Car for teenage son

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

So my mum has bought herself a new car, and has given her old one to DS16, as it wouldn't have brought her much in part exchange as it's 16 years old. It's in good nick and running perfectly so it's an ideal first car for him when he learns to drive.

The thing is, he won't be 17 until August, so until then we need to work out what to do with it in terms of tax, insurance and who owns it. My dad has said it can stay on their driveway for a while, but ultimately it is likely to be parked outside my nan's house in the next street to us, as our car will be on our driveway and it is at more risk of being hit accidentally parked on our street as it's really narrow and used as a rat run, whereas my nan lives on a main road with plenty of parking outside her house that won't be in the way of traffic.

Can we register DS as the legal owner of the car before he is 17, or is it neater to have DH as the registered keeper as he will be taxing and insuring (and keeping it roadworthy) until DS passes his test? What then happens? Do we just transfer the log book into DH's name from my mums, and then into DS name when he's passed his test? Can DH continue to insure it on his policy as a second car with DS as a second insured person on the policy if the car belongs to DS?

We have never been a two car family before so it's all new to us! Thanks in advance for your help!

If its on a road it has to be taxed and insured. Until ds passes his test register and insure in your or dh name. Once he passes transfer it to him. Dont front a policy for him, its illegal and he wont be insured.

Thanks for your reply. I don't know what you mean by front a policy? When DSS first passed his test, he was a named driver on his mum's policy and was the registered keeper of his car, but she was the main policy holder. Is that not legal?

Fronting is where you pretend someone else is the main driver, while the teen is just an additional driver.

It's far far cheaper than honestly declaring the teen as the main driver.

But illegal and will invalidate the insurance.

I don't know about registering someone as a keeper of a car before they are 16.

When our children passed their tests we insured their cars with them as the main driver and DH and I as additional drivers. It still brings the costs down. The main driver has to be the person who drives it the most otherwise it's illegal.,

The registered keeper is not the legal owner.

Do be aware, too, that some 'young driver' insurers will only provide cover for cars less than a certain number of years old.

titchy - we added son to our policy when he passed test last September .

Since Christmas he has been using car 2 or 3 days a week to drive to work .It's agency work so fluctuates .Should we tell insurer ?

OP sorry for hijack .

sunnyhills

It depends on the overall use of the vehicle. If he is the only person who drives it and it's just parked up when he's not using it for his commute (or you drive it only occasionally) then the insurance should be in his name.

But if on the other 4-5 days a week you are driving it regularly and over a typical week have a higher mileage than him, then it's OK to carry on with you as main and him as second.

Ok ,thanks for that ,I think that at the moment he is driving it more than us . But may not be the case in a few weeks time .

But this probably not the case if averaged out over the year ,or even 6 months .Especially as his journey's are low mileage .

He uses car for convenience - school supply work in London so it's handy to be able to jump in car at short notice and not try and rely on our industrial action affected trains etc .