Roommate on Your Car Insurance Policy?

Q: I just moved in with a roommate for the first time and was wondering if I have to put my roommate on car insurance?

A: Actually, yes, most insurance companies require you to list ALL residents in your household, including your roommate, on your car insurance policy regardless if you are related or not. Why? Because they have access to your vehicle and to your insurance company that increases the risk the vehicle will be in a car accident.

Now, you can swear up and down to your car insurance company that your roommate doesn’t drive your vehicle, but it won’t matter. You both are in the same household and they look at who has access to the car when determining risk and premium.  The only way around it would be to have them excluded from your policy, to prevent having to have them listed on your policy as a driver and potentially have them drive up your premium.

You could also not say anything about your roommate to your car insurance company. But if they do borrow your vehicle and get into and accident, there could be severe consequences for not listing your roommate on your car insurance policy.