Car Insurance With a Learner’s Permit: State Farm
Under a policy with State Farm, permit drivers can be added to a parent or guardian’s policy or pay for one of their own.
Written by Melanie Krieps Mergen
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Even with a learner’s permit, young drivers need to be adequately insured when heading down the road. Under a policy with State Farm, young drivers can be added to a parent or guardian’s policy or pay for one of their own, but the latter will be far more expensive.
Having a teen driver in your household—or being the teen driver—can be the best of times and the worst of times. Getting experience behind the wheel can be a thrill, but the cost of car insurance for young drivers branching out on their own can certainly sting.
If you have a
car insurance
policy with State Farm or you’re thinking about switching to them, here’s what to know about your policy options with a driver who has a learner’s permit.MORE: How to get cheap car insurance for young drivers
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversDo you need car insurance with a learner’s permit?
Yes, even with a learner’s permit, you’ll need at least the
minimum amount of car insurance required
by your state. That’s true whether you’re an adult or a teen.Teen drivers can often be covered under the car insurance policy of their parent or guardian, but some providers may require that you have a separate policy for a young driver, particularly if they own a vehicle in their name.
If you have a young driver who’s ready to get behind the wheel, it’s a good idea to check with your insurance provider to understand how you’ll need to proceed.
Does State Farm offer insurance for student drivers?
Yes, State Farm offers car insurance for student drivers—as well as a handful of discounts tailored just for them, which we’ll get to below.
Depending on the circumstances, State Farm auto insurance policyholders have the option of adding a student driver in their household to their own policy or having them take out a policy of their own. Note that the latter will end up being a significantly more expensive option.
MORE: How to choose the best car for a teenager
What kind of car insurance coverage does a student driver need?
Just like any other driver, a student driver will need to be covered at the very least by the minimum amount of car insurance required by law in your state.
From there, the type of vehicle they’re driving may dictate what other types of car insurance coverage may be needed if your policy doesn’t have them in place already (for instance,
collision
and comprehensive
coverage).How to get State Farm car insurance with a learner’s permit
The two main options for teen drivers with a learner’s permit are to be added to their parents’ or guardians’ insurance policy or to seek out a policy of their own. Here are the specifics of each one.
Adding a student driver to an existing policy
According to State Farm themselves,
adding a teen driver
with a learner’s permit to your own car insurance policy likely won’t have much of an impact on your premium since they’ll be supervised by a licensed adult driver while they’re behind the wheel.There are two main ways to add a teen driver to your own car insurance policy with State Farm:
- Contact your State Farm agent
- Log in to your account and add them yourself
Once your teen driver obtains their driver’s license, you’ll want to check in with your State Farm insurance agent again to make sure they’ll still be adequately covered.
Buying separate car insurance for a student driver
Student drivers also have the option of purchasing their own auto insurance policy—but this is a much more expensive option than being added to a parent or guardian’s policy. They won’t qualify for any multi-policy discounts on their own through State Farm.
Teen drivers see the highest average car insurance rates since they’re still gaining experience behind the wheel, making them more at risk for accidents than the average driver.
Note that if your teen has a car with a title in their name and their name only, they’ll likely be required to get their own policy, which is a typical requirement among most car insurance companies.
If this is the route you decide to go, you can get started by requesting a car insurance quote from State Farm—or from multiple providers at once using an insurance comparison tool.
How to save on car insurance with a learner’s permit
State Farm offers a number of car insurance discounts that could further reduce car insurance premium costs for policies with a teen driver:
- Good student discount: Teen drivers who earn good grades can save up to 25% on a premium from State Farm. They can remain eligible for this discount up until age 25 as long as they’re enrolled as a full-time student.
- Driver training discount: If a driver on your policy at State Farm is under 21 and passes an approved driver’s education course, you could qualify for an insurance discount—and that driver will be safer on the road as a result.
- Steer Clear discount: Drivers under 25 who have a clean driving record and no at-fault accidents over the past three years can get rewarded with a policy discount of up to 15% from State Farm.
- Drive Safe & Save discount: This telematics program from State Farm uses an app to track your safe driving habits. Not only could the data get you an insurance discount, but studying the results can also help a teen grow to become a safe driver.
- Student away at school discount: State Farm offers a policy discount if a student under 25 is away at school and won’t be using the vehicle on a regular basis (outside of occasional trips when they’re back home).
Beyond driver discounts, being strategic about other aspects of your driver profile can further reduce your car insurance costs with a new driver.
For example, buying a car for your teen with high safety ratings or certain safety features, adjusting coverage limits for low-value cars, or raising the deductible on the vehicle they drive (as long as you can cover that cost out of pocket) are all factors that could end up reducing the cost of a premium from State Farm.
To find the best car insurance coverage option for you, you also have the option of seeking out additional quotes from multiple auto insurance companies to determine whether you can find a better deal elsewhere.
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FAQs
What insurance do I need to get my permit in Georgia?
You don’t need an insurance policy of your own to get a learner’s permit in Georgia—but any vehicle you drive will need to be properly insured by the person who owns it.
Before getting behind the wheel, the driver of the vehicle should check with their insurer to find out what requirements they may have regarding young drivers.
Do I need insurance for my permit in California?
All drivers, including drivers with permits, need to be adequately insured while heading down the road. For minor drivers, this can include being added to their parent or guardian’s car insurance policy.
It’s important that the insurer is informed about the young driver, so check with your own insurance provider to find out your options.
Does a driver with a learner’s permit need insurance in Florida?
Florida drivers need to have the minimum amount of required car insurance when driving—and for young drivers with a learner’s permit, getting added to a guardian or parent’s policy can suffice.
