Borrow a car without touching their policy

Additional Driver Insurance

Being added to someone else’s annual policy is slow and can change their premium. A standalone temporary policy leaves their insurance and no claims discount alone.

1 hour to 28 days
Owner’s no claims untouched
Owner’s permission needed

In partnership with GoShorty

FCA-regulated cover

Every policy is arranged by an authorised UK insurance broker
1 hour to 28 days

One policy, any length in between, no annual contract
Certificate emailed to you

Your policy number and documents, minutes after paying
MID updated four times a day

So a roadside check shows the vehicle as insured

What Is Additional Driver Insurance?

Additional driver insurance is a standalone temporary policy that covers you to drive someone else’s car, without you being added to their annual policy.

You borrow a parent’s car for the weekend, a friend lends you theirs for a move, or you are sharing a long drive and want to take your turn at the wheel. The car has an annual policy, but that policy was not written for you. The usual answer is "add you as a named driver", which can take time, can cost the owner money and leaves their record involved if something goes wrong.

A temporary policy avoids all of that. You buy it, in your own name, for the car you are going to drive. It is the same cover as any other temporary car insurance and runs for as long as you choose.

Why Not Just Be Added to the Owner’s Policy?

Adding a driver changes the owner’s policy and can change their premium, and a claim made on that policy touches the owner’s no claims discount.

It is a fair arrangement for someone who will drive the car for months. For a borrowed car, it is a different arrangement with different consequences, set out below.

It involves the owner’s insurer

Adding a named driver means contacting the owner’s insurer, who assesses you and may adjust the premium. For one trip that can be more hassle than the trip is worth, and the change may be recorded long after you have handed the keys back.

It puts their no claims discount at risk

If you are added to their policy, a claim during the borrowing period is a claim on theirs. A standalone temporary policy is the alternative: a claim is made under it, so the owner’s no claims discount and renewal are untouched.

It may not be what the policy allows

Some annual policies do not permit other drivers at all, or limit them by age or experience. Do not rely on a casual "you should be fine". Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 says a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road without insurance covering that use, and must not cause or permit another person to do so. The owner who lends the car has a stake in this as well as you.

How Do You Get Additional Driver Insurance?

Enter the registration of the car you are going to drive, say who is driving and when, choose the length, then check the quote and buy before you set off.

1
Enter the registration

You need the car’s number plate, so ask the owner. It pulls up the make, model and value of the car, which is most of what the quote is priced on.
2
Say who is driving and when

Your own licence details, your address and the start time. The owner’s permission is a condition of the policy, so get it, not just assume it.
3
Choose the length

From one hour to 28 days on one policy. Choose a length that includes the journey back with room to spare, because the policy ends at the time you set.
4
Check it, then buy

Read what is covered, what the excess is and what the optional extras add. The certificate is emailed once you pay. Cover exists only once the policy is issued and you have the certificate, so do not drive on the strength of a quote.

Ready when you are

Cover yourself to drive their car.

Just the registration to begin. Fully comprehensive, one hour to 28 days.

Get Quotes

When Is Additional Driver Cover the Right Choice?

Choose it when you are a one-off or occasional driver of a car you do not own, and the owner does not want their policy involved.

Where the other person is the owner’s partner, child or friend, the cover is the same. The policy is for you as the driver, on that car, for those hours.

Borrowing a car for a day. A friend’s car for a move, a parent’s car for an errand. One day car insurance is priced for exactly that.
A weekend away. A weekend in a relative’s car. Weekend car insurance is priced for that case.
Sharing the driving on a long journey. The owner drives most of the way and you take a turn. A policy for the hours you drive avoids paying for more than you need.
A young adult borrowing the family car. If you are 21 to 24, see young driver insurance for what applies at that age.

What Else May the Insurer Require?

The standard criteria for temporary car cover apply, and a stricter set may also apply: a licence held for at least six months, no more than two claims and six points in three years, and no use abroad.

The main criteria are the same as for any temporary car policy. The driver must be aged 17 to 75, with the minimum age varying by insurer, and hold a full UK licence (DVLA or DVA); the licence types accepted vary by insurer. They need a permanent UK address, no history of insurance being refused, cancelled or voided, and any points or convictions declared on the form. The car must be worth between £500 and £65,000, with each insurer setting its own band, have a valid MOT and not be SORN, and cannot be a hire car, an import or modified.

For borrowed cars a stricter set may also apply: a licence held for six months (three months if you are over 25), up to two claims and six points in the last three years, and no use abroad. Treat the stricter figures as the ones that may apply to you, and check the quote.

If you want to take the car to the EU, temporary European car insurance has its own conditions, including that the journey starts and ends in the UK.

How Much Does Additional Driver Insurance Cost?

From £11.72 for one hour and £21.87 for one day. Your own quote depends on the driver, the car and the start time.

Those are floors, not typical prices, and the table shows the other published lengths.

Optional extras such as breakdown cover, excess protection and legal cover are available. There is no refund once cover has started, and the policy never renews by itself.

Published starting prices

1 hour £11.72
4 hours £17.73
1 day £21.87
2 days £26.80
1 week £46.59

Starting prices on this page are GoShorty’s published from-prices, based on quotes from December 2025 to May 2026. A starting price is the lowest sold to anyone, not a typical price, and every quote is individual. Source: GoShorty’s published prices.

What Should the Owner Check?

The owner should confirm they have given permission, that the car has a valid MOT and tax, and that your policy shows on the Motor Insurance Database.

The policy is reported to the Motor Insurance Database, which the police read at the roadside. Policies are submitted to the database four times a day, so carry the emailed certificate on your phone. GOV.UK sets out the penalties for driving a vehicle you are not insured to drive: a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points, or a court case with an unlimited fine or a disqualification.

The owner’s own annual insurance continues as it is. The temporary policy is in addition to it, with its own certificate and policy number, and ends on its own at the time you set.

Before you start

Can you get it?

If you and the car fit these criteria, a quote is likely.

The driver

Aged 17 to 75, minimum age depending on the insurer
A full UK licence from the DVLA or DVA, or an EU or EEA licence with at least 12 months of UK residence
A permanent UK address
Never had insurance refused, cancelled or voided
Points and convictions declared on the form and priced within each insurer's limits

The car

Worth between £500 and £65,000, with each insurer setting its own band
A valid MOT, and not declared SORN, unless you are driving to a pre-booked MOT
Up to 3.5 tonnes and no more than seven seats
Not a hire or rental vehicle, and not held by the police
Not imported, left-hand drive or modified, apart from factory options or mobility adaptations

Criteria are set by each insurer on the broker’s panel and vary between them. Acceptance is always the insurer’s decision.

Questions

Additional Driver Insurance: FAQs

What is additional driver insurance?

It is a standalone temporary policy that lets you drive a car owned by someone else, or share the driving on a trip, without you being added to the owner’s annual policy. It has its own certificate and policy number and ends automatically.

Does the car owner need to agree?

Yes. The policy requires the owner’s permission for you to drive the car. It is also in the owner’s interest: under section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to cause or permit someone else to use a vehicle on a road without insurance.

Will a claim affect the owner’s no claims discount?

No. The policy is standalone, so a claim is made under it and not under the owner’s annual insurance. Their no claims discount and renewal are protected, which is the main reason people choose this over being added as a named driver.

Is the cover comprehensive?

Yes, comprehensive is standard. Damage to the car you are driving is covered as well as damage you cause to other people, subject to the excess shown in the policy. Read the policy wording and the excess before you buy.

How long can the cover run?

From one hour up to 28 days on one policy. A short errand suits hours, a day of swapping drivers suits a day policy, and a trip that runs several days can be covered by one longer policy.

Are there extra rules for additional drivers?

A stricter set may also apply: a licence held for at least six months, or three months if you are over 25, no more than two claims and six points in the last three years, and no use of the car abroad. The quote will show whether you qualify.

Can I take the borrowed car abroad?

Not on the additional driver list, which excludes use abroad. If you plan to take a car to the EU, that is a different product, with its own conditions, described under temporary European car insurance.

How much does it cost?

From £11.72 for one hour and £21.87 for one day, on the broker’s published prices. Your own quote depends on you, the car and the start time, so treat these as a floor.

Does it cost anything to get a quote?

No. Getting a quote is free and you are under no obligation to buy. We may be paid a fee by the broker if someone takes out a policy after being introduced by us. It does not change the price you are quoted.

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