Spouse's Auto Insurance: Your Responsibility?

In Florida, drivers are required to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. While it is not mandatory to add your spouse to your auto insurance policy, it is common for spouses to be listed together. Listing your spouse as an additional driver can offer a policy discount, and insurers view married couples more positively, often resulting in lower premiums. However, if your spouse has a poor driving record or low credit score, this can increase your insurance rate.

Spouse as an excluded driver

An excluded driver is a household member who is specifically left off your car insurance. Their name will be listed as "excluded" on your policy, and they won't be insured to drive any vehicles on your policy. Not all states allow policyholders to exclude household members from coverage.

If your spouse has a poor driving record or low credit score and never plans to drive the family car, excluding them from the policy may reduce your premiums. Named-driver exclusions are not allowed in some states or by all insurance companies, so it's worth shopping around for insurance that meets this criterion.

If you exclude your spouse from your car insurance, they won't be covered by your car insurance policy, leaving them uninsured if they drive your vehicle. So, if you and your spouse plan to drive each other's cars occasionally, you may want to keep separate policies but add each other to the respective policies.

If your spouse doesn't have a license, they could be listed as "unlicensed" and marked as unrated so they won't affect your car insurance rates. Without a license, they shouldn't be driving your car. But if they take the car and have an accident, and the insurance company was aware of them and had them on the policy as unrated, there's a possibility that the accident would be covered.

However, it's highly probable that your auto insurance company will non-renew you at the end of your policy period or may require you to add your spouse to the policy as a rated driver and pay a premium for them.

If you fail to inform your car insurance company that you have a spouse, the insurer may cancel your policy because of material misrepresentation.

Discounts for joint policies

Combining auto insurance policies with your spouse can lead to significant savings. Insurance providers tend to offer discounts for multi-car policies, resulting in lower premiums over time. Married couples are also more likely to be offered affordable rates as they are seen as more financially stable and risk-averse.

• Multi-car discounts: Insurance companies tend to offer discounts for multi-car policies, which can result in significant savings over time. This is because the risk of insuring multiple cars is spread across a larger pool of drivers, reducing the average cost per driver.
• Bundling discounts: Insurance companies often provide additional discounts when you bundle different types of insurance, such as home and auto insurance. This is because the company now has more of your business, and they can offer you a deal for it.
• Marital status discounts: Married couples are often offered lower rates than single individuals because insurance companies view them as more responsible and stable. As a result, married couples are considered lower-risk drivers and are rewarded with lower premiums.
• Safe driver discounts: If both spouses have clean driving records, they may be eligible for additional discounts. Safe driving records indicate a lower risk of accidents, which reduces the likelihood of insurance claims.
• Simplified administration: While not exactly a discount, having a joint policy simplifies the administrative process as you only need to manage one policy, reducing paperwork and streamlining communication with the insurance provider.

It is important to note that while joint policies can offer significant savings, there are also situations where separate policies may be preferable. For example, if one spouse has a poor driving record or a low credit score, it may be more advantageous to exclude them from the policy to keep premiums low.

Poor driving history

In Florida, most insurance companies require policyholders to list all licensed household members on their policy. This is because they usually have access to your vehicles. If you don't inform your insurance company about all the drivers in your household, it can be deemed misrepresentation, a form of fraud.

If your spouse has a poor driving history, this can affect your insurance rates. A spouse with a poor driving or credit record can boost your rates or make it difficult to get coverage at all, depending on the severity of their record. If your spouse has multiple traffic violations, insurance companies will increase your rates. If any of the violations are major offenses, such as reckless driving or DUI, then the rates will be even higher.

If you don't want your spouse’s poor record to affect your rates, you may want to consider a named-driver exclusion. This is an endorsement to your policy that says your spouse won’t be covered when driving your car. In that case, your spouse won’t be covered by your car insurance policy, leaving them uninsured if they drive your vehicle. So, if you and your spouse plan to drive each other’s cars occasionally, you can keep separate policies but will need to add the other person to the other policy.

In Florida, you almost always will be required to list your spouse on your car insurance policy. However, if your spouse doesn't have a license and won't be driving, you can have them excluded from coverage. This means they are listed as your spouse but expressly excluded from being covered as a driver on your policy and won't affect your rate as a driver.

Spouse with a foreign license

In Florida, it is not mandatory to add your spouse to your car insurance policy. However, it is recommended to list them as an additional driver, especially if they will be driving your car. If your spouse has a poor driving record or low credit score, excluding them from the policy may reduce your premiums. On the other hand, if they have a clean driving record, you could save between 4% and 10% by combining your auto insurance plans.

If your spouse has a foreign driver's license and you want to add them to your car insurance policy, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, check with your insurance provider about their specific requirements and restrictions for adding a spouse with a foreign license. Some insurance companies may have more stringent rules and prohibit adding a spouse with a foreign license to your policy.

If your spouse plans to stay in the U.S. for an extended period and will be driving, it is crucial to get them added to your car insurance policy or obtain a separate policy for them. Most states require drivers to have auto insurance, and your spouse can be covered under your policy or their own.

To get auto insurance in the U.S. with a foreign license, your spouse will need to apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP) from their home country and have a valid driver's license from that country. Some states also require the spouse to obtain a U.S. driver's license, especially if they will be residing in the U.S. for a longer period. It is important to check with the specific state's requirements, as they may vary.

When obtaining auto insurance for a spouse with a foreign license, insurance companies will consider factors such as age, driving history, and credit history to determine eligibility and rates. It may be more challenging and expensive to get insured as a non-U.S. citizen, but it is possible to find coverage that meets your needs.

Spouse with no license

If your spouse has no driver's license, they should not be driving your car. However, your spouse must be listed on your insurance policy regardless of their driving status. Insurance companies require this so they can properly rate the risk and know who they are and are not covering.

If your spouse will not be driving, you can have them excluded from coverage. This means they are listed as your spouse but expressly excluded from being covered as a driver on your policy and, therefore, won't affect your rate as a driver. It is important to specify that if anyone is excluded on your policy, they will not be covered if they drive your car for any reason.

If your spouse doesn't have a license and is not listed on your insurance policy, and they take the car and have an accident, your insurance company may non-renew you at the end of your policy period or may require you to add your spouse to the policy as a rated driver and pay a premium for them.

Frequently asked questions