Our older son was on our policy until just after he graduated from college out of state. He went right from college into the police academy in another state, so he needed to register his truck there fairly quickly. You can’t show up to the academy for 6 months with out of state plates. LOL!
2 Likes
Another thing we learned…we had three cars and three drivers…DS was one of them. Because we had a car dedicated supposedly to his use, the rates were higher. When we sold car three, and he was really a guest driver on our policy…the premiums dropped very substantially (partly because we only had two cars, but our agent said MOSTLY because we didn’t any longer have a car dedicated to a male kid driver).
CA has a required annual smog check for older cars. However if the car is physically out of the state then you can request an exemption. We’ve done this every year for the car D has had in college and after, and it’s been granted without a problem.
We had to do this:
“Also, to renew the tag here ( because he stayed in his state for his internships) he had to get the car “serviced”, send me the documentation which I then had to take to some clean air act office, get a certificate that served to substitute for the inspection required here, take it to the tag renewal office and then mail him the tag renewal sticker. “
I think this OP is asking what to do about their son…a current college student who does NOT have a car.
Best plan…contact your insurance company. As noted, some companies will offer an away at school discount (typically requires the student to be more than 100 miles from your home). Some will allow you to remove the student (if your state doesn’t require licensed drivers to have insurance). And some will do nothing…
3 Likes
In MA we get crucified for drivers under 26. At one point I was paying $10k for 4 cars. Each son was $4k.
At 20 my older son was certified to drive both an abulance, and a fire engine, at speed, with lights and sirens. The insurance company didn’t care. They didn’t drop the amount one bit. Interestingly, once he became a LEO, even at 23, he got all kinds of discounts in his new state. He pays less now than I do with 35+ years of driving experience and a very clean record.
3 Likes
The years that our s’s were at college without a car we were able to designate them as “away at college” and they could be guest drivers on our cars when home.
1 Like
Is too. Got a $100 a year discount😡
Don’t recall the discount but with 2 boys it was probably a reasonable amount.
1 Like
My son is not a resident of another state. Officially he’s a resident of my state. He’s in a rotational job and moves each six months. He has no out of state address yet as he’s a TN resident working OOS temporarily for his first two years before he then transitions to a permanent assignment - and that’s when i’ll make the switch (and at 25).
It’s all checked out with the insurance - and we are actually following the guidance. But again, I was told to stick with our company (after going up $800 the last two years I wanted to shop).
But as I said - I have an ex colleague I ran into at Costco and we discussed this. While his kids now reside in CA, he is doing the same.
We both work for car companies. Historically I would lease a car through the company but when you graduate you are no longer eligible.
One couldn’t afford insurance in CA under 25.
Nonetheless, I was answering the question of what we do - not looking to debate. What everyone does is up to them. I’m still paying several thousand a year.
1 Like
Did your current insurance company tell you this? If so, I would ask around with other companies about their policies about garaging cars out of state.
The insurance contact. Yes, some companies allow out of state garaging, some don’t.
You want to ensure coverage. So it’s best for OP to speak with their broker or company. The insurance industry is moving quickly - and changing quickly - so you need to have that discussion.
Anyway, moving on. Simply answering the question. A lot has to do with the owner and /or lienholder.
But not here to debate what OP should do - other than discuss with their broker / company.
Yup! As younger S discovered getting his own, and moving from an old $3000 vehicle to a $37,000 SUV. But he’s got the job to support it, so there you go kid. Welcome to adulthood!
USAA gave him by far the best rate for him and older S. They weren’t good at all for us when our kids were on our car/house policy.
1 Like
It’s funny - where I live - some of the companies that people recommend - Amica, Geico, Progressive, are some of the most expensive. Allstate seems to be lowest in my area - when combining with home. It used to be Travelers but they really went up - in part because I live in a tornado prone area.
And the worst is state farm. My son was hit - and they were not happy I would not let take it to their shop (it was a company lease and it’s not allowed) and they said I had to pay the difference from theirs to mine. Eventually they relented when I showed the policy.
It took months of their slow walking and they were terrible and as I asked my dealer contacts (I work for a car company) do they encounter this - and each asked who’s the insurer and I said State Farm - two said they won’t work with them because they don’t pay full freight and the others were like - too bad someone else, anybody else didn’t hit you. They are THE WORST.
That didn’t make me feel good about my kid’s renter insurance policies - both with State Farm.
Eventually though, State Farm did come through - but not like on the TV commercial, like a good neighbor State Farm is there.
In some of the “ratings” on insurers, they do rate low.
So it confounds me they are so so so so big.
But I don’t think I’d buy insurance from them, no matter how inexpensive. My son also damaged a car a quarter mile from home two years ago when he hit ice turning into the neighborhood and slid into a curb, breaking off the axle - and my insurance came through as it should - nice and easy.
Anyway, OP should do as others have said and as I do - and talk with their broker or carrier.
Our insurance company (USAA) didn’t care so much where the kid resided, they cared where the car was located. Different rates for different locations.
Same here…and the distance it was being driven…and the type of car (make, model, year)
This thread has gone to 30+ comments to answer a simple question 
and then veered off onto a new road.
Our oldest doesn’t have a car and doesn’t live with us but is still on our insurance as a driver (not related to a specific car) because if he wasn’t he would have no insurance if he used our car or borrowed someone else’s. Not sure what someone would do if they weren’t covered under a parent’s policy and didn’t have a car to insure. Not sure that is accurate but since he is over thirty, not a big expense.
As someone said above, in our experience if there are three people in the house and three cars you can’t have one person be the primary driver on more than one car.
One of our other kids lives with us at the moment and just got a car. He had to list me and DH on his policy as others in the house that might drive. I don’t think my other son had to list his roommate on his car insurance but will ask him if roommate ever uses his car and if so he might want to list him.
Bottom line to OP is to keep him on your insurance and check to see if your insurer gives you a break for kid away at school with no car. Do you have a third car at home? That way he is covered when he is home on break or for the summer.
We didn’t add our kids to our policies—they were allowed to drive our cars when they were home,ikr anyone we allowed to drive. The agent had a fit when S had an accident, even tho I had told him S was licensed and in town. It worked out OK anyway but we switched insurers after that.
Our policy did the two of us us very reasonable—$300-$1000 for the 2 of us for a year. Each kid got good student and driver’s ed discounts and had pretty reasonable rate. Each ad own policy as they they had own car and lived in different states.
We didn’t get them lowest policy limits not highest but somewhere in between— just cost slightly more and more peace of mind for me. D now pays about $800/yr. No idea what S pays as he’s bought his own everything for 15 years.
Even though our son had his car at college, he was in dorms or walking distance or caught the shuttle to campus so rarely drove around campus - but, definitely these college kids LOVE taking road trips with friends during spring break (think Panama City - ughhhh) and away football games in Knoxville or Nashville. Great times and great memories. So, he stayed on our insurance until he became an Alabama resident in grad school and purchased his first car.
1 Like