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Updated Aug. 30, 2024
When you insure a vehicle leased or owned under your name, you are, by default, the "primary driver." Your insurer will use your personal information and driving history to determine your insurance premium and coverage. But what happens when you're not the only one driving your car?
If there is a person who uses your car regularly, you must add them to your policy. An insurance company could deny a claim if you haven’t listed all the drivers on your car insurance policy and one of them gets in an accident.
A secondary driver is anyone who uses your car regularly. They could be a spouse, child or roommate with regular access to your vehicle.
An occasional driver can use the car daily or weekly to be included under your auto insurance coverage. Any person who you anticipate will use your vehicle consistently, even if only occasionally, must be included. This is a separate category of driver.
Secondary driver car insurance gives the listed drivers the same coverage as the primary policyholder. This means the coverage in your policy will automatically cover the secondary driver when they're using your vehicle.
Secondary driver car insurance is coverage for extra drivers added to your car insurance policy. Named drivers typically have the same level of coverage as the policyholder. It's best to speak to your provider to ensure your secondary driver is protected under all the same coverages as you (or the primary driver).
When two people co-own a car, one person doesn't have to be listed as a secondary driver. They can each be listed as the 'named insured,’ making them both primary drivers. As co-named insureds, they both have the authority to change coverage, renew, or cancel coverage. The final premium will be based on each of their insurance histories, and they are equally responsible for making payments on time.
You also don't have to list secondary or occasional drivers for one-off events. For example, your personal insurance policy will extend to friends or relatives using your car to move it to a new parking spot or using it to run errands while you’re ill. You don't need to add these people to your policy.
Your insurance costs will likely increase when you add another person to your policy, given that your car will get more use.
It also matters who you add. An inexperienced driver, like a teen with a learner's license, could result in a sharp increase. On the other hand, adding an adult driver with a full license and 20 years of experience behind the wheel will have a more muted effect.
However, the primary driver's record will still have a bigger bearing on the premium than the secondary driver's driving history.
The insurance company will need the secondary driver’s personal information to calculate the added cost. This includes the following information:
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Adding secondary and occasional drivers to your car insurance policy can be expensive, especially if you intend to add multiple people. Here are some tips to help you save money when adding a secondary driver to your car insurance policy.
Before delving into how claims by secondary drivers get handled, let's revisit what it means to be a primary driver.
The primary driver generally owns the vehicle and the policy. They are responsible for engaging with their insurance company on policy rules, deductibles, coverage, and claims.
The secondary driver uses the car (say, as the partner of the primary driver) but less frequently than the primary driver. The insurance coverage obtained by the primary driver will list the secondary driver on the policy, which ensures the coverage will extend to the secondary driver.
As a secondary driver, they cannot amend the policy, cancel it, or make claims. Therefore, the primary driver is responsible for making a claim on the secondary driver's behalf.
If your secondary driver gets into a situation where a claim must be filed, it'll impact the overall premium cost. Make sure you trust your secondary driver before adding them to your policy.
Here’s everything you need to know about having a secondary driver on your policy.
Finding the cheapest secondary car insurance quotes is fast and simple with comparison sites like RATESDOTCA. By providing us with some information on your driving needs, location and coverage requirements, RATESDOTCA will provide a variety of companies to choose from with the cheapest secondary car insurance rates around.
Also, if you already have primary coverage, you can speak to your provider or broker about add-ons like secondary coverage.
Adding a secondary driver to your premium will likely increase your costs as the risks become greater for the insurance company.
Consumers in Canada are lucky to have a variety of choices when it comes to their secondary car insurance coverage needs. Comparing secondary car insurance quotes on RATESDOTCA will provide you with multiple options for insurance providers.
You can also talk to your current insurance provider about add-ons and see if they have rates comparable to those offered by others in the secondary car insurance market.
Yes, typically, when you add a secondary driver to your car insurance policy, you can expect your premium to increase. The secondary driver's driving history and risk potential will determine how big or small the added cost will be. Keep in mind some companies do not charge to add an occasional/secondary driver depending on their age/driving record.
The increase will be relatively small if your secondary driver is a low-risk addition to your policy. A high-risk driver, on the other hand, will cause your premium to increase by a larger amount.
Yes. Contact your insurer and submit the required documents to change your coverage. If the secondary driver is not using your vehicle, removing them from your policy will decrease your insurance premium.
No, you don't have to list a G1 driver using your car to learn how to drive. The driver should be added to your policy once they get their G2 or G driver’s license.
Joel Kranc is a freelance writer and content provider who has worked with RATESDOTCA since 2019. He holds an MA in political science from the University of Toronto and a film certificate from New York University.
He has been published in and worked for such companies as CNN, Rogers Media, Institutional Investor Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Infrastructure Investor, BenefitsPRO Magazine, Global Finance Magazine, With Intelligence, the CPP Investment Board, Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan, and many more financial services and industry publications.
He is the author of "Retirement Planning in 8 Easy Steps," which, when released in 2015, was No. 11 on the Publisher's Weekly US Bestseller List for Business and Finance, beating out Mark Cuban's "How to Win at the Sport of Business."
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