Adding a teenage driver to your Wisconsin family car insurance coverage: what you should know

If you live in Wisconsin and have teenaged children nearing driving age, you’ll want to be sure they are properly trained and protected when they start driving. Adding a teenage driver to your Wisconsin family car insurance coverage is one step toward assuring their protection. But there are other things you should know.

Wisconsin is one of several states that launched a graduated licensing program aimed at curbing the tragedy of teen driving accidents and fatalities. Your Wisconsin teen child will have to go through a multi-phase process to earn full driving rights and privileges:

Step 1 – temporary license/instructional permit

If your teen is between the ages of 15-1/2 and 18, s/he can apply for a temporary license/instructional permit that will give him/her limited driving privileges while affording an opportunity for better education and driving training. With this permit a driver can only drive accompanied by somebody occupying the passenger seat who has at least 2 years of licensed driving experience and is one of the following:

• A qualified driving instructor age 19 or older
• A parent, guardian or spouse, age 19 or older
• A person other than a parent, legal guardian or spouse who is age 21 or older

With this permit, drivers are allowed to have a parent, guardian, spouse or member of the immediate family in the car as a passenger (in addition to the required “instructional” passenger). If your teen holding this permit plans to be driving during hours of darkness, s/he must be accompanied by a qualified instructor or a licensed person at least 25 years of age who has at least two years of licensed driving experience occupying the seat beside the driver.

Step 2 - Probationary license

Once a driver has held a temporary license/instructional permit for at least 6 months without incident, s/he can apply for a probationary license. In order to qualify for this license, a driver must complete a recognized driver education course, have an adult sponsor and have accumulated at least 30 hours of supervised driving having with a least 10 of those hours having occurred during darkness. During the first nine months of holding a probationary license (or until the driver turns 18) there are restrictions on passengers and on the hours when a person can drive.

Once a driver successfully completes the terms of the probationary license (or turns 18) s/he can apply and test for a full-privilege driver’s license.

(For full details about Wisconsin’s Graduated Driver License program, click here.)

While adding a teen driver to your insurance can, in some instances, add as much as 50 percent to the price of your premium, having a graduated program with an emphasis on safety – as you find in Wisconsin – actually will help you lower that rate. Other steps that may help curb the cost of adding a teen driver to your Wisconsin family car insurance coverage include:

Consider separate policies – you may save money by having a separate policy for your child. If your teen owns an automobile, is named as an excluded driver on your policy and does not drive your car, the total insurance rates may drop.

Good driver/good student discounts – your auto insurance provider may offer your teen driver certain discounts, including Wisconsin's good student discounts, multiple vehicle discounts and safe driving discounts. Using a driving monitor can also slash costs.

Safe vehicles/safety features – most insurance companies offer discounts or lower rates for more family-oriented sedans and cars, especially those with updated safety and anti-theft devices.

Shopping around – if you compare rates among insurance providers, it can shave hundreds of dollars off your annual bill.

Some insurers will require you to add your teen driver as soon as s/he gets a driving permit. Other insurers allow you to wait until your teen is fully licensed. Check with your insurance company to understand the full range of coverage requirements.

Adding a teen driver to your Wisconsin family car insurance coverage can be a challenge, but having the advice and support of q qualified expert will help. Reply! can assist you by connecting you to local insurance professionals who have that experience.