What is a Cover Note?

If you’ve never heard of a cover note for car insurance, don’t worry. We’ve included everything you need to know about what a cover note actually is, how long it lasts, and why you may need one.

What is a Cover Note?

A cover note is a temporary document that proves you’ve purchased car insurance. It’s designed to cover the interim period while you wait for your Certificate of Motor Insurance to arrive, meaning you can legally drive before you’ve received all of your paperwork.

Cover notes might be used when:

A customer has applied for insurance via the phone or post.
If the insurance provider wants to investigate the risk associated with insuring you before committing to cover you.
If you’re amending an existing policy (i.e. by adding a driver).
If the insurer is having technical issues that are delaying your application.

Whilst cover notes used to be fairly common, now that the majority of car insurance is purchased online, most insurance providers typically send over the full documentation directly to the customer’s email upon point of purchase. When you buy cover from GoShorty, we send everything over instantly, so you don’t need to worry about proving you’re insured. (This means you’ll never need a cover note when you buy car insurance from us.)

Why Would You Need a Cover Note?

When you buy car insurance, the insurer is required to update the Motor Insurance Database (MID), which is the central record of every valid car insurance policy in the UK. Whilst some insurers regularly update the MID (at GoShorty, we update the MID three times a day, 365 days a year), others can take up to a week to send over your policy information. You can visit askMID to check whether your policy has been recorded yet.

Is a Cover Note Proof of Insurance?

Yes – a cover note is a temporary proof of insurance that is just as valid as an insurance certificate, provided it’s in date. A cover note ensures you’ll still be protected by the same terms and conditions that are listed in your full policy document, even though you haven’t received it yet. Make sure you check all of the information on your cover note, as inaccuracies can affect your eligibility to make a claim, or even invalidate your cover.

How Long Do Insurance Cover Notes Typically Last?

Cover notes typically last 30 days, but some providers allow up to a maximum of 60 days, so make sure to check. Your insurance provider will usually send over your insurance certificate before the end of the 30-day period, but if the deadline is approaching and the certificate still hasn’t arrived, you should contact them directly to request that they send it, or provide a cover note extension to make sure you’re not left uninsured.

If your cover note runs out and you haven’t secured an extension or received your certificate of insurance, your policy would be invalidated, and you may be charged with driving without insurance, which carries serious penalties.

What Details Will a Cover Note Provide?

Cover notes include the following information:

The driver’s name and address.
Vehicle details, including make, model and registration number.
Your excess.
The type of cover.
The level of cover (such as comprehensive or third party).
Who can drive the vehicle.
Policy number/s.
Any special conditions.
The expiry date of the cover note.

Ensure you keep your cover note in a safe place until you receive your certificate, in case the police stop you or you’re involved in an accident. Whilst the information on a cover note is sufficient for a temporary period, your certificate will provide much greater detail about your car insurance policy.

What Happens if Your Insurance Certificate Doesn’t Arrive?

There are a couple of reasons your insurance certificate may not arrive.

There may be an error in the personal details that you provided your insurer with. This is easily remedied – simply contact your provider to amend your information and speed up the process of receiving your certificate.
It’s also possible that the insurer may have decided against insuring you following a closer risk assessment of your criteria. While you have a cover note, your insurer is entitled to cancel your cover immediately, whereas normally you’d be entitled to a week’s notice. In this case, you’d need to stop driving immediately and secure a new car insurance policy elsewhere.

This is why temporary car insurance is often the safest option when letting someone else drive your car – it guarantees they’re covered in the event of an accident, and protects your insurance record and your wallet.

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Cover Notes For Car Insurance Explained