My auto insurance carrier is insisting that I list my newly licensed daughter as a primary driver on one of the car on our insurance policy. Can they do this? Is this mandatory in Massachusetts? I was under the impression that my daughter just needed to be added on the insurance policy as a driver and could drive any of the cars listed on our insurance policy. We live in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Charles

Lynn, MA

It can differ but many insurance carriers like to list the driver as the primary on the car that he or she drives the most, though they are covered to drive the other household cars also (as long as no exclusions are on the car insurance policy). It appears that your insurance carrier is such a company that requires your daughter to be listed as the primary driver on the vehicle that he primarily drives and that is not unusual.

While this is up to the insurance carrier to decide typically if they match up the different drivers with the different cars that they drive the most, to find out if this is mandatory in Lynn, Massachusetts you can contact the state’s insurance regulatory body. In Massachusetts this is the Division of Insurance and can be contacted by calling their consumer hotline at (617) 521-7794 or you may contact them online

I have two teenage daughters that are going to be 16 in a few months. They will be obtaining their license shortly after that. Will they automatically be insured once they get their license on my insurance policy? They will only be driving with an adult. Do I have to add them on my insurance policy? As long as they drive one of my vehicles are they covered?

Howard

Bridgeport, CT

Insurance guidelines and state laws differ so you will need to inform your insurance company’s agent and discuss the licensing of your teenage daughters and when they will need to be added to the policy.

An insurance company is allowed to consider all resident operators of an insured car in rating of an auto insurance policy. This includes your teens, even if he or she has only a learner’s permit.

Some insurance providers will not require children to be added during the permit stage but will once they obtain their junior, provisional or full license. Other insurance companies have internal guidelines that require you to add your teens as soon as they start the licensing process. If you want to know the state laws regarding auto insurance for teens you can contact your state’s insurance regulator.