Finding Great Insurance

A learner's permit is something that teens often get when they reach the age where they are old enough to begin driving with an adult in the car. A learner's permit is not the same thing as a driver's license, though, and this is important to know. When your child is preparing to get his or her permit, you might want to contact your auto insurance company to find out what you should do about auto insurance coverage for the teen.

You probably do not need coverage yet

Most insurance companies do not require auto insurance coverage for a person who has a leaner's permit. Instead, the adult riding with the person who is driving with the learner's permit should have insurance coverage. Car insurance generally covers a car, not necessarily a person; however, the policy you have for your cars will cover the car if you are in it while your teen child is driving it, as long as he or she has a valid learner's permit.

When allowing your teen to drive, you must make sure that you are always with him or her during these drives. Additionally, you should be on alert the entire time to help the teen understand the rules of the road, the risks, and other important things. You may also want to limit the drives to the daytime for a while, simply so your teen can see well when he or she initially begins driving.

You can add the teen to your policy

When your teen reaches the point where he or she can get a driver's license, your teen will need to visit the DMV to do this. The teen may have to take a written test and a driving test in order to pass, and this will depend on the state where you live. Once your teen passes the requirements and has a valid driver's license, you will need to contact your auto insurance company to add the teen to your policy.

When you make this call, you should be prepared to get a quote for coverage that is a lot higher than what you were paying. This occurs because teen drivers are new to the roads and are inexperienced. Teens also happen to fall into the category of risk levels that is the highest. You will probably end up paying more for the insurance than you expected, but this is temporary. Over time and with good driving habits, the rates will slowly drop as your teen ages.

If you need insurance coverage or have questions about your coverage, contact an auto insurance agent to learn more.