sure that you and your spouse are covered in the event of an accident, even with being an unlisted driver on your policy.

Now that you know more about car insurance companies that don’t require spouses to be on the same policy enter your ZIP code below into our free comparison tool to compare companies in your area.

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