How to Get Car Insurance Without a License in Texas

Getting car insurance without a driver’s license in Texas is possible, but it’s more complicated—and most big insurers won’t offer you coverage.
Written by Andrea Barrett
Edited by Jessica Barrett
If you own a car in The Lonestar State and don’t have a driver’s license, you might still need
Texas car insurance
—and the easiest way to lock in a no-license policy is to list another driver with a license on your policy.
  • Getting car insurance in Texas without a driver’s license is possible, but many major insurers won’t even offer you a quote
  • A licensed driver must be listed as the primary driver on a non-licensed driver's policy.
  • Small insurance companies might offer better car insurance policies for non-licensed drivers.
  • Unlicensed drivers are typically considered high-risk, which comes with higher-than-average insurance rates.
  • Consider adding a driver to an existing policy, purchasing parked car insurance, or maintaining your normal insurance coverage.

It’s not easy to get car insurance without a license in Texas

There may be ways for a non-licensed driver to obtain car insurance coverage for a vehicle, but typically, it will be mandatory that at least someone on the policy has a license. 
  • This can be a family member, employee, or anyone with a valid Texas driver’s license
  • They don’t have to live in your household to qualify, but this person will be the one who plans to drive your vehicle the most
You’ll use this driver’s information when you shop for car insurance quotes, including their driver's license number and any driving history you can access. 
  • You probably won’t need to know their
    driving record
    specifics because car insurance companies will pull a motor vehicle report on their own
  • Your car insurance company will determine what risk the driver poses based on past accidents and claims, then give you the car insurance rate you’ll pay
  • You may be able to add a secondary driver to the policy, if necessary
If you get your license in the future, you can simply contact your insurer and ask them to
add you as a driver
to your policy—but this will likely change your rates. 
No matter what route you take, it’s always best to be transparent about your license situation. If you aren’t, and your insurance company finds out you’re unlicensed, they may cancel your policy. 

Smaller insurance companies might be your best bet

Most big auto insurance providers won’t even give you a quote without a license. These include popular providers like:
Insurance companies look into your driving record to decide whether to insure you and how much to charge you for your insurance premium. This helps them determine how much of a risk you are.
If you’re an unlicensed driver, you’ll usually be considered a
high-risk driver
no matter why you don’t have a license. 
That said, a few smaller insurance companies will offer policies without a
Texas driver’s license
. Contact small regional companies like The Hartford or a local independent agent familiar with insurers that provide policies to unlicensed drivers. 
Most online quotes require a valid driver’s license, so you may need to call insurers directly. Be sure to shop around with a few insurers to make sure you’re getting the best rate.

Here’s why you might need insurance without a license—and what you should do instead

You have a learner’s permit or your teenage child drives

What to do: Add the young driver to an existing policy
There are two common situations where a driver may not have a full driver’s license but need insurance: you have a
Texas learner's permit
and are on your way to a full license or you have a teenager who drives your car. 
In both cases, you’ll still need to be insured to be legal on the road.
In Texas, a legally binding contract—i.e., a car insurance policy—is only valid if signed by someone 18 years or older. If your teen driver is under 18, they may not be able to have their own insurance policy. You must secure a policy that documents them as a licensed driver. 

Your license is suspended

What to do: Maintain regular coverage during the suspension
If you have a
suspended Texas driver’s license
, you’ll probably be off the road for a while—but if you let your
car insurance lapse
during this period, your rates will likely increase when it’s time to get coverage again. 
Texas drivers are required to have
SR-22 insurance
before they can qualify for license reinstatement. An SR-22 is a certificate that an insurance company files on your behalf, certifying that you meet the
Texas minimum coverage requirements
GEICO and State Farm offer some of the best rates for drivers with suspended licenses—but this is no guarantee. Companies weigh various violations differently, and their algorithms will determine your unique rates. That’s why it’s best to do a thorough comparison shop for
cheap car insurance
before settling. 

You temporarily can’t drive

What to do: Ask about parked car insurance or storage insurance 
If you’re temporarily unable to drive due to a health condition, injury, or another reason, you’ll want to maintain some insurance on the vehicle—even if you’re not currently licensed. Doing so will help you avoid a lapse in coverage or complications with your Texas registration
Ask about "parked car insurance” or “storage coverage,” which offers
comprehensive coverage
for your vehicle to protect it against danger while parked:
  • Fire
  • Flooding
  • Damage from falling objects
  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Animal damage
For example, if you have a
sports car
that’s parked in your driveway for the winter months and a tree branch falls after a big winter storm and cracks the windshield, your active insurance policy will likely cover the damage. If you don’t have an active policy, you’ll need to pay the repair costs out of pocket.
Remember: If the car is being driven at all—even for one day—it needs
liability insurance
. To maintain liability coverage without a license, you may need to add a licensed driver to the policy.

Someone else drives your car

What to do: Maintain coverage and list them as the primary driver
If someone drives your vehicle, it needs insurance.
  • If you employ a caregiver, nanny, or chauffeur, they’ll need to be named on the car insurance policy for the vehicle they drive
  • If your child or partner borrows your car occasionally, maintaining coverage on the car is the best move for everyone involved
If the same person drives the car consistently, you’ll list that person as the primary driver on the policy. Since you don’t have a license, you will be listed as an excluded driver on the policy—so you wouldn’t be covered if you were driving and were involved in an accident.

You own a classic car

What to do: Purchase classic car insurance
If you have a vintage hotrod sitting in your garage that rarely sees the light of day, you may not think it needs insurance—but if it gets driven even for a couple of hours per year, you’ll need some form of coverage on it. 
Classic car insurance
will protect it from severe weather and vandalism, but you’ll also get liability coverage for a specific number of miles per year. This coverage is usually agreed value, which means your insurer will pay up to that fixed amount (rather than market value) if you need to make a claim.

FAQs

All drivers in Texas must carry liability coverage that meets
Texas’ car insurance laws
. That means having a minimum of 30/60/25—$30,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $25,000 property damage liability per accident. 
Remember that these are the minimum requirements. If you’re involved in an accident, costs can easily exceed these amounts, so it’s recommended to increase your limits for better protection.
Driving without insurance is illegal in all states. If you’re pulled over at a traffic stop and can’t provide proof of insurance in Texas, you’re only subject to a $175 to $350 fine for a first offense. 
If you’re caught without insurance after a car crash, the penalties are steeper. You’ll get a $175 to $350 fine plus any damages for the accident if you were at fault, your vehicle can be impounded for 180 days, a
Texas SR-22
requirement for three years after the accident, and you will be 100% liable for physical injuries and property damage for the other party if you were at fault for the accident. Subsequent offenses come with more severe penalties.
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