Many insurers, including Progressive, allow you to add a friend to an auto insurance policy as a driver if you share a permanent residence. Most insurers will also allow you to share a joint car insurance policy with a friend by adding both sets of cars to the policy. If your friend doesn't live with you, it usually can't be added to your policy. Your personal auto policy with Progressive can cover you while you're driving a rental car, up to the extent of the coverage you have for your own vehicle.
For example, if you have comprehensive coverage for your car, that protection will extend to most rental vehicles. You can purchase two car insurance policies to insure two separate vehicles. However, buying two policies to insure the same vehicle may result in the automatic cancellation of one of them. If a judge finds you guilty of driving without insurance, you will have to file proof of future liability (SR-2) with the DMV for three years or your driving privileges will be suspended.
This is in addition to any fine you must pay to the court. Whether it's a roommate, a spouse or partner, or even a teenager or a college student, there are many situations where it makes sense to add a driver to your car insurance. Sharing a car insurance policy with a friend could help both of you save money by splitting the costs of some car insurance coverage. You should add any regular driver of your car to your insurance policy to cover damage caused by accidents.
If you lend your car to someone and that person causes an accident, Progressive may cover some of the damages they are responsible for. Some states and insurance companies require that all members of the household who are of driving age, including friends, be listed on your car insurance policy as drivers. If you live in the same residence as your friend, you can usually add it to your car insurance because the vehicles are parked in the same place. No matter where you live, your standard car insurance policy will normally cover you in all 50 states and Canada.
For example, if you live in Connecticut but work outside the state of New York, you would have an auto insurance policy in Connecticut, since the vehicle stays there overnight. You can generally add someone else's car to your policy if you also share the same car insurance policy, which normally also requires living together. Adding a driver to your insurance policy means that they are an insured driver under your policy when driving your car. Every state requires auto insurance companies to declare how they calculate rates to customers, and insurers cannot deviate from these presented rates.
If you have a child who is going to an out-of-state college and has a car on campus, they may need a different car insurance policy for another state, depending on the state in which they are going to school. When you add someone to your car insurance, you can call your car insurance company or log in to your online account to add a new driver to your policy. Sharing an auto insurance policy, on the other hand, typically means that both vehicles are covered by a single policy. If it's been a few months since you received your quote, the rates in your area may have been revised, which could decrease or increase the price you pay for your car insurance policy.