Insuring a car that is not registered in your name
It can be done, but only if you have a demonstrable interest in the vehicle and the insurer knows who really drives it.
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In brief
On car insurance there are three roles that need not be the same person. The registered keeper is the person in whose name the vehicle is registered. On them rests the insurance obligation under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). The policyholder takes out the policy and pays the premium. The regular driver is the person who actually uses the car most. Those roles are stated separately on the policy schedule, and that is not an administrative formality.
An insurer only accepts a policy where the policyholder has an insurable interest in the vehicle: they must suffer financially if the car is damaged or disappears. In practice a demonstrable relationship with the registered keeper is therefore required. A partner, a child living at home, a parent or your own business usually provides that interest. A policy in the name of someone who never uses the car and has no interest in it is a sham arrangement and produces no cover after a claim.
The reason people look into this is almost always the premium: an older driver with many no-claims years pays less than a younger one. That is precisely why insurers watch it closely. See also how many cars may be registered in one name and insuring a second car.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare car insurance.
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We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
What to look out for
Four points that determine whether this arrangement holds up after a claim.
Concealing the driver
If you declare an older driver while a younger family member uses the car every day, you breach the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code determines the consequence: the insurer still pays to the extent that the premium paid relates to the premium that should have applied. If it would not have accepted the risk at all on a correct declaration, nothing is left.
No-claims years go to the driver
No-claims years accrue to the regular driver, not to the registered keeper and not to the registration. If your child drives on your policy for years without being declared as a driver, they still start at zero on a policy of their own. See how long you keep no-claims years.
A company car used privately
If the registration is in the name of your company or sole trader business and you drive it privately, the policy belongs on the business variant with a declaration of the private use. See business car insurance. The reverse applies too: business use of a private car has to be declared, including for a sole trader.
Lending, sharing and occasional use
Someone else who drives your car occasionally is usually simply insured, provided they do not become a regular driver and meet the age requirements of the policy. Do watch the young driver clause, which increases the excess as soon as a driver under a certain age causes the damage.
What does your premium depend on?
- Age of the regular driver: not those of the registered keeper
- No-claims years of the driver: shown with a no-claims statement
- Relationship to the registered keeper: determines whether the insurer accepts
- Home address and where the car is kept: a different address raises additional questions
- Purpose for which the vehicle is used: private, business or mixed use
- Type of cover and excess: own-damage cover calls for stricter scrutiny of the interest
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| You drive your mother's car, insured in your name, into a parking bollard | No | Yes |
| Your child injures a cyclist and is named on the policy schedule as a driver | Yes | Yes |
| The car is stolen while the registered keeper is abroad for months | No | Provided that |
| A stone from a lorry breaks the windscreen on the motorway | No | Yes |
| The registered keeper sells the car without telling you and you then report a claim | No | No |
| The car is registered to your father in Germany and you drive it in the Netherlands every day | Provided that | Provided that |
A policy on a foreign registration calls for an insurer that accepts it; by no means every company does.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
May I insure my parents' car in my name?
Often you may, provided you are the regular driver and the insurer knows the situation. Many companies accept that within a family or between parent and child. What is not allowed is the reverse arrangement in which your parent is declared as the driver while you drive the car. That leads to a reduction or loss of payment after a claim.
What is not covered in this situation?
There is no cover if it turns out that the policyholder had no insurable interest, if the actual regular driver was not declared, or if the driver did not hold a valid licence. Hiring out the car and carriage of persons or goods for payment are also excluded on a private policy, as is damage caused intentionally under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Who receives the payment in a total loss?
The payment goes to whoever has the insured interest, usually the owner of the vehicle. If a financier or leasing company appears on the policy schedule, that party is paid first. Record in writing in advance who is the owner and who pays the premium. After a total loss that is an argument you do not want to have.
Do I have to report a change of driver?
Yes. A change of regular driver is a change in the risk and has to be reported. That also applies to a temporary situation that lasts longer, such as a child moving back home and taking over the car. Reporting costs premium, not reporting costs cover. Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code also requires you to report claims in good time.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare car insuranceThe main page
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- Insuring young drivers
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