There are always questions when information technology comes time for a teen to drive.

What age can a teen own a car

Should your teen accept their own car or drive your car? Is it better to have your teen on your auto insurance policy or on their own? As the parent and auto insurance policyholder, how much will your insurance increase? Tin can a sixteen-yr-old or 17-year-erstwhile annals a car or own a car?

Nosotros have answers to the questions that accept crossed your mind regarding your teen driver, including one of the nigh common: How quondam do yous accept to be to buy a car?

In well-nigh states, you have to be 18 years erstwhile in order to buy a automobile and information technology is illegal for anyone younger than 16 to register a vehicle in their proper noun. Withal, state laws vary on how erstwhile someone must be to purchase a car in their own proper name.

Primal Highlights

  • State laws vary regarding at what age someone can title a car in their ain name, but it's xviii in nearly cases.
  • A pocket-sized cannot enter into a contract, making information technology very hard for someone 17 and younger to exist a sole possessor of a motor vehicle.
  • To legally sign an insurance policy or other contract, a person must be of the Historic period of Majority in their state – which is the age when a child legally becomes an adult.
  • If your state allows teens to ain and annals cars in their name, the parents would need to find out whether they can put their teen's automobile on their insurance.
  • A automobile cannot have a license plate unless the possessor has liability insurance, and insurance companies rarely write policies for minors.

Can a 16-year-onetime ain a car?

The short reply is "yes." Only your teen may non exist able to drive it without involving you, as the parent, in securing auto insurance coverage. Car ownership can exist difficult when a minor is involved.

While many states have no issue with a 16-year-erstwhile owning a machine and titling information technology in their ain name, insurance companies are often reluctant to enter into a contract (an insurance policy is a contract) with a modest, which means the teen cannot legally drive the car out on the street.

Check out our experts' recommendations on How much is car insurance for a 16 twelvemonth quondam?

At what historic period tin can a teen own a car?

When it comes to the question "How old practise you lot take to be to have a machine in your name?" the respond will vary depending on the state yous call dwelling. But, in most cases, you demand to be eighteen to legally hold a car in your own name.

While it'southward possible to title a car in a teen'southward name, or even a 10-year-old'due south name (in some states), to legally operate the vehicle on the street it must be registered as well as insured. Most states require a person to be 18 to legally enter into a contract such equally an insurance policy.

A motor vehicle title, which is too referred to as a "pink slip," is a legal class that establishes the legal owner of a vehicle. Basically, a championship only shows who legally owns the vehicle. Many states permit teens – or even infants – to own the vehicle by having their proper noun on the title.

Registration is a unlike matter altogether and is required by the state. Information technology validates that your vehicle has been entered into their registration organisation and has been deemed roadworthy and indicates that yous have paid all taxes and passed whatsoever inspections required past the state.

Finally, the registration procedure verifies that the vehicle is conveying the required amount of insurance, which is the part that tin can brand registering a vehicle in a teen'due south proper noun problematic.

In gild to legally sign an insurance policy or other contract, a person must be at the "age of bulk, which is the age when a child legally becomes an adult. One time a person reaches the age of bulk they can consent to medical treatment, sign a contract, vote and join the armed forces.

The age of bulk is at least 18 in all states. In a couple of states, it is higher – Alabama and Nebraska put their age of majority at 19, so drivers in those states cannot legally enter into a contract until 19.

So, while the respond to the question, "can a minor own a car" is "yes," when it comes time to annals and insure the vehicle, a parent or guardian will need to exist involved.

Check out our detailed guide on What is the difference betwixt title and registration?

How sometime do you have to exist to have a car title in your name?

State laws vary regarding the age someone can title a auto in their own name. The best mode to determine what the requirements are is to contact your country'south Section of Motor Vehicles (or the Department of Public Safety in Texas) for details.

Here are a few state examples to highlight the various differences in the law:

Texas

Curious about how old you accept to be to buy a motorcar in Texas? The state doesn't have an historic period restriction in place for individuals wanting to exist recorded on the championship and registration equally the owner of a vehicle. Yet, insurance companies may impose age restrictions on persons they insure and dealers likely won't sell to a pocket-sized.

Due north Carolina

Northward Carolina is similar to Texas in the sense that the state does not set a minimum historic period limit when it comes to buying of a vehicle. A car can be titled in a minor'due south name every bit long every bit the possessor can sign their name on the awarding of title.

Yet, a license plate cannot be issued without proof of liability insurance on the vehicle, and insurance companies rarely write policies for minors. This ways that under virtually circumstances you volition be required to have a parent or guardian sign your insurance contract if you are younger than 18.

Ohio

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or BMV, allows teens to title a car but their parents must sign a form before that happens. If a driver younger than eighteen wants to title a vehicle, their parent or legal guardian must complete a minor consent form and back-trail the minor when they announced in front end of the Clerk of Courts title office to have a vehicle titled in a small-scale's name.

Can a 16-year-old or 17-year-old buy a car?

While each state is unlike, in general, a minor cannot enter into a contract, making it very difficult to be a sole owner of a motor vehicle. A minor typically cannot own holding – their parents technically own that property until the child becomes an adult. In many states, a parent will take to cosign on a loan for a car, and a minor can buy a car only their parent will be the legal owner.

Most motorcar dealers prefer not to sell a motorcar to minors because there are legal ramifications, which besides is true for insurance companies. Minors lack the chapters to enter into a contract, so while a modest can sign a contract, legally, they take the correct to honor the deal or void the contract before they accomplish the age of 18. This means that a small-scale can void a contract, which makes motorcar dealers and insurance companies wary of doing business concern with someone younger than 18.

Because of contract law, typically a motorcar dealer selling to a 17-twelvemonth-erstwhile will request that a parent or guardian sign the bill of sale and other contractual paperwork, which binds the adult who signed the contract to the contract'south terms.

The same holds true for auto insurance companies. They don't want to take the risk that a teen could decide to void their insurance contract (policy) with them, and so they will normally asking that a teen accept a parent or guardian sign on the policy.

Check out our detailed guide to insure best and inexpensive cars for new drivers

Can a 17-year-old buy a car from a private seller?

Purchasing a vehicle from a private political party is basically the aforementioned as buying it from a dealer, so all of the same rules apply. If your state allows a vehicle to be titled in a minor's name, they tin certainly purchase a vehicle from a private party.

The problem will arise when information technology is time to go out on the road. In order to register the vehicle, y'all must provide proof of insurance and the majority of insurance companies will non write an insurance policy for a small unless a parent or guardian is on the policy equally well.

Check out our experts' recommendations on How much is automobile insurance for a 17 twelvemonth one-time?

Can a teenager get their ain auto insurance policy?

When a teen drives a machine endemic by the parent, adding a teen commuter to the parent's policy is easy, if not expensive. It'southward more complicated if the teen owns the vehicle.

If your state allows a teenager to own and register a car in their name, the parent will need to check with their insurance carrier to see if they could identify the teen's vehicle on their policy. Technically, the parents would not have an insurable interest in the vehicle, so the insurance company may turn down to add the teen'south car to their policy.

This means the vehicle's insurance would need to be in the teen's name, which would pose a problem since minors cannot enter into contracts. Your best bet is to contact insurance companies regarding their guidelines regarding a small obtaining their own automobile insurance policy.

The all-time way to decide if your detail state has any regulations regarding the minimum age to purchase an auto insurance policy is to contact your country's insurance regulator.

Regardless of whether the vehicle ends up being registered in the teen'south name or the parent's name, information technology will be important to wait for discounts for teenagers for auto insurance. Teen automobile insurance is very expensive, mainly due to the fact that teens are inexperienced drivers who pose a major chance to automobile insurance companies.

But discounts are available for teen drivers who earn good grades, students who live abroad from abode, drivers who consummate defensive driving and depression mileage.

Emancipated minors are an exception

As with most things in life, there is an exception to this dominion. Emancipated minors are free to buy, annals and insure a vehicle in their ain name. Emancipation simply means that legally a pocket-sized is freed from the control of their parents or guardian and the parents are freed from the responsibleness of the child.

There are a number of ways that a minor can be emancipated, but the most common methods are:

  • Minor enlisted in the war machine : Enlisting equally a minor requires parental consent.
  • Getting married: In most states, this requires parental consent.
  • Court order from a judge: This doesn't crave parental consent.

Once emancipated, a small-scale is legally able to enter into a contract, and then the question of age is no longer relevant. An emancipated pocket-size can legally sign a purchase agreement for a car and an insurance policy. Emancipation laws vary by state.

Frequently asked questions

If your country permits minors to championship vehicles, you can buy the car yourself, merely in nigh states, you volition withal need a parent or guardian to secure vehicle registration and auto insurance for the vehicle.

This depends on the lender, but generally, you volition not be able to get a loan equally a minor. Even if y'all detect a lender that volition extend loans to minors, they will require an adult co-signer. Whether you lot purchase from a dealership or a individual political party, the same laws will employ.

In well-nigh states, no. Title and registration must be done nether the proper noun of someone who is considered a legal developed. It is best to get out the vehicle in your name until your child reaches your state's age of majority.

– Mark Vallet contributed to this story.