If I title my car over to my 18 year old, am I liable if he carries his own insurance

If I title my car over to my 18 year old, am I liable if he carries his own insurance

If you don't own the car why should you be responsible?

Curious as to liability if the 18 year old resides at home and is a legal dependent.

If I title my car over to my 18 year old, am I liable if he carries his own insurance. He lives at home, about to go to college, and a legal dependent.

Ok, let me put it another way, Liable for what?

He's an adult. He is responsible for his own mistakes. I can't say you would be totally removed from any liability for him, but generally not.

It's a very smart asset protection move, on your behalf.

Get a quote for the kid's insurance before you do anything. It could be very high (if you care)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by superbae

Get a quote for the kid's insurance before you do anything. It could be very high (if you care)

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What does that have to do with the OP's question?

He may be a tax exemption as a student under certain age limits (in the US anyway), but he's 18, so he's not a dependent. He should have his own car and insurance.

This is not to say that someone, somewhere, isn't suing a teen's parents for something like letting him get drunk at home (such as an obvious party) and then driving and hurting someone. These days you have to think of everything.

If the car is in your name with a serious incident you own it and he has insurance. They will go after the person who owns it and the insurance.

Something else comes to mind.
Sell a used car. Pays you cash and you sign the title over to him.
Lets say he says I will go to the secretary of state
And sits on it for two weeks. Technically you own the car. Its in your name.
Example somebody gets drunk and is negligent and wrong and in a bad wreck.
Same thing. The car is in your name. He has insurance they will go after both likely
Unless he stands tall and says yes I own it.

If I sold a car. I went to the state office. Signed and did the transfer today.
Its done. I'm out of it. I do not own it.

He may be a dependent for income tax purposes but that has no bearing on any lability for his debts.

And you need to "sell" the car to him and be sure it is transferred at the DMV.
** the car of course will have to be paid off without a lien to be transferred.

After that he needs to have his own insurance.