# Unlicensed driver coverage by insurance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlicensed-driver-coverage-by-insurance/598459>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 3, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlicensed-driver-coverage-by-insurance/598459 "2011-10-03T18:21:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlicensed-driver-coverage-by-insurance/598459/1 "2011-10-03T18:21:55Z")

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OK, I know that this isn’t the place for legal advice, so I just want to know how most insurance companies would handle a claim.

An accident happens where a driver whose license is expired is at fault. The police give her a ticket for driving without a license as well as for what she did to cause the accident. They (her family) have insurance. Will most insurance companies pay claims in this situation?

OK, I know the actual answer is whatever it says in the insurance policy. But I don’t have access to that policy. So what do typical policies say about this situation?

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**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlicensed-driver-coverage-by-insurance/598459/2 "2011-10-03T19:29:53Z")

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I was hit by an unlicensed driver a couple of years ago. The insurance company (her aunt’s - the aunt owned the car) paid up. Slowly, but they did eventually pay up.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlicensed-driver-coverage-by-insurance/598459/3 "2011-10-03T20:02:00Z")

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Insurance goes with a car, not a person. Perhaps the family proved to the insurance company that the driver didn’t have permission to drive the car.  
In any case, you’d get paid. I hit a guy who pulled out of a driveway without looking, who had neither a license of insurance on the car. (It was a pleasure to hear the cop chew him out.) My uninsured motorist coverage paid for everything, no deductible.

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlicensed-driver-coverage-by-insurance/598459/4 "2011-10-03T22:07:21Z")

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Thanks for the replies. It sounds like I can file with the insurance company and get paid.

The driver was the insured’s wife and definitely had permission to use it. For reasons I’ve forgotten, the insured wasn’t able to drive.