Car Insurance by Driver Profile: Teens, New Adults, Seniors, SR-22 Filers and Gig Drivers

Last checked October 1, 2026

Part of our car insurance guide.

Key takeaways

• Insurers price the driver as much as the car. The NAIC lists your driving record over the last three to five years, your age, and in most states your credit-based insurance score among the factors.
• Some profiles carry rules set by law, not by insurers: SR-22 and FR-44 filing terms, minors' license signatures, and mature-driver course discounts in certain states.
• Pick the guide below that matches you. Each one cites the state DMV, statute or regulator behind its rules.

The same car, at the same address, can cost very different amounts to insure depending on who drives it. This hub collects our guides for the driver situations that change pricing the most, and links each to the rules that apply.

How do insurers decide which driver profile you fit?

The NAIC's consumer guide lists the main factors. Among them are your driving record and those of others on your policy over the last three to five years, your credit-based insurance score, your age, gender and marital status, where you live, and how you use the car, including annual mileage. The NAIC's buying guide adds that insurers generally ask for three years of driving history and pull a Motor Vehicle Report on every named driver.

Two groups stand out in that list. The NAIC says people under 25 tend to have more accidents and pay higher premiums, and that accident rates and premiums also tend to increase for people over 65. Drivers with collisions, violations or DUI convictions face a narrower market, which Triple-I describes as non-standard insurers that specialize in high-risk drivers, plus state assigned risk plans.

What if you have to file an SR-22 or FR-44?

An SR-22 is a certificate your insurer files with the state to show you carry required liability coverage. Terms differ: Illinois requires three years, Texas two years from the conviction. If the policy cancels, the insurer reports it and your license can be suspended again. Start with how long you need an SR-22, then the guide that matches your case:

• No car to insure: SR-22 without a car, and the policy type behind it, non-owner car insurance.
• A DUI in Florida or Virginia: SR-22 vs FR-44, the higher-limit filing.
• Your policy cancelled or you missed a payment: what happens if your SR-22 lapses.
• A DUI on your record: how long a DUI affects insurance.

Disclose every driver and every use: The NAIC says to list all household drivers. If an unlisted household driver crashes, the insurer could cancel, decline to renew or charge more. The NAIC also says to tell your insurer if you drive commercially, such as for ride-sharing. Leaving out a driver or a work use can put a claim at risk.

What about teens, new drivers and household members?

Teen drivers carry the steepest risk data. IIHS reports that 2,899 teenagers aged 13 to 19 died in crashes in 2024, and that the fatal crash rate per mile for drivers 16 to 19 is just over three times the rate for drivers 20 and older. Our teen guides cover what adding a teen costs and whether a teen should be on your policy or their own.

If someone in your household should not be covered at all, the formal route is a named driver exclusion, which some states restrict. Adults getting a first license have a different problem, an empty record, covered in car insurance for new adult drivers.

What about older drivers?

Our two senior guides use crash data in its published units and the mature-driver course discount statutes that some states mandate. Read car insurance for seniors over 70 first, then car insurance for drivers over 80 for license renewal rules.

What about gig work, military service and unusual vehicles?

Personal policies are built for personal use. If you drive for a rideshare or delivery platform, start at our gig driver insurance hub. Service members have their own questions about storage and garaging during deployment, covered in military car insurance discounts. If your car carries a rebuilt title, see full coverage on a rebuilt title.

FAQ

What makes a driver "high risk" to an insurer? Triple-I lists a poor driving record (collisions, violations or DUI convictions), inexperience, insurance violations or lapses for non-payment, and credit information, which many insurers use. Insurers decide how much each factor weighs.

How far back do insurers look at my driving record? The NAIC says insurers generally ask for three years of driving history and lists the last three to five years as a rating factor.

Can I be refused car insurance? Private insurers can decline. Triple-I says state assigned risk plans provide coverage regardless of driving history, at substantially higher premiums.

Is credit used in car insurance everywhere? The NAIC says it is legal in most states. Some states limit it; see our guide to car insurance and credit by state.

Sources

All accessed October 1, 2026.

• NAIC, "A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance," and "Best practices for buying auto insurance."
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, "Fatality Facts 2024: Teenagers."
• Insurance Information Institute, "What if I can't find auto coverage?"
• Illinois Secretary of State, "Financial Responsibility (SR-22) Insurance."
• Texas Department of Public Safety, "Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22)."

Source links:

• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), “A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance”
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), “Does your vehicle have the right protection? Best practices for buying auto insurance”
• Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), “What if I can't find auto coverage?”

General information only. Insurer rules and state laws vary.