Let me start by telling you that I was once the teenage daughter of concerned parents, dating a “certain someone” of whom they did not approve. My heart goes out to you and I hope you know that this is most likely a phase for her, as it was for me. It sounds like she’s looking for more attention, which is exactly what she’s getting by dating this certain someone.
Parenting advice aside, I can tell you that you probably have nothing to worry about as far as your car insurance goes, as long as you told your agent about your daughter as soon as she earned her drivers license. Start by finding out how you policy is currently rated.
You may already have insurance that covers any liability in this situation. Any household member can get coverage from your auto policy if his or her own policy is not enough to pay for the damages resulting from an accident. Even then, the policy is only likely to take effect if your liability limits are greater than your daughter’s. Any coverage available from your policy would be offset by the limits of her policy.
Some insurance companies will not allow you to exclude a licensed household driver from the policy. You can forbid her to drive the car, but the insurance company will still rate the policy as if she drove one of those cars…the most expensive one at that.
In your state, Virginia, you cannot exclude specific household drivers from your policy. According to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance, “Virginia private passenger automobile policies automatically provide certain coverage to all members of the household. Because of this, companies may consider the driving records of all residents of your household when deciding whether to insure you or what your premium will be.”
Therefore, it is important to make sure your agent knows your daughter is in the household and that your policy is already rated accordingly. It’s the best way to protect yourself should the worst happen.
