Can I Put Insurance On A Car I Don't Own? 
In general , no , not for physical damage to the car . To insure property you need to have an insurable interest in the property you 're protecting . In other words , you have to have something at risk . If you do n't own it , what do you have at risk ? This why titling is so important . You could , theoretically , put insurance on a car you do n't own and not tell the insurance company that it 's not titled to you . Hopefully , your insurance agent is experienced and professional enough to ask who the car is titled to , but it does n't always happen . So , say you 've insured this car you do n't own and you get into an accident . You submit your claim to your insurance company to get your car repaired . One of the first questions a claims adjuster will ask is `` who is the car titled to ? '' . If the answer is n't you , you 've got a problem . The insurance company will only pay the registered owner of the car . They are the only party that has a loss . The only exception to this is if the car is financed or leased . In this case , the finance company will require , as part of the contract , to be listed as a loss payee . This entitles them to collect on the damage to that car . That 's how it applies to physical damage . For liability or injury , it 's different . Here , the insurance follows the insured . You could , theoretically , get liability insurance without owning the car you 're driving . Again , your agent will ask who owns the car , and they 'll believe what you tell them . If a claim happens for injury or liability , they will protect you , the insured . I do n't know why you 'd want to insure a car you do n't own , but I have an idea . It could be that a friend or relative is loaning you a car because you do n't have one of your own or it could be that a child , or someone else in your household owns this car but does n't want to , or ca n't , insure it themselves because they 're young and it 's expensive , or they have such a bad driving record they just plain ca n't get insurance . Either way , do n't get yourself in a situation where you have to lie to your insurance company or agent . If something happens , the truth will come out and you may not get anything out of it anyway . Be smart . Find an agent you can trust and be truthful with him/her . They 'll tell you the right way to do it so that you do n't put yourself or your family at risk . 