In India car insurance is a mandatory requirement for all car owners. As per the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, you must have at least a third-party car insurance. Apart from complying with the law, you must get car insurance to keep your finances and vehicle safe during an accident. Despite this many car owners do not purchase car insurance as they don’t have a valid driving licence. In this blog, we discuss the different aspects of car insurance and driving licence.

Reason why you must purchase car insurance even if you don’t have a driving licence.

Legally, if you don’t have a valid driving licence, you are not allowed to drive on Indian public roads. However, this does not mean you cannot or should not purchase car insurance without a licence. There are other factors why you must get your vehicle insured, which are –

You don’t drive the vehicle and have appointed a professional driver or a chauffeur to drive you around

You cannot drive the car due to old age or physical disabilities and the caretaker or the driver will be the primary driver

You are buying a car for your relative or friend who will be the primary driver

You have recently applied for a driving licence and yet to get it or you hold a learner’s licence

The car you drive or own is a vintage car or a collectible

How to get car insurance without having a valid driving licence?

Although not all insurance companies may allow you to get car insurance without a licence there are many insurers that allow you to purchase car insurance without providing a driving licence. One of the reasons why insurance companies insist on having a driving licence while insurance coverage is that they assess and review your track record as a driver and accidental history to calculate the premium.

So, if you will not be driving the car, it is advisable that you provide the primary driver’s licence records while buying car insurance. This means when you fill a car insurance online application form, you must enter the driving licence number and other details of the person who will be driving the car that you own.

In such an arrangement, you will be the car insurance policyholder but the plan will only cover the primary driver. You must also know that, even though you are the car owner, since you don’t have a licence and won’t be driving the car, you will be deemed an excluded driver, and under no circumstances you will be covered under the driver’s insurance.

In simple words, if you get involved in an accident while you are behind the wheels, the insurance company will not entertain your claim or pay any compensation for your losses. Additionally, if you get your driving licence midway during the insurance term, it is your duty to inform the insurance company about it and change your status of primary driver.

Until you do this, you will remain excluded from the cover. You must also know that when you get your driving licence and get primary status driver in your car insurance policy, your premium may also increase with this change.

Final Word

Now that you know of the steps to get car insurance without a licence, do your due diligence, follow the above steps and secure your valuable vehicle with an appropriate insurance coverage.