Best Car Insurance After Separation
There are a few updates to consider if you're going through a separation and have vehicles insured under the same policy.
- You may need to remove a spouse from a policy
- Coverage could be adjusted to fit your new household better
- Managing shared vehicles can be complicated
Car insurance for separated couples
It can be a challenge to sort out your finances during a separation, including car insurance. Below, we will unravel how to handle car insurance during a separation.
Depending on the circumstances of the separation, this can be stressful and challenging. Having a checklist and an agent to reach out to with questions can be especially helpful.
How to remove your spouse from your car insurance
If you and your spouse live together after your separation, the easiest option is to leave your car insurance policy alone. Most likely, you share a policy and a residence, and it makes sense to keep the policy as is.
If your spouse has moved out or you'd like your own insurance policy, the next steps will depend on who is the primary named insured (PNI) or policyholder. Only the policy owner or PNI will be able to make changes to the policy. If you're the PNI, you can call the insurance company and request that your spouse and their vehicle be delisted from the policy.
If you’re not the PNI, you won’t be able to remove a driver and maintain control of the policy. However, you should be able to remove yourself and potentially your vehicle, freeing yourself to create a new policy at your new address.
Take the following steps to control your car insurance during a separation:
- The policyholder should remove the non-policyholder and their vehicle from the policy
- Create a new policy with updated vehicle information and a new address (if you were the one removed from the policy)
This process can be a bit more confusing if you share vehicles.
Find the best rate for new coverage today.
Insurance after separation with shared vehicles: registration, title and insurance
If you and your spouse bought a vehicle together, deciding how to handle car ownership after the separation can be tricky. Once you agree on who will take ownership of the vehicle, the other driver should be removed from the car's registration, title, and insurance.
If your spouse is keeping the vehicle, they will be able to remove you from the title and registration through their state’s DMV. Documentation will vary by state, but should be straightforward.
Remove yourself from the title, registration, and insurance as soon as possible to avoid confusion or shared responsibility for a vehicle that is no longer yours.
Car Insurance for Teen Drivers
Follow our guide to finding affordable auto insurance for teen drivers and how to get the best value for your policy.
Which parent insures a teen driver after a marital separation?
Both parents will need to contribute to their child's car insurance costs. If your child will be using both parents' vehicles regularly, they’ll need to be listed as a covered driver on both policies at your new addresses. Car insurance companies need to be aware of each driver on the policy to provide accurate pricing. A teen driver presents a substantial risk, as they’re statistically more likely to be involved in an accident and file a claim.
Suppose you’re worried about finding affordable car insurance with a teen driver. In that case, we’ve taken care of some of the legwork: the cheapest car insurance companies for a teen driver and a single parent are USAA and Nationwide.
Updating data...
| Age | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | $4,002 | $3,657 |
| 17 | $3,491 | $3,232 |
| 18 | $3,253 | $3,088 |
| 19 | $2,845 | $2,774 |
Source: The Zebra
The Zebra’s auto insurance data methodology
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.
The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.
For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.
The best way to find cheap car insurance is to shop around. Enter your ZIP code below to find out which company can offer you the best coverage at a competitive price.
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Car insurance and separation FAQs:
About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.