Home Car insurance Additional driver My wife is a licensed driver but hasn’t driven in over 10 years and doesn’t want to in the future. Do I have to keep her on my household car insurance policy? My wife is a licensed driver but hasn’t driven in over 10 years and doesn’t want to in the future. Do I have to keep her on my household car insurance policy? By Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Posted on July 3, 2014 Why you should trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. As long as your wife remains licensed, your car insurance company will want to list her on your auto policy; however, it may be possible to exclude her as a driver. If state laws allow, not all do, some car insurance providers will allow you to exclude your spouse from your auto policy. When you exclude someone that means no coverage will be extended to that person under any circumstances, even if it’s an emergency and your wife feels the need to drive a car for the first time in a decade. If you’re absolutely positive your wife won’t drive your car, then you certainly can ask your insurer about listing your wife under a named driver exclusion. If exclusions of spouses aren’t allowed in your state, or by your particular insurer, and you really want your wife off your policy, then you should see about her turning in her license If your wife no longer held a driver’s license, she would not have to be listed as a driver on your policy, but she will still be noted in the insurer’s files as an unrated, unlicensed household member. However, just because it’s possible to take your wife off your car insurance policy in these ways doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do so. Removing your wife could actually raise your car insurance rates. If your wife hasn’t driven in the last 10 years, she must have an excellent driving record, which likely is giving you a good driver discount on your policy. Also, if she has a credit rating that is better than yours, this could be getting you a better base rate. The car insurance discounts associated with your wife would disappear if you remove her from the policy, thus pushing up your rates. I recommend comparing rates with and without your wife on the policy before making any changes. Penny GusnerContributor  . .Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. QuickTake 10 horrible decisions that will mess up your car insurance New driver insurance grace period: What you need to know I let my 18-year-old niece, who doesn't live with me, drive my car occasionally. Is she covered if she has an accident? He'll break your heart -- and your car insurance rates See more > In case you missed it Best Car Insurance Companies of 2023 Car insurance rates by state: The most expensive and cheapest states for car ins... What is Full Coverage Car Insurance? A complete guide to car insurance costs for seniors A complete guide to adding a teenager to your car insurance policy What to do after a car accident that’s not your fault Total warfare: What to do when your auto insurer totals your car Car insurance claims: Who gets the claims check? Buying and insuring a used car: Most and least expensive models to insure in 202... The Best Car Insurance for Bad Credit of 2021 The best car insurance companies for speeding tickets Car insurance after a DUI Guide to Car Insurance Discounts Proper insurance coverage for college-bound children How to read (and actually understand!) your auto insurance policy Car Insurance Companies New driver insurance grace period: What you need to know How much do insurance agents make Autonomous cars: 5 delightful and 5 distressing things Busted! Part 1: How insurance companies spot bogus claims Insurance options for rideshare drivers 10 things that are illegal but shouldn’t be 1/1