Many insurers, including Progressive, allow you to add a friend to an auto insurance policy as a driver if you share a permanent residence. Most insurers will also allow you to share a joint car insurance policy with a friend by adding both sets of cars to the policy. If your friend doesn't live with you, it usually can't be added to your policy. Your personal auto policy with Progressive can cover you while you're driving a rental car, up to the extent of the coverage you have for your own vehicle.
For example, if you have comprehensive coverage for your car, that protection will extend to most rental vehicles. We charge a higher rate for customers who are more likely to file claims and a cheaper auto insurance rate for customers who are least likely to file claims. If you are married and live in the same household, Progressive and many other insurers require that you and your spouse be covered by the same policy. If your spouse drives your car and damages it, it's normally covered if you add comprehensive and collision coverage to that car.
In addition, if your policy includes car rental reimbursement and your car is damaged in a covered accident, Progressive will pay the rent (up to a specified limit and term) while your own car is repaired. Comprehensive car insurance and collision insurance are also common types of car insurance coverage, although no state requires them. During your progressive quote, you won't be able to select car insurance coverages that don't apply to you. The main reason car insurance is mandatory in almost every state is because of your personal liability (liability) if you cause an accident.
Many insurers, including Progressive, require that you add a spouse to your car insurance policy if you both live in the same household (unless your state gives you the option to exclude your spouse). If you and your friend don't currently share an address, they won't be able to appear on your car insurance policy even if you plan to move later. So, assuming that all your friends live at the same address, you can add more than one friend to your car insurance policy. In many states, you have the option of excluding your spouse from your auto insurance policy, but some states only allow it for certain reasons, such as not having a license or already having a policy.
Some states and insurance companies require that all members of the household who are of driving age, including friends, be listed on your car insurance policy as drivers. If you're married and living in separate homes, that's fine and, in fact, it's necessary to have separate car insurance policies, since your vehicles are parked in different places. By requiring specific liability insurance for victims of an accident caused by you, they can receive financial help for injuries and property damage without seriously affecting their own financial well-being.
