+120 more){kind=small}
Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
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5+ years in communications and content creation
2+ years in insurance content
Matthew's journalism and AppleCare editing experience help him simplify complex insurance information on Compare.com.
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25+ years teaching risk management and insurance
Managing director, Brantley Risk & Insurance Center
An Appalachian State Univ. professor, David teaches risk management/insurance. He's appeared in the NY Times, CNN, and more.
Updated
You can get car insurance without a license, but availability depends on your circumstances and your state’s insurance laws.
Auto coverage options without a license include named-insured, excluded-driver, non-owner, and parked-car policies.
Having an insurance policy doesn’t give you permission to drive. Most states require a valid driver’s license and proof of financial responsibility before you can legally drive.
Most states require car insurance if you own a vehicle, even if you don’t have a license. Depending on your circumstances, you might need auto insurance without a license if:
You need to register a vehicle you own.
You’re a teen driver with a learner’s permit or have a teen in your household.
You have a suspended license and need proof of insurance to register a vehicle.
You have an international license and are working on getting a U.S. driver’s license.
You have an SR-22 insurance requirement.
You plan to get a license and want to maintain continuous coverage to make it easier to get an affordable insurance policy later.[1]
Get personalized rates from top companies and save money in seconds.
You may have several options to insure a vehicle or meet an insurance requirement without a valid driver’s license. The right choice depends on whether you own the car, who drives it, where you park it, and whether you have an SR-22 requirement.
If you own a car and need to insure it, a named-insured policy can list you as the named insured and another person as the primary driver. Named-insured policies cover listed drivers, but not unlicensed drivers. Insurers will ask for the primary driver’s license number to check driving history and determine eligibility and rates.[2]
If your insurance company is considering not renewing your policy, you may be able to keep it active with an excluded driver endorsement.[3] An excluded driver policy covers only drivers in a household who the policy doesn’t exclude. Availability varies by state and insurance company.
If you don’t own a vehicle but regularly drive someone else’s, non-owner car insurance can provide liability coverage while you drive. It generally doesn’t cover damage to the vehicle itself.
Non-owner liability insurance acts as secondary coverage, so it typically only kicks in if the vehicle owner’s liability limits aren’t enough to cover bodily injury or property damage you cause to others in an accident.
If you plan to store your car until you can legally drive again, storage coverage can protect it against non-collision events. Comprehensive coverage may pay for damage from theft, fire, vandalism, and animal and weather damage. But it doesn’t provide liability coverage for driving. It also usually doesn’t meet state requirements for vehicle registration.
Some states require high-risk drivers to file an SR-22 certificate as proof of financial responsibility, even if they don’t have a license. An SR-22 isn’t an insurance policy. It’s a form insurers file on your behalf proving you meet the state’s minimum coverage requirements.
A state may require SR-22 insurance after a driving under the influence (DUI) conviction, if you’re caught driving without insurance, or after repeated or serious traffic violations.
The cost of car insurance without a license depends on the policy type, your coverage needs, deductibles, and other factors, like the licensed driver’s driving history.
Insurers typically consider drivers with an SR-22 requirement a higher risk to insure and charge them more for coverage. The following table shows average full-coverage rates for drivers who need an SR-22.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Full-Coverage Premium | Average Monthly Liability Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $113 | $62 |
| Country Financial | $114 | $60 |
| USAA | $128 | $67 |
| State Farm | $130 | $69 |
| Erie | $149 | $86 |
| Safeco | $170 | $108 |
| Mile Auto | $174 | $95 |
| GEICO | $184 | $103 |
| American Family | $203 | $107 |
| Direct Auto | $211 | $117 |
| Mercury | $217 | $123 |
| Elephant | $220 | $133 |
| National General | $222 | $114 |
| Commonwealth Casualty | $226 | $108 |
| Root | $226 | $142 |
| AssuranceAmerica | $229 | $136 |
| Plymouth Rock | $230 | $151 |
| Travelers | $241 | $127 |
| Liberty Mutual | $259 | $164 |
| Clearcover | $263 | $149 |
| Farmers | $263 | $138 |
| The General | $264 | $111 |
| Bristol West | $265 | $138 |
| GAINSCO | $265 | $124 |
| Chubb | $285 | $155 |
| The Hartford | $296 | $171 |
| Shelter | $305 | $173 |
| Anchor | $306 | $146 |
| CSAA | $306 | $208 |
| Dairyland | $318 | $130 |
| 21st Century | $328 | $177 |
| State Auto | $368 | $199 |
| Amica | $504 | $295 |
Finding car insurance without a license can take a few extra steps. But knowing what to do next can help make the process easier. Use the steps below to narrow down your options and compare coverage.
Identify your coverage needs. Decide which policy type best fits your situation.
Gather your documents. Have your vehicle registration, state ID, and personal information ready. You may also need your driver’s license number or details about a suspended license.
Find insurers that cover unlicensed drivers. Contact companies to find insurers that offer auto insurance for unlicensed drivers and what requirements apply. Let companies know if you need an SR-22.
Request car insurance quotes. Compare at least three car insurance companies to find the best price for your coverage needs and situation.
Review the policy details. Confirm who the policy covers, who can drive the vehicle, whether any restrictions apply, and whether the policy meets your state’s minimum requirements.
Compare quotes, starting at an average of $47 per month.
Below are answers to common questions people ask about getting car insurance without a license.
No. An insurance policy and a valid driver’s license are separate requirements. You may be able to insure a vehicle without a license. But you usually can’t legally drive without meeting your state’s licensing requirements.
Yes. Almost all states require liability insurance to register a vehicle. So you can insure a car you own even if you’ve never had a license. But insurers will likely require you to list a licensed primary driver on the policy and may exclude you from coverage.
Yes. If another person regularly drives your vehicle, your insurer may list that person as the primary driver on your policy. Insurers use the primary driver’s age and driving history to price the policy, which can affect how much you pay.
Non-owner insurance is usually cheaper than a regular car insurance policy. Unlike a standard policy, non-owner insurance doesn’t cover the vehicle. A non-owner policy provides liability protection for the driver, and may also cover the driver’s injuries in some states.
Yes. You can insure a car you don’t drive. A minimum coverage policy can help you meet your state’s insurance requirements if the car still has an active registration. You can also buy storage coverage or comprehensive-only coverage if you need coverage only for risks like theft or damage while the car is in storage.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
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Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
5+ years in communications and content creation
2+ years in insurance content
Matthew's journalism and AppleCare editing experience help him simplify complex insurance information on Compare.com.
25+ years teaching risk management and insurance
Managing director, Brantley Risk & Insurance Center
An Appalachian State Univ. professor, David teaches risk management/insurance. He's appeared in the NY Times, CNN, and more.
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