I’m currently living abroad but will soon be visiting family in the U.S. and borrowing their car. Their insurance should cover us since we’re licensed drivers not excluded from the policy. The tricky part is our address situation…
We still use their address for receiving U.S.-based mail, and our driver’s licenses show this address as well. We haven’t renewed these licenses since moving out of the U.S., but they’re still valid. Since we rarely drive where we live now, getting new local licenses has never been a priority. We’ll eventually get local licenses when these expire, which is in less than a year.
We can prove we actually live in another country (lease, work contracts, medical records, etc.), but if we were in an accident while visiting, would my family’s insurance policy still cover us?
Laurel said:
You may need to be listed on the policy since you’re using their address. Or maybe renting a car and getting rental insurance would be simpler.
Yeah, it might complicate things. Technically, you look like residents at that address to the insurance company.
@Windsor
I don’t mind being added to their insurance if that’s allowed. We’d happily pay any extra costs. But can we actually do that?
Also, our U.S. licenses will expire soon, and we won’t renew them; too costly and difficult to get local licenses here as U.S. citizens. That’s why we didn’t prioritize it.
Laurel said:
You may need to be listed on the policy since you’re using their address. Or maybe renting a car and getting rental insurance would be simpler.
But OP doesn’t actually live there. Since they’re not in the U.S., the main issue would be whether they regularly have access to the car. Hard to argue regular access when you don’t live there, let alone in the same country.
@Shannon
If the insurance company sees you get mail and have a driver’s license at that address, they might decide you’re a resident. They won’t consider licenses from another country.
Laurel said: @Shannon
If the insurance company sees you get mail and have a driver’s license at that address, they might decide you’re a resident. They won’t consider licenses from another country.
True, but technically you can’t ‘live’ somewhere you’re not even in. But yeah, insurance would have to make that call.
Alden said: @Shannon
Right, but because our driver’s licenses are tied to that address, it might show up as if we’re living there in the insurance’s eyes.
Have your family check with the insurance. Unless you’re moving back for an extended stay, they may not want to list someone who isn’t living in the household. Having a U.S. address on the license might not matter if you live abroad.
@Shannon
Yeah, my worry is that the driver’s license address might be enough for the insurance to assume we’re residents. And if something went wrong, my family could be held accountable.
Alden said: @Shannon
Yeah, my worry is that the driver’s license address might be enough for the insurance to assume we’re residents. And if something went wrong, my family could be held accountable.
Probably best to ask the insurance directly. They’ll know if it’s a problem to add you.
Laurel said:
You may need to be listed on the policy since you’re using their address. Or maybe renting a car and getting rental insurance would be simpler.
Okay, we’ll have them call and see if we can be added. Will the insurance want proof that we actually live there, even though we don’t? We only use that address for licenses and mail.
I don’t plan to drive the car myself, so I’d prefer to be excluded. But is that allowed?