I’m mostly thinking about insurance here. I’ve been told conflicting information. I live in Florida.

I live with someone who has a driver’s license and a car, but I don’t have either. I’ve avoided getting one because I have no interest in car ownership, and I feel like if I started driving regularly I’d probably die - I have driven before but I really don’t think it’s something I’d ever get good at.

It’s undeniable that having one would be convenient though - for rare occasions like emergencies at a minimum but also other scenarios.

I know almost nothing about how this stuff works. If I get a license, am I required to acquire and pay for insurance, even if I don’t own a car or regularly drive? Or will the person I live with have to pay more for their insurance? Are there any other costs or downsides associated with it that I might not be thinking of?

Thanks.

  • phubarr@lemmy.world
    10·
    10 months ago

    I’m very familiar with Florida’s rules about this. You can have a driver’s license just fine and not be required to pay anything. The scenario you’re worried about is if you have a driver’s license and a car registered and tagged (license plate) at the DMV. If you have a valid license plate and no insurance, the DMV either wants the valid plate back, or you’re forced to get car insurance, or else your driver’s license will be suspended. They do this to prevent uninsured people from driving around with valid tags (license plates), basically by getting insurance, registering the vehicle with the DMV to get a valid plate, and then canceling the insurance or letting it lapse, in order to “appear” like a valid driver.

    Additionally, if you have a vehicle in your driveway and no valid license plate, you can be cited by the local government’s code enforcement department, for having an unregistered (junk) vehicle in your driveway. I don’t remember exactly what the citation was for, but I’ve received one when I was young and first getting into the car hobby. I’m a car enthusiast and I have always had multiple vehicles, and have been told by my city I had to either register the car, get it out of view (I think getting it covered up with a car cover counts, but they really want you to put it in a garage), or get rid of it. Some municipalities don’t care, some care and don’t enforce it, and some do enforce this.

    Also, a car insurance company wants to know about every licensed driver in the household, because they could potentially be sharing cars with you. You don’t want to tell the insurance company that you have roommates or they’ll require you to add them to your car insurance policy, which will be very costly. If they somehow find out, just tell them their information is old and that the individual has recently moved out of the house.

    If you have any other questions or if I’ve forgotten something, let me know and I’ll give you the answer.