Glossary

Excluded driver

A specific person listed on a policy as not covered to drive the insured cars, often used to keep a high-risk household member from raising premiums.

Also called: named driver exclusion, driver exclusion, excluded operator

An excluded driver is a person the policy specifically names as having no coverage when driving the insured vehicles. Insurers generally expect you to list every licensed driver in your household, since people who live with you are assumed to have regular access to your cars. If one of them has a poor record, a suspended license or a separate policy of their own, you may be able to exclude that person through a named driver exclusion endorsement instead of paying to insure them.

The exclusion is broad. If an excluded driver takes your car and crashes, the policy typically pays nothing, including the liability coverage that protects the people they hurt, and you may be personally on the hook. Unlike permissive use, which can cover an occasional borrower, an exclusion shuts the door completely.

States regulate exclusions differently: some allow them freely, some limit when they can be used, and in some an exclusion does not apply to the state's minimum liability limits. An exclusion is usually a written choice you sign. Use one only if the excluded person truly will not drive your car, and secure the keys if necessary. If they need to drive, a separate policy or keeping them listed on yours is safer. See household member.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Household member A person who lives in your home, usually a relative, whom auto policies often cover automatically and may require you to list. Permissive use Coverage for someone who drives your car with your permission but is not listed on your policy, typically on an occasional basis. Exclusion A provision in an insurance policy that removes specific people, vehicles, uses or causes of loss from coverage. Named driver policy A car insurance policy that covers only the drivers specifically listed on it, rather than anyone who borrows the car with permission. Endorsement A written amendment to an insurance policy that adds, removes or changes coverage, such as rideshare use, rental coverage or OEM parts. High-risk driver A driver insurers expect to cost more in claims because of a DUI, tickets, crashes, a coverage lapse, little experience or similar factors.

Related guides

Accidents while driving someone else's car Why the owner's insurance usually pays first when you crash a borrowed car, when your own policy steps in, and the exclusions that can leave no coverage. Adding a teen driver to your car insurance When to add a teen to your policy, why premiums jump, the discounts and programs that offset it, and the coverage decisions parents should revisit. Car insurance after a divorce or separation When separated spouses need separate auto policies, how titles, loans and teen drivers complicate the split, and the steps that prevent a coverage gap. The multi-car discount: how it works and who qualifies What the multi-car discount is, who counts as one household for it, how insurers assign drivers to cars, and when two policies beat one. Insurance decisions for aging drivers and their families The insurance choices families face as an older relative drives less or stops: who to list, excluding a driver, caregivers, storing or selling the car. Nonstandard auto insurers: who they serve and what to watch Nonstandard auto insurers cover drivers with violations, lapses, SR-22s or thin credit. The main companies, how policies differ and what to check.

Related insurers

Safeway Insurance Family-owned Westmont, Illinois auto insurer founded in 1959 that sells low-cost policies through agents in 12 states, including to drivers new to the U.S. Traders Insurance A privately owned Kansas City auto insurer founded in 1976 that sells budget and nonstandard car insurance through independent agents in five Midwest states.