While car insurance is required in 48 out of 50 states, there are many caveats to insuring your car and insuring yourself as a driver.

If you’re wondering “can you insure a car you don’t own?” you’d be surprised to find out that you can. While there could be a lot of hoops to jump through, it’s possible

Here is everything you need to know about insuring a car you don’t own.

Why Insure A Car You Don’t Own?

If you can’t imagine why you would insure a car that you don’t actually own, there are some valid reasons to consider it. If you have a large family that needs to get around, you might find a pretty obvious reason to do so.

Often parents will insure a car that they give to their children or to an elderly relative who lives nearby. For new drivers or those who don’t drive that often, this is sometimes the fastest solution to get them on the road.

If you’re younger and still live with your parents, you might want to get a better deal on your car insurance. Many insurance companies will allow a child up to a certain age to be added to the family policy for less than an individual policy would cost. So long as there aren’t separate addresses involved, it’s usually pretty straightforward.

If you’re looking to insure a car you don’t own but that someone else will drive, here are four strategies to get it done.

1. Look Into Co-Titling

You don’t have to own a car to have to have it insured. As stated above, this is a common practice for families. However, you may need to show that there’s a reason for it.

If you’re still paying off the car, you could have a tough time co-titling the car. Your bank or the financial institution who is handling the loan could raise a flag if you’re not paying for the vehicle.

In the case that the person whose name is on the title is also the owner of the car, you should be able to go to the DMV and get it taken care of. Expect to pay a small fee but to have the process be pretty simple in the end.

2. Be Honest With Your Insurer

You should always be honest with your insurance company, especially when it comes to matters of responsibility and payment. Insurance companies are very sensitive to fraud and don’t like to get a runaround, so they’re more likely to listen if you are open with them.

Let them know the details about your driving record, any problems you’ve had financially, and how often you’ll be driving. Let them know how often the other person will be driving the car as well.

If it makes sense, you could get an insurance policy to allow you to drive that car while you’re in the midst of saving your money to eventually buy it. If this is the case, they’ll be able to help you.

If you aren’t open and honest, you could send your insurance company running far away from your shady situation when they might have entertained it.

3. Show Them Why You Need Insurance

If co-titling isn’t your main need, you can show that you require insurance if it’s the only mode of transportation you have. If you plan to drive the car fairly regularly, you have a viable reason to insure the car. While you don’t own the car, if you use it to commute to work and can’t afford your own vehicle, that’s reason enough.

If you live an area that’s more or less a public transportation desert, that’s all the more reason to ask for help insuring the vehicle.

Some people have custody of a friend’s vehicle for a number of reasons. If there’s no adequate parking where the owner lives and they park it with you, that could leave you in custody of the car. Make sure that there’s enough liability coverage before you get behind the wheel

If you have a parent’s car in college but don’t own a vehicle, you could pay for the insurance out of your pocket

4. Pay Attention To The Rules

Even if you live with the person who owns the vehicle, you could end up being unable to get coverage. Depending on the rules set out by the insurance company, you could be able to get insurance for a car you don’t own. It all comes down to their own company policy.

If you’re living with your partner or have a common law marriage, the rules might allow you to insure the car or be on the insurance.

The rules are invented by each insurance company so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one insurance company is okay with it and another isn’t. This gives you the opportunity to shop around for the best policy. If you don’t mind sitting on the phone and asking a lot of questions, you could end up with a good deal and the kind of policy you need.

Underwriting also varies state by state. Even if you know it’s allowed by an insurance company in one state, it might not be allowed as part of the policy of another state. Get to know your state’s laws too.

If you’re still trying to understand the rules, do some research to learn more.

Still Wondering Can You Insure a Car You Don’t Own?

If you’re still asking, “can you insure a car you don’t own?” the answer is a clear and resounding “probably”.

Depending on your needs and what you’re using the car for, there could be some restrictions. Get to know the local laws before you call up your insurance company and risk wasting your time.

If you want to know all of the major types of insurance you should have, check out our latest guide.