Can you insure a car in someone else’s name?

Insuring your car in someone else's name who has more experience than you might be tempting, but this is called car insurance fronting and is considered insurance fraud.

There are other ways to do it (without committing fraud).

Can you insure a car that isn't registered in your name in Australia?

Yes, but only if you are the primary driver of the vehicle.

For instance, you can get car insurance under your parents' name if you are simply an additional driver. If you're the main driver but you list someone else, this is car insurance fronting and it's technically insurance fraud. Plus, if you're involved in an accident and you need to file a claim, chances are your claim will be rejected or worse (getting convicted of fraud in NSW carries with it a maximum prison term of 10 years).

Generally, you can only get car insurance under a more experienced driver's name when that person is the vehicle's primary driver.

Putting your name on your own car insurance policy isn't all doom and gloom. The sooner your name is on one, the sooner you can start raking up time for a no-claims discount, which can save you heaps of cash in a few years.

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Budget Direct Comprehensive Finder Award		Optional			Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Awarded the 2021 Finder Award for Car Insurance - Value in QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA and Car Insurance - Features in NSW, VIC, WA, this policy offers solid coverage at a low cost. Budget Direct's claims service has received a 4.2/5 based on nearly 5,000 customer reviews. ⭐ Current offer: Get 15% discount on first year's premium when you take out a policy online. T&Cs apply. Who it might be good for: People who want a comprehensive policy without breaking the bank.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Youi Comprehensive Car Insurance					Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Youi Comprehensive Car Insurance is one of the few providers to include roadside assistance in its policy. You'll also get access to YouiRewards which gives you discounts on furniture, parking and more. Youi also has a live chat feature on its site to talk through any questions. Who it might be good for: People over 25 who want comprehensive cover with a focus on customer service.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Coles Comprehensive		Optional				Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: With Coles comprehensive car insurance, you could earn double flybuys points at Coles supermarkets and you can get $10 off your Coles grocery bill every time you redeem 2,000 Flybuys points. If your car is damaged, you could benefit from a one-week turnaround on repairs. ⭐ Current offer: Get 10% off your first year's premium when you take out a policy online. T&Cs apply. Who it might be good for: Coles customers and Flybuys collectors.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
QBE Comprehensive Green Company					Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: QBE is a sustainable insurance company and also Finder's Green Insurer of the Year 2021 award winner. This policy offers the highest level of protection available from QBE including three-year new car replacement. ⭐ Current offer: Save $75 when you purchase a new comprehensive policy online. T&Cs apply. Who it might be good for: Those that are looking for a more environmentally friendly insurance choice.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bendigo Bank Comprehensive						Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Bendigo Bank’s comprehensive policy offers up to $30 million in liability insurance, cover for your personal items and the option of a replacement car if your vehicle is being repaired after an accident. Who it might be good for: Those who seek the peace of mind that comes with high legal liability and a range of cover benefits.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
ahm Comprehensive		Optional				Both	Finder’s summary: ahm comprehensive car insurance lets you choose higher excess to reduce your premiums. Its Fixed Kilometre Plan can save you up to 30% compared to its standard comprehensive cover. ⭐ Current offer: Get free roadside assistance* for 12 months when you sign up by 30 June. T&Cs apply. Who it might be good for: People who drive less than 15,000 km per year.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Qantas Comprehensive		Optional			Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: You'll be able to choose how comprehensive you want your cover to be with optional extras like choice of repairer and the option of agreed or market value. ⭐ Current offer: Earn Qantas Points for joining and paying your premium. Sign up today and earn up to 20,000 Qantas Points (points awarded will be based on your premium). T&Cs and eligibility apply. Who it might be good for: People who'd like to earn Qantas Points.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Woolworths Comprehensive		Optional				Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Woolworths has some unique perks like a price-beat guarantee where it'll beat any current comparable comprehensive renewal notice if you're over 25. You can also get 10% off your grocery shop once a month and can add roadside assistance onto your policy for just $7.33 per month. ⭐ Current offer: Save up to 15% when you buy online. T&Cs apply. Who it might be good for: Woolworths shoppers and those that want to take advantage of its price-beat guarantee.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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How to get car insurance under someone else's name (without committing fraud!)

If an older or more experienced driver is the vehicle owner, you're better off getting listed on their policy as a nominated or occasional driver. This avoids getting them to take a policy in their name and risk getting caught for car insurance fronting. Typically, it's fine as long as the main driver is the actual policyholder.

In other cases, if there's more than 1 main driver, then it might be worth getting a joint car insurance policy. This may or may not be cheaper than simply taking out your own car insurance.

Young drivers looking to get on their parent's car insurance policy

Generally, the main driver must be the person who drives the car the most. If that is a parent, you're generally fine. If your parent is the main driver of the insured car, and you're just an occasional driver, then you can generally use your parent's insurance to drive it. If you're the main driver or the only driver at all, you will generally need to take out your own car insurance and can't get insured under your parent's name.

What happens if an unlisted driver has an accident?

This is worth knowing because it might be able to help you save on car insurance. It’s also relevant if you’ll be driving under your parent’s car insurance as an occasional driver.

Depending on the policy, car insurance might:

1. Fully cover anyone who drives that car
2. Cover everyone, but incur an additional excess for anyone not nominated as a driver
3. Only cover specifically nominated people to drive that car

Often you’ll be able to choose which of the 3 you want your car’s insurance policy to do. Although, the range of options available might vary between insurers.

If you don’t tick any boxes or make any decision, it might default to either option 1 or 2, under the policy’s terms.

As you can probably guess, option 1 often has higher premiums because it essentially gives free rein for anyone to drive the car, while option 2 is often cheaper. Option 3 is often the cheapest, but, anyone not listed on the policy won’t be covered while driving the car.

With option 3, you or your parents may want to restrict drivers to help lower car insurance premiums.

What happens if I’m the main driver but get car insurance under my parent’s name?

Even if it does help you save on car insurance in the short term, car insurance fronting is typically not worth the risk. Either way, you’ll still be paying for car insurance, so you might as well get cover that can work more reliably.

If you want cheap cover, you might be better off getting cheap and all-important third party property damage liability insurance. It might cost just as much as a fronted comprehensive policy but could deliver a much more reliable level of the most important cover.

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