Every person who owns or drives a car needs to insure it. Some countries make it essential to have insurance if you have a car that you use. The car you use doesn’t necessarily need to belong to you as people indulge in buying second-hand cars very frequently. So the main question is “Can I insure a car that is not in my name? Is it even possible to do so?
Is It Possible to Get Insurance for a Car You Do Not Own?
If you own a car and want to get it insured, then the process and all is fairly simple. This act is certainly possible and quite easy as well. However, the issue arises when the car you drive isn’t registered in your name. The thought crosses your mind, “Can I insure a car not in my name?”. The answer is not entirely simple.
The problem with getting a car, that isn’t in your name, insured is that insurance companies aren’t easily able to detect why you’d be an interested party.
It is understandable when car owners want insurance for their cars as they wish to reduce the risk of any losses and make sure that they are covered for in case of any repairs. But it is difficult to understand why a third person, who does not even own the car, would want to insure it. You might use it more than the owner but you need proof to justify this.
You can opt for certain ways through which you can insure the car even if it is not in your name. The most commonly used method of doing so is by claiming yourself as a named driver. By doing so, you can enlist yourself as someone who drives this car and pay premiums to ensure the safety of the car in case anything bad happens.
However, it is difficult to prove yourself as having an insurable interest. You’ll have to collect various pieces of evidence and give insurance companies the proof for wanting to get the car insured.
Some areas have rules about the insurance of a car. These can be extremely strict some times, depending on the area, as they require the insurance and registration to match. This is the only way to determine who uses the car. However, this does not preside everywhere and you’ll lax laws where the insurance and registration do not need to be the same.
Burdensome for the Owner
While the possibility of getting a car insured even if it is not in your name is questionable, the real burden lies on the owner if it is possible. If you are using the car of someone else, there is a possibility that they have an auto-insurance going on.
An auto-insurance refers to the on-going insurance through the generations of the family. The owner of the car is likely to get it cancelled if the car is sold to a third party.
The process of getting the auto-insurance cancelled is burdensome for the owner of the car. This can result in them falling into a lapse which has proven to be extremely expensive. Most of the times, car owners run away from having to do this.
Process of Getting Insurance for a Car You Do Not Own
You can opt for three different ways through which you can get the insurance of a car not in your name. You can enlist yourself as a user of the car by being the named driver, you can opt for a transfer of title to your name before getting insurance or the owner of the car can add you to their insurance policy.
1. Enlisting as a Named Driver
For this process, you need to verify that you have excessive use of the car and that perhaps the sole way for you to get anywhere is through this particular car. You will need to sell yourself to the insurance company to be able to get the insurance for this car.
The process is long and you’ll face a lot of questions throughout the process. Without proof of your extensive use of the car, the insurance company will not buy your claims and might refuse to cut a deal.
However, if you are persistent and have strong reasons for which you can be determined as having insurable interest, then the insurance company may choose to agree to your request. This process is difficult as the possibility of providing adequate proof is hard.
2. Transfer of Title
The best possible way for getting the car insured is by transferring the title into your name. There is a possibility of having one or two registrations, so if the owner agrees, you can opt for adding yourself to the registration of the vehicle.
This way, you’ll be able to get the insurance easier. The process of this is also much simpler than having yourself enlisted as a named driver. It will also grant you an easier access to getting the car insured.
3. Getting the Owner to Add You to the Insurance Policy`
While getting insurance of a car that you’re not the owner of is difficult, you can opt for another alternative. See if the owner of the car would like to add you to their insurance policy.
If they live with you, this process will be easier. However, if the two of you reside in different addresses, then the possibility of the owner granting this access makes it difficult. It is easier when you two are living together.
The idea of getting your car insured stems from the possibility of the risk involved in driving the car. There is always a possibility of something going wrong and anyone who drives a car wants to make sure that they are insured.
If you use a car that is not in your name, then the process of getting insurance can get a little tough but it is not impossible. You can opt for various alternatives to make sure that you’re insured!
