Can Two People Insure the Same Car?
12 October 2022 | 
For any UK driver, car insurance is a legal requirement. However, taking out a car insurance policy can be expensive, and finding the right car insurance company for you can be a real headache.
Let’s take a look at why you might end up with two policies on one vehicle and why a second person might choose to take out a policy on someone else’s car.
Can you take out two car insurance policies on the same car?
The short answer? Yes, you can.
Car insurance policies name both the driver and the vehicle, so it is perfectly legal and not that uncommon for two drivers of the same vehicle to take out two separate policies.
Here are your options:
- You could consider a non-owner policy, which lets you drive a car belonging to someone else without either driver’s policy affecting the other.
- You might consider temporary car insurance, which will cover you for as little as a few hours.
What if it isn’t my car?
When you take out a car insurance policy, you will need to inform the insurance provider if the car is not yours. Some insurance providers will only let you take out a policy if the car belongs to your parent, spouse, or employer. Others are less specific.
Often, car insurance quotes will be higher if the car you are insuring is not your own.
For more information about this topic, please read our “can you insure a car you don’t own?” guide.
Joint car insurance or separate policies?
When people refer to ‘joint car insurance’, they probably mean one car insurance policy with a main driver (who drives the vehicle most often) and a second named driver.
Alternatively, two drivers might opt to take out two separate car insurance policies on one shared vehicle.
What are the benefits of separate policies?
There are a few reasons why two drivers might choose to take out separate policies on the same vehicle. Namely, each driver can remain with their preferred insurance provider and hold onto their own no-claim discount.
One driver might be considered a higher risk than the other. This might be down to age or lack of experience. However, if both drivers are covered under the same policy, the ‘lesser risk’ driver will wind up paying more for their car insurance too.
If the same car is insured with two separate car insurance policies, with two premiums, each driver will only pay for their own insurance meaning one of the drivers might save money.
Double insuring can also be the answer for drivers who share a car but want different insurance policies. One driver might only want to pay for basic third-party coverage, whereas the other driver might be willing to pay a higher premium for a fully comprehensive policy.
What are the disadvantages of having two car insurance policies?
Having two car insurance policies means that you are essentially paying the cost of car insurance coverage twice when you can still only claim once in case of an accident. As we discussed, if one driver wants to keep their current policy separate, that’s fine. But most often, having two policies on the same vehicle costs both drivers more money than sharing a single policy.
Unless one driver has an extremely poor driving record, combining your car insurance policies into one tends to save money and get you a better deal. If one person drives the car more, they might consider simply listing the other person as a named driver on their own insurance policy.
Will having separate insurance policies affect the claims process?
In many cases, having two car insurance policies assigned to one car can make the process take longer.
This is especially the case if the two insurance policies have been taken out with separate insurance companies. Both insurance companies are required to check that the same claim has not been made on the second policy, which would be classed as insurance fraud.
Only the person driving is eligible to claim on their insurance policy. Having two insurance policies is not really relevant in the event of a claim since only one will pay out.
Does having double insurance mean double the payout?
Having double insurance does not mean the payout will be doubled. In fact, attempting to claim twice on the same vehicle for the same accident through two different insurance companies or insurance policies is considered fraud.
Consider temporary insurance when driving a second vehicle
Short term car insurance policies from GoShorty provide fully comprehensive insurance for a limited period. If one driver is only using the vehicle for a day, a week or a month, temporary insurance cover might be sufficient.
Temporary car insurance allows you to pay for the coverage you need without jeopardising the other driver’s car insurance policy or affecting any other active auto insurance policy you might have.
At GoShorty, you can take out different types of temporary auto insurance policies, including:
- Hourly car insurance
- Daily car insurance
- Weekly car insurance
- Monthly car insurance
- Young driver temporary insurance
- Temporary student car insurance
When might temporary insurance be a better option?
Suppose you are already paying for one insurance policy on another vehicle but only need to drive this second vehicle for a limited time. In that case, temporary car insurance policies are a good way to save time and the hassle of closing the policy down afterwards.
Taking out temporary car insurance is akin to having two car insurance policies, so your insurance premium, no-claims, and the other driver’s will not affect each other.
Is joint insurance the same as multi-car insurance?
No. Multi-car insurance is an option for a couple or family living either together or apart with more than one car.
The key part here is that two cars or more are required to benefit from a multi-vehicle discount.
Not all multi-car insurance policies work in the same way. Some will require a main driver and named driver; others simply link existing policies so that each driver can drive all included cars, but they are responsible for their own cover.
FAQs
Is having two car insurance policies on one vehicle legal?
Yes, it is completely legal.
Before going down this route, you should compare quotes, as adding a named driver to one policy or taking out temporary car insurance might prove cheaper.
Can two insurance companies insure the same vehicle?
Yes, the two car insurance policies are completely separate and should not affect one another in any way. There is no reason the two policies cannot be taken out with either the same or different insurance providers.
With two car insurance policies, can I make two claims?
No, absolutely not. Attempting to make two claims on one vehicle for the same accident is considered insurance fraud.
If there is an accident, only the person driving at the time is eligible to make a claim on their own insurance from their car insurance provider.
Get temporary car insurance with GoShorty
It is completely legal and not that uncommon for two drivers to insure the same vehicle with their own individual cover. This is definitely something to consider if one driver has a bad credit score or if each driver wishes to remain with their own insurance carriers.
If you only need coverage for a limited period of time, get a temporary car insurance quote from GoShorty for hourly, daily, weekly or monthly insurance. This way, you can choose how long your car will be insured for two drivers and have more control over your vehicle.