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How can you insure a car that's not in your name?

My aunt is giving me her old car. She's still the registered owner but she said I'm able to insure and drive it. How can I get car insurance on her car?

avatar
Melanie Krieps Mergen · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Unfortunately, the
car insurance
policy would need to be in your aunt’s name since she is the registered owner of the car. If she’s the registered owner, you cannot insure a car that’s in someone else’s name.
Here are a few things to note
  • Most states and insurance companies require the registered owner of the vehicle to be the named insured on an insurance policy. 
  • This means that your aunt would need to have a car insurance policy in her name with you listed as an
    additional driver
    . By adding you as an additional driver, you’re covered when using the vehicle.
If your aunt doesn’t want to add you to an insurance policy, you have a few options:
  • Title transfer
    : You could ask her to transfer the title to you
    as a gift
    . Once you have proof of ownership, you could then register the vehicle and purchase insurance on it. 
  • Cover insurance costs: You could also consider reimbursing your aunt for insurance costs on her own policy if that’s what the two of you prefer.
  • Get a
    non-owner policy
    : Non-owner policies are designed to cover a driver who does not own a vehicle but frequently drives them. A non-owner policy’s coverage would follow the driver with any vehicle they drive. Just keep in mind your aunt’s policy would still need to cover her own vehicle if you went this route.
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