Key takeaways
- Adding a listed driver often costs nothing extra, and on some policies it can lower your premium — though it may raise the excess you pay at claim time.
- Sharing your car insurance is fine, as long as you're honest with your insurer.
- If a driver who isn't listed on your insurance gets into an accident, they'll likely have to pay an unlisted driver excess.
- It's possible to add someone to your policy for a short term period.
How to add a driver to your car insurance
Adding a driver to your car insurance can be done in a few simple steps.
- Get in touch with your insurer. This can usually be done over the phone or via email. Some insurers have an app or online portal where you can manage your account.
- Let them know that you'd like to add a driver to your car insurance. They'll ask you a bit about the driver; name, gender, date of birth, driving and accident history.
- With that information, they'll decide how much extra to charge you for adding that driver. You'll either pay over the phone, online or receive a separate bill for this.
- Once paid, your insurance will be updated to cover that additional driver.
Cost of adding a driver to your insurance
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How we picked theseThese quotes are accurate as of March 2026
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*Quotes were sourced on the following profile:
- Driver 1 & 2: 30 years old
- Male
- No finance
- Private use of car
- Adjusted excess to $850 where possible
- Car is parked in a locked garage
- Exclude drivers under 25
- 1 Additional driver
- Start date of policy 31 March 2026
- No discounts, no memberships, no add-ons
- Drives 15,000km per year
- Located in NSW 2011
- 2020 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport Direct Shift CVT
Your cost will differ depending on your circumstances. Some things that can affect the cost of your quote include your gender, the type of car you drive, the colour of the car, how long you have been driving and the amount of cover you need. Be sure to read the PDS to find cover that suits you.
Sharing car insurance with another person
Allowing someone else to drive your car is fine but there are a few things you should be aware of.
If they're a listed driver: If you've already listed this person as an additional driver on your insurance policy, then you've got nothing to worry about. If they're a listed driver then you're technically already sharing your car insurance with them.
If they're not a listed driver: If the person who's driving your car is not listed on your car insurance policy then you may have to pay an unlisted driver excess. This cost varies between insurers but is typically in the range of $400 to $2,000, depending on the insurer and the driver's age.
Adding a driver to your car insurance policy, short term
It's possible to add a driver to your car insurance policy, even if you only want them there for a limited time. You'd follow the same steps as adding a regular driver and when you no longer want them on the policy, you'd call to remove them. If you've already paid a higher premium in advance, then you'll likely receive a refund.
Does car insurance cover other drivers?
Car insurance can cover other drivers who drive your car. There are two ways for this to happen:
- You list them as an additional driver on your policy and they'll be covered.
- You don't list them and then if they happen to have an accident, you pay an unlisted driver excess. This is typically between $600 - $3,000 on top of your normal excess.
How car insurers deal with other drivers
This is accurate as of January 2025
Finder survey: How many Australians share their cars with other drivers?
| Response | |
|---|---|
| No | 56.06% |
| Yes | 38.77% |
| Doesn’t apply | 5.17% |
What happens if a driver is not listed on your car insurance?
You will generally have to pay an additional excess if they are involved in an accident, which can be more than $2,000. Typically, there's also an age excess charge if they're under 25. You may have to pay a higher excess if the young driver wasn't listed on your policy.
If someone plans to use your car regularly, then the best option is to list them as an additional driver; that way, you don't need to worry about the huge excess. But keep in mind, some insurers will charge you an additional excess regardless of whether they are listed or not.
Some will refuse to cover unlisted drivers altogether. So, it pays to know if this applies to you. Be sure to read your product disclosure statement (PDS) to be aware of any policy exclusions.
Does Compulsory Third Party (CTP) car insurance cover additional drivers?
While CTP (Compulsory Third Party) insurance covers injury liability for anyone driving your car with your consent, regardless of who is listed on your comprehensive policy. Your comprehensive car insurance is different: some insurers only cover drivers listed on your policy certificate, apply age-based excess loadings, and exclude cover for unauthorised drivers.
You should always check with your provider, or read your policy's Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) as to how listed and unlisted drivers are taken into account.
Do I need to list everyone that drives my car?
If someone plans to use your car frequently, it's wise to add them to your insurance. That's so that if they ever get into an accident, you're not stuck paying a hefty unlisted driver excess.
Keep in mind, if the person you're looking at adding is the main driver of the car, then you have to add them to your policy - it's insurance fraud not to. You must be truthful about who the main driver of the car is.
But if they're not the main driver and just an additional driver, it's up to you if you wish to add them.
Compare car insurance policies now
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How we picked theseFinder Score for car insurance
We analyse over 30 car insurance products across insurance providers, and rate each one for price and features. We collect up to 36 quotes per product, for male and female drivers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. Quotes are collected for 20 year olds, 30 year olds and 60 year olds, assuming an excess of $850 for a 2020 Toyota Corolla 4 door sedan model, with an average 15,000 kms driven each year. While we are not allowed to display actual quotes, our Finder Score aims to serve as an indicative guide to how cost and feature competitive a product might be for you.
Our feature score assesses each product for more than 15 features across loss and damage coverage, repairs and assistance coverage, personal items coverage and policy coverage. Features we assess include but are not limited to legal liability, essential repairs, new car replacement, car hire events, roadside assistance, agreed or market value, windscreen damage and natural disaster coverage.
FAQs
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Not necessarily — on several policies we compared, adding a listed driver left the premium unchanged or reduced it. The main added cost is usually a higher excess for that driver, not the base premium.
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Typically, all drivers of the vehicle can be covered but if the driver who was in an accident isn't listed on the policy then the insurer can insist that you pay an unlisted driver excess. This amount will be disclosed in the product disclosure statement (PDS).
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It can be cheaper to add a new or younger driver to your policy, rather than them taking out one of their own. However, this is only okay to do if you are the main driver of the car and the new driver will drive the car less often than you. That is to say, you can't pretend an older or more experienced driver is the main driver just to save money. If the new driver is the main driver of the car, you must disclose this. Not disclosing this is considered insurance fraud.
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The main driver is the person who drives the car the most. The additional driver is the person who also drives the car, but less frequently than the main driver.
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Finder writers are subject matter experts and use primary sources, in-depth research and interviews with other experts to ensure you're getting accurate, up-to-date information. Articles are fact checked in line with our editorial guidelines.
- AAMI car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- ahm Car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Bendigo Bank car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Bingle car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Budget Direct car insurance PDS Part A (accessed January 2025)
- Budget Direct car insurance PDS Part B (accessed January 2025)
- Coles car insurance PDS Part A (accessed January 2025)
- Everyday car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Huddle car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Kogan car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Qantas car insurance PDS Part A (accessed January 2025)
- QBE car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- RolliN' car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
- Virgin Money car insurance PDS Part A (accessed January 2025)
- Youi car insurance PDS (accessed January 2025)
Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio
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My listed driver had accident at his fault. Is it effected my driving history and my insurance premiums
Thanks
Gamini
Hi Gamini,
There’s a chance this could affect your insurance premiums in future but this will vary between insurers and likely depend on who the listed drivers are on your next policy. Typically, they’ll ask if you or any listed drivers have been in an accident and you must answer honestly. When it comes time to renew or switch your car insurance, it could be worth getting in touch with the insurer to see what your options are.
We assisted our son to purchase a vehicle (we paid some & he took a loan for balance), the deal is it’s both of our vehicle. Can we list him as a driver if he took out a part loan on it?
Hi Jude,
When it comes to listing drivers for car insurance, it’s important to list whoever will be the main driver of the car, regardless of who paid for it. Some insurers will also ask you to list all additional drivers who may drive the car too. If you’re unsure about who to list, it might be worth calling your insurer to discuss your circumstances so they can help you know who is the best person to list as a driver.
Thanks,
Peta