I have a teen that is going to be sixteen this month. He will be getting his license. Is he automatically insured once he get his license on my car insurance policy in Chicago? He will only be driving part time and with an adult. Basically my question is, do I have to put him on the insurance policy as long as he drive one of my vehicles is he insured?

Reed

Chicago, IL

Most insurance carriers require that you list all licensed drivers living in the household on your car insurance policy so that they will be properly covered to operate your vehicles. If the insurance provider is not notified of the licensing status of your teen and they are not listed but are in a crash driving your car, it may be possible for the insurance company to deny an insurance claim. I heard that some insurance carrier will cover the insurance claim but then they will charge you for the insurance premiums that should have been paid previously for the teenager to be on the insurance policy.

I suggest that you contact your car insurance agent now in Chicago, IL, before your teen start the licensing process at age of sixteen, so that you will know what to expect when they do obtain their licensed and what coverages you will need to put on them.<

My friend was driving her boyfriend’s vehicle (with his permission) and got a speeding ticket. She has her own auto insurance coverage in Chicago for her vehicle and gave that to the police officer but does not have specific insurance to cover her on her boyfriend’s vehicle. He said that police officer didn’t say anything about it, but she hasn’t been to court yet. Will the fact that she was driving someone else’s vehicle matter?

Karen

Chicago IL

State laws vary; some states require the car to be insured while others want every motorist to be insured specifically. As long as the vehicle that your friend was driving had insurance on it by the boyfriend (thus he was not operating an uninsured car) it likely will not matter that your friend presented her own car insurance card instead of the insurance card for the vehicle.

If your friend received only a speeding ticket then she should be able to take care of it in court and pay the fine. Being in a borrowed vehicle from a friend, with their permission, at the time of the violation normally would not matter to the court. Usually the speeding ticket would only affect her driving record and her car insurance rates if the violation was written in her name and not against the vehicle.

My wife recently got charged of DWI. Can I get my own car insurance, so her DWI will not affect my insurance rate in Chicago IL?

Ben

Chicago, IL

An insurance carrier will typically want all household members listed on an auto insurance policy. If you do not want your wife’s DWI violation to affect your car insurance rate you will need to find an insurance company that will exclude her, otherwise you will both need to be on the same insurance policy under most insurance carrier’s guidelines.

To check if your insurance carrier in Chicago IL can provide you with the insurance coverage that you need, you may contact them directly.