Can You Get Car Insurance Without A License?
It’s possible to get car insurance without a license under certain conditions, though the options are usually limited.
We’ve saved shoppers an average of $600 per year on their car insurance.
While it’s legal to buy car insurance without a valid driver’s license in many U.S. states, driving without one is illegal in every state. Though often difficult to find, insurance for unlicensed drivers exists if you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
Some states allow insurance or registration without a license, while others require a licensed driver to be listed.
Most insurers won’t issue a policy unless a valid driver is named as the main operator.
In many states, you can register a car without a license, but coverage still depends on insurer requirements.
Can You Get Car Insurance Without A License?
Yes, you can get car insurance without a license, but with conditions. Getting car insurance without a driver’s license isn’t easy, and whether it’s possible depends heavily on the situation. Some insurance companies will write a policy under certain circumstances, but they’ll almost always require that a licensed driver be listed as the primary operator of the vehicle.
Legalities are also an important factor. State laws differ, and some states restrict or prohibit insurers from issuing policies to individuals without a valid license. Others allow it, provided another driver is identified to operate the vehicle. This means your ability to get coverage without a license will vary depending on where you live.
Insurance company policies are also a factor. Many carriers won’t give you a quote without a license number because they use it to pull your driving history and rate the level of risk you pose. Without that information, they can’t properly assess the likelihood of claims. A few companies, however, may be willing to make exceptions in special situations, such as when someone owns a car but doesn’t drive due to medical reasons, age, or reliance on a caregiver or chauffeur.
Quick Tip: If your license is suspended, ask about an SR-22 filing right away; this proof of coverage is often required to reinstate driving privileges sooner.
Reasons You Would Need Car Insurance Without A License
Sometimes people need car insurance even if they don’t have a valid driver’s license. In these cases, coverage helps protect their vehicle, finances, or future driving plans. Common situations include:
- Vehicle owners who don’t drive: You may own a car but rely on others to drive it, making insurance necessary for liability and protection.
- Seniors or disabled individuals with caregivers: A caregiver or family member might be the primary driver, but insurance is still needed in the owner’s name.
- Learners or teens preparing for a license: Parents often insure a car for a teen who only has a learner’s permit and isn’t fully licensed yet.
- License is suspended or revoked: Insurance may be required to reinstate driving privileges, and may involve filing an SR-22 or FR-44 form.
- Classic car owners or storage situations: Even if the car isn’t driven, insurance protects against theft, fire, or damage while in storage.
Can You Get Car Insurance With A Suspended License?
Getting car insurance with a suspended license is possible, but it comes with extra challenges.
Most insurance companies see a suspended license as a red flag, since it often signals risky driving behavior, unpaid fines, or serious traffic violations. Because of this, many carriers either refuse coverage or charge significantly higher premiums.
In many cases, the reason someone with a suspended license is looking to buy car insurance is to reinstate their driving privileges. States often require an SR-22 or FR-44 form, which is a certificate filed by the insurer proving that you carry the minimum liability coverage. Without this filing, you typically won’t be able to get your license.
Quick Tip: If you don’t have a license, list a trusted licensed driver as the primary operator; this keeps your coverage valid and avoids being rated as uninsurable.
How To Get Car Insurance Without A License
Getting car insurance without a license may sound impossible, but it’s a matter of matching your situation to the right type of policy and insurer. The process is more structured than most people realize: you’ll need to define why you need insurance, line up a licensed driver, and work directly with carriers willing to handle non-standard cases. Below is a step-by-step guide:
Examine Your Policy Options
Decide whether you need an owner’s policy (you own the car), a non-owner policy (you don’t own a car but need liability or SR-22), or storage coverage (protecting a car not being driven).
Define Your Need
Clarify why you need coverage—whether it’s to reinstate a suspended license, insure a caregiver driving your car, or simply protect a stored vehicle.
Choose A Primary Driver
Select a licensed driver (spouse, family member, caregiver) to be listed as the main operator, since you won’t be driving.
Ask To Be Excluded
Tell the insurer you should be named as an excluded driver. This allows the policy to be rated on the licensed driver instead of you.
Gather Required Information
Have the vehicle details ready (VIN, year, make, model), the licensed driver’s information, garaging address, prior policy details, and proof of any SR-22/FR-44 requirement.
Compare Quotes Through Insuranceopedia
Get three to five quotes, including at least one specialty insurer, to see who will accommodate your situation and provide the needed coverage.
Bind And Confirm Coverage
Once you choose, bind the policy, make sure your ID cards are issued, and confirm any SR-22/FR-44 filing is complete before moving forward.
Who Should You List As The Primary Driver If You Don’t Have A License?
If you don’t have a license, the primary driver on your car insurance should be the person who will actually operate the vehicle most often, like a spouse, partner, family member, or caregiver with a valid driver’s license.
Insurers use the primary driver’s record to determine rates, so it needs to be someone who lives in your household or has regular access to the car. Choosing the right primary driver ensures the policy is valid and accurately reflects who is responsible for driving the vehicle.
Key Stat: The Insurance Research Council found that the uninsured motorist rate in the U.S. rose from 12.4% in 2017 to 15.4% in 2023, a trend that overlaps significantly with unlicensed or high-risk driving behavior.
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost For Unlicensed Drivers?
Car insurance for unlicensed drivers typically costs more than for licensed drivers, since insurers see it as a higher-risk situation. On average, a standard car insurance policy for a licensed driver in the U.S. runs between $1,500 and $2,000 per year. For someone without a license, premiums can be 25% to 100% higher, meaning you might pay anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 annually, depending on your circumstances.
Several factors drive the cost of your car insurance up. The biggest is risk assessment. Without a license, insurers can’t use your driving history to measure risk, so they may assume the worst.
State laws also matter. In some states, it’s harder to insure an unlicensed driver, which narrows your options and raises prices.
The vehicle itself plays a role, too. Insuring a new luxury car will be pricier than insuring an older vehicle kept in storage.
Finally, the driver you list as primary affects the rate: if you assign someone with a clean driving record, costs will be closer to normal, but if the driver has tickets or accidents, premiums rise sharply. For example, an unlicensed senior who owns a car but lists their adult child with a spotless driving record might pay only slightly more than average, $1,800 to $2,200 a year. On the other hand, someone with a suspended license who needs an SR-22 filing could easily pay over $3,500 annually.
Key Stat: Research in the journal Pediatrics (American Academy of Pediatrics) showed that 4.2% of 9th–11th graders admitted to driving at least one hour per week without a valid license.
Challenges You May Face Getting Insurance Without A License
Getting insurance without a license isn’t simple, and there are several hurdles you’re likely to face along the way.
One of the biggest challenges is that many insurers won’t work with unlicensed drivers, which narrows the number of companies you can choose from. On top of that, some online quote tools are built to pull your driving record using a license number, so you may not be able to get a quote.
Even if you do find coverage, it usually comes with trade-offs. Premiums are often higher because the insurer can’t assess your risk through a driving record, and some companies may limit the types of coverage they’ll offer in these cases.
You also need to be very clear about your role. If you don’t have a valid license, you can’t legally drive the car yourself. If you do, you could not only void your policy but also be subject to fines, penalties, or worse if you’re involved in an accident.
Key Stat: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2022, 35% of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes were operating without valid motorcycle licenses.
How To Get Car Insurance If You’re Considered Too High-Risk
If your insurance company says you’re too high-risk to insure, it usually means your driving record, claims history, or circumstances make you more expensive to cover than they’re willing to accept. Common reasons include multiple accidents, serious violations like DUIs, frequent claims, or a suspended license.
The good news is there are still options. Some insurers specialize in covering high-risk drivers, often referred to as “non-standard” insurance companies. These carriers may cost more, but they’re designed to take on drivers that mainstream companies reject.
In certain states, you may also qualify for an assigned risk plan, where the state assigns you to an insurer to ensure you can legally carry minimum coverage. While premiums will likely be higher, maintaining continuous coverage, driving safely, and keeping a clean record going forward can eventually help you move back into a standard insurance market.
State-by-State Variations & Laws
State rules vary when it comes to insuring or registering a car if you don’t have a valid driver’s license. Some states make it possible by allowing an owner to insure a car with a licensed driver listed as the operator, while others are stricter and tie both insurance and registration more directly to having a license.
Here’s a breakdown:
| Category | States |
| Allow Insurance Without a License | California, New York, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey |
| Require Licensed Primary Driver to Be Listed | Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Missouri |
| Allow Vehicle Registration Without a License | California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Arizona, Washington, Oregon |
Sources
⇅- Can you get car insurance without a license?. Progressive. (2025). https://www.progressive.com/answers/car-insurance-without-license/
- Unlicensed Teenaged Drivers: Who Are They, and How Do They Behave When They Are Behind the Wheel?. AAP Publications. (2025). https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/122/5/e994/71550/Unlicensed-Teenaged-Drivers-Who-Are-They-and-How
- Unlicensed driving among young drivers in North Carolina: a quasi-induced exposure analysis. Injury Eoidemiology. (2025). https://injepijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40621-022-00391-9
About Bob Phillips
