Can You Insure a Car You Don’t Own?

To put it simply, many types of insurance are specific to the driver and vehicle relationship. If you were to drive someone else’s car, you would need a particular insurance policy.

Driving without car insurance in the UK is illegal, making it all the more important to get the perfect cover that suits your needs. As a non-car owner or registered keeper, this option is also much cheaper than having your own car insurance.

Follow along for the best insurance policy options and why you should have insurance even though you do not own a car.

Does your insurance cover a car you don’t own?

Insurance of any type can be confusing – particularly car insurance, as so many terms and conditions come with it.

This is especially true in the UK, as you cannot just get any car insurance and drive your own car or even someone else’s car. It is best to understand and familiarise the terms used by insurance companies so that you know what you are getting yourself into and, more importantly, avoid legal and financial issues before it is too late.

The main terms you are going to need to know are as follows. Knowing these terms will help you determine who is covered for what on your policy.

• Named driver – The term used when the person who is driving someone else’s car adds themselves to the main driver’s existing insurance policy.
• Registered keeper – This term is used for the person who is the car’s main driver. This is different from the car’s owner.
• Third-party cover – This is the term used for cover in case a person claims against you. E.g. if you were to get into an accident and the other person claims that you need to pay their damages, a third party cover will payout.

Is it worth it to get non-owner car insurance?

It is the same as getting standard insurance. The only difference with this one is that you are not the car’s registered keeper and would therefore need to let the insurance company know.

Depending on how you insure a car, it may not always be the cheaper option. Insurance companies view you as a higher risk and, therefore, would make your insurance premiums higher than those who are the car’s owner or registered keeper.

If you take out temporary car insurance or add yourself as the named driver, you will get a cheaper deal. This is because, with temporary insurance, you are insuring a car for a short period, and adding yourself as a named driver means adding yourself to the person’s existing policy.

The significant part about temporary insurance providers like us is you can choose between having to apply for the following insurance policies:

• Hourly car insurance is an insurance type that allows you to be covered for an hour at a time. This is especially beneficial to those who only need to use someone else’s car to run an errand or for a learner driver who wants to practice driving outside the lesson time.
• Daily car insurance is an insurance type that allows you to be covered for a full day or up to 3 days at a time. This is especially beneficial for those who are perhaps on holiday and only need to hire a car for the day, or if you have been given the company car for the day to do deliveries or head to meetings.
• Weekly car insurance is an insurance type that allows you to be covered for a week. It is broken up into 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks. Are you planning to go on a week-long road trip? Weekly car insurance is going to be the best option for you. It is important to note that all short term insurance policies are equivalent to the same cover as standard insurance at a fraction of the cost, making it even better.
• Monthly car insurance is an insurance type that allows you or someone else using your car to be covered. It is a fully comprehensive policy that you can take out monthly. Ideal for those who do not want to be tied to an extended contract.
• Young driver temporary car insurance is specifically for those under 21 years of age. Young drivers may not be able to afford insurance, and because it is illegal to drive without insurance in the UK, this option allows you to pay less and still be covered the same as standard insurance.
• Temporary student insurance is an insurance type that allows students to be covered on either their own car or their parent’s car. Students may want to borrow their parent’s car while at home or use a vehicle to drive back home from uni. Insurance can be costly for student drivers; this can be the cheapest option.

So, whether it is worth it is purely based on your chosen route.

What is the best insurance policy?

Temporary car insurance

The most uncomplicated and inexpensive insurance policy for someone who does not own a car is a temporary cover. This will cover the driver and the vehicle for a short-term period without the owner or registered keeper of the car losing their no claims bonus.

Temporary car insurance can come in numerous forms and is your standard car insurance policy that lasts for a short time. This policy gives you financial freedom and allows you to only pay for the times you drive the car.

Suppose you are a young driver using your parent’s car or someone who is borrowing someone else’s car only when you need to. You may want to look into getting temporary cover.

Our range of short term car insurance policies can cover you for a period of as little as one hour up to 28 days. We have created these deals so that you only pay for them when you need to – keeping you covered for less!

Driving other cars insurance

Another option is getting a Driving Other Cars insurance policy (DOC). This means that you only get third-party cover, which will cover the damages on your behalf for the other person but will not cover the damages to the car you were driving. Which, in this case, is not even yours in the first place.

It is not a very common form of insurance nowadays and usually is not a comprehensive policy. If you claim this car insurance policy, your future premiums for your car can be expensive even though you were driving someone else’s car.

Become a named driver on someone else’s insurance policy

Adding yourself as a named driver is the process by which you would be adding yourself to an existing insurance policy. You would typically need to pay an admin fee to do so.

This type of insurance applies mainly to those who are in close relation to the vehicle owner. This is important as this policy requires that you provide personal details to prove who the main driver is and who the named driver is.

To add yourself as a named driver, you need to provide your age, relation to the main driver, the number of vehicles you will be driving, your years of driving experience and whether you have made any claims in the past.

If at any point, the named driver becomes the person who drives the car more often, you can be flagged for insurance fraud.

FAQs

What do you need to get temporary insurance?

There are a few things you need to secure temporary car or temporary van insurance:

• You need is to be between 18 – 75 years old
• Valid UK drivers or provisional licenses that must be older than six months
• Car registration number, model and make
• How long do you want your temporary insurance out for
• Personal details: name, contact information and address etc.
• Driving history and proof of any driving convictions

Do you need to get car insurance as a learner driver?

Yes, if you are behind the wheel, you need car insurance. It is illegal not to have car insurance in the UK and must be applied at every level of your driving journey.

How to claim this type of insurance policy?

For most insurance policies, you must claim within 24hrs of the incident. You will not be covered if you do not contact insurance providers after 24 hrs which will not be ideal no matter how small the situation is.

It would help if you communicated to your insurance providers about an incident you do not want to claim as the other person involved could claim against you.

Find a short term insurance policy for you 

Whether you are driving your own or someone else’s car, you need an insurance policy. Shopping around to find the best insurance option, especially for other people’s cars, is always best. You are now responsible for ensuring their financial investment is out of harm.

Always ask for quotes, compare prices and fully understand the owner’s policy. This will all help you to make an informed decision on what the right insurance option is and who the best insurance providers are.

With GoShorty, you will be guaranteed excellent service, user-friendly ways of contacting us and requesting quotes, and inexpensive insurance options.

Discover your temporary car insurance quote today and find out more about our insurance options.