How do I go about getting car insurance?

Because of the laws in most states, you can't insure your vehicle under someone else's policy. It isn't legal. You might get a few measly discounts if you go with the same insurer your parents have (multi-vehicle, home and auto, etc.), but those are minor stuff. You still need to get your own policy, so your parents' insurer is only one option out of many. You want to shop around a little, and you want to do it the smart way. Do it by phone, or better yet do it in person. Online quotes are great, but only for older experienced drivers who know at least some of the jargon and terminology. You don't know that stuff yet (you're new to all this), so you want to talk to an agent or broker. It's OK to not know about all that stuff automatically, and that's why brokers and agents were invented. Talk to a few professionals, and ask them all your questions. When they say stuff like Collision deductible and Uninsured Motorist coverage, ask them what those words mean. If they don't give you an explanation, or especially if they tell you you wouldn't understand, that's who you don't want to deal with no matter what price they show you. A real insurance professional will go line-by-line through the whole quote and explain every little thing, even if it takes all day to do it. I did auto insurance for 15 years, and I had no problem spending a few hours explaining all those terms to my clients when they asked. That's why my competitors, even when their prices were 20% lower than mine, couldn't take my customers away from me. And I wasn't alone, lots of brokers and agents are as good as I was. That's the kind of broker / agent you want, and they're not hard to find.

Call some insurance companies and get quotes both ways. Depending on your parents driving records there's no guarantee your insurance will cost less using their policy. Something else to consider, in some jurisdictions you could be held financially responsible for your parents accident if you share insurance.

Talk to your parents, that's what you do. They can add you to their current car insurance policy and it would be much cheaper than you going out and buying it on your own. Their credit isn't an issue as long as they already have an insurance policy. Call the insurance company and ask how much it costs to add you to the policy and then you need to pay your fair share of the bill every month. If you want to get insurance on your own all you have to do is call as many insurance companies as it takes to shop around for the best plan at the best rate. Do this on the phone, talk to these people, do not shop for car insurance online. You won't understand what it is you are buying and it is very difficult to compare policy details if you aren't speaking to someone who can answer your questions. Once you find the company you like with the policy you want at the price you can afford then pay the bill and get insured.

Your parent's credit history really doesn't matter. If you are a teenager, still living in your parent's home, you will be better off getting your car insured under your parent's insurance policy. Pick up a telephone, call an insurance agent and talk to him.