# DI-M-V-01: My teenager has a learner licence and sometimes drives our car with me. Do I need to change our insurance? Collected 11 October 2026 [Car insurance study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/insurance/car-insurance) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 10e2f476-050c-4c05-af24-6a4b48cf7160 Yes — you should contact your car insurer and check whether your teenager needs to be added to your policy. In New Zealand, you may not need to change your insurance cover itself, but you should make sure your teenager is covered when driving your car on their learner licence. The important thing is to sort this out before they have an accident, because the rules and costs vary between insurers. [Car insurance](https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/help-product-service/cars/paying-registering-insuring-car/car-insurance)[Duty of Disclosure: What to Tell Your Insurer](https://www.icnz.org.nz/individuals/consumer-guides/things-you-need-to-tell-your-insurer/)[Car insurance buying guide](https://www.consumer.org.nz/services/car-insurance/guide) ## What you should check - Whether they need to be named on your policy. Some insurers cover permitted drivers who aren't specifically listed, while others have restrictions or require additional drivers to be declared. - Whether your premium will increase. Adding a young, inexperienced driver can cost more, particularly if your policy currently has a discount for having no drivers under 25. - What excess would apply if they had an accident. A learner or young-driver excess may be charged on top of your normal excess, potentially leaving you with a substantial bill. - Whether your existing cover is sufficient. Check whether you have comprehensive, third-party, or third-party fire and theft cover, and what damage each type covers. [Do I need to list everyone who drives my car on my policy?](https://www.aainsurance.co.nz/help/article/360018797872-Do-I-need-to-list-everyone-who-drives-my-car-on-my-policy)[Car insurance buying guide](https://www.consumer.org.nz/services/car-insurance/guide)[Car ownership and insurance](https://drive.govt.nz/car-ownership-and-maintenance/car-ownership-and-insurance) ## What to say to your insurer You can keep it simple: Writing My teenager has a learner licence and will occasionally drive our car with me as their supervisor. Can you confirm whether they need to be added to our policy, whether this changes our premium, and what excess would apply if they had an accident? Could you also confirm that our current cover applies while they are driving under learner-licence conditions? It's worth getting confirmation in writing. New Zealand's Insurance Council advises policyholders to disclose relevant changes, including details of additional drivers, and warns that failing to disclose relevant information can affect claims. [Duty of Disclosure: What to Tell Your Insurer](https://www.icnz.org.nz/individuals/consumer-guides/things-you-need-to-tell-your-insurer/)[Insurance](https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/help-product-service/managing-money/insurance) Also, make sure your teenager follows the learner-licence rules: they must have a qualified supervisor sitting beside them and display L plates at the front and rear. [How to get a learner licence](https://nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/apply-for-a-car-licence/how-to-get-a-learner-licence) One question that would help me give you more specific advice: Which insurer is your car insured with — for example, AA, AMI, State, Tower, or another provider? ## Gemini Answer ID: d3df63fd-4626-40fe-9f1b-f67cac7fdcef Yes, **you generally need to contact your insurance company and update your policy** when a teenager with a learner licence starts driving your car. While New Zealand doesn't typically require a separate standalone insurance product for learners, almost all mainstream Kiwi insurers (such as AA Insurance, State, AMI, and Tower) have specific rules regarding drivers on learner or restricted licences. --- ### Key Reasons to Update Your Policy * **The "Named Driver" Requirement:** Most New Zealand car insurance policies explicitly require you to list any driver who is under 25, or who is driving on a learner, restricted, or international licence. Failing to disclose that a learner is regularly driving the car can put your cover at risk. * **Policy Excess Changes:** If your teenager has an accident while driving, insurers usually apply higher excesses (the amount you pay out-of-pocket before insurance kicks in) for learner, young, or unlisted drivers. Letting your insurer know beforehand ensures you won't face nasty surprises or denied claims due to non-disclosure. * **The "Main Driver" Rule:** Insurance is priced based on who drives the car most often. As long as you (the adult) remain the primary driver and your teen is just practicing occasionally with you, they will usually be added as an *additional* driver rather than the main driver. ### Next Steps to Take 1. **Check your current policy wording:** Log into your insurer's portal or check your policy schedule to see how they handle unnamed or learner drivers. 2. **Call your insurance provider:** Let them know your teenager has a learner licence and will be practicing in your car. Ask if adding them impacts your premium or changes your standard/excess amounts. 3. **Confirm legal requirements:** Always ensure your teen is driving legally according to Waka Kotahi (NZTA) rules—meaning they must display yellow **L** plates on the front and back, and a supervisor with a valid full New Zealand driver's licence must be sitting in the front passenger seat at all times. Are you looking to add your teenager to an existing policy with a specific New Zealand provider, or are you shopping around for a new policy? ## AI Overviews Answer ID: 033884cc-d7af-4d0f-aad5-c7d8d82b7e80 **Yes, you should contact your insurance provider to add your teenager as a named driver on your policy.** While some New Zealand insurers offer "open driver" policies that cover anyone you permit to drive, they frequently explicitly exclude drivers who are **under 25 years old** or those holding a **learner, restricted, or international licence**. 🛑 The Cost of Not Updating Your Policy If your policy does cover unlisted drivers with your permission, failing to list your teenager will still heavily impact you if they have an accident: * **High Excess Penalties:** Insurers usually apply a standard policy excess, plus an additional **Young Driver Excess** , and a substantial **Unlisted Driver Excess**. This can combine to make out-of-pocket costs extremely high. * **Policy Invalidity:** If they are driving the car regularly and are not disclosed, the insurer could view this as a failure to disclose material information and decline a claim entirely. 🚗 Strict Rules for Your Coverage to Apply New Zealand insurers mirror the New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) road rules. Even if your teenager is listed on your policy, **the insurer will likely decline any claim** if an accident happens while breaching learner licence conditions. To keep your insurance valid every time they drive, you must ensure: 1. **The Supervisor is Qualified:** You (or whoever is supervising) must sit in the front passenger seat, hold a current and valid **full NZ driver licence** , and have held that full licence for **at least 2 years**. 2. **L Plates are Visible:** Legitimate black-on-yellow **L plates must be clearly displayed** on both the front and rear of the vehicle. 3. **Zero Alcohol:** There is a strict **zero alcohol limit** for drivers under 20. 💡 Next Steps Call your insurance company or log into your online portal. Let them know you have a teenager on a learner licence who will be occasionally practicing in the car. They will update your premium, clarify your exact young-driver excess structure, and ensure you are legally protected while teaching them. ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: 0b452004-2a92-444f-a53d-37b8093efc14 **Yes, you generally need to contact your car insurance provider in _New Zealand_ and list your teenager as a named driver, even if they only drive occasionally with your supervision.** Failing to update your insurer about a regular or occasional young driver in your household can put your coverage at risk or result in higher excess fees or a declined claim if an accident occurs. [Insurspy] Why You Need to Update Your Insurance * * **Inaccurate Driver Profiling:** Insurance policies in New Zealand ask who the primary and regular drivers of the vehicle are. If a teenager is using the car—even occasionally—most insurers require them to be added to the policy as a named driver. * **Unlisted Driver Excess:** Many NZ insurance companies charge a heavy "unlisted driver excess" (an extra penalty fee on top of your standard excess) if an unlisted driver is behind the wheel during an incident. * **Risk of Claim Denial:** If your insurer determines that the teenager is actually the primary driver of the vehicle, but a parent was listed as the main driver to get a cheaper rate (known as "frontier" or "noodling" or unlisted regular driver risk), they may decline a claim for misrepresentation. [Insurspy] * What You Should Do Next 1. **Call Your Insurer:** Contact your specific provider (such as AA Insurance, [State Insurance](https://www.state.co.nz), or [AMI](https://www.ami.co.nz)) to declare that your teenager is on a learner licence and practicing in your car. 2. **Ask About Costs and Excess:** Find out how adding them affects your premium and whether a higher excess applies while a learner is driving. 3. **Check Policy Definitions:** Confirm whether learner drivers are automatically covered under your existing policy tier or if formal notification is mandatory. If you'd like, let me know: * **Which insurance company** you are currently with * Whether your teenager will **exclusively drive this specific car** or multiple vehicles I can help clarify what specific questions to ask your provider.