Do Learners Need Insurance? Everything You Need to Know

Learner driver insurance is a type of policy that covers you while you’re learning to drive with a provisional licence. It’s different from standard insurance because it requires you to always be supervised and adhere to a few more rules. If you have a provisional licence there are a few ways you can get the right learner insurance in place: 

• Add the learner to an existing policy – this usually means adding them to a parent’s or family member’s car insurance. It can increase the premium and could impact the no claims discount if there’s an accident. If a learner driver has already picked up any penalty points on their provisional licence, that can push premiums up too.
  
• Take out a separate learner driver policy – this is where temporary learner insurance comes in. It keeps the learner covered without affecting the main driver’s policy and can be set up just for the time you need, making it a perfect option.

Getting insurance is only one part of the story. As a learner, you’ll also need to follow specific rules to make sure you’re driving legally:

• Learners must be supervised by someone aged 21 or over who has held a full UK driving licence for at least three years, whenever they are behind the wheel. 
  
• Your L plates must be clearly displayed on the front and back of the vehicle. If you’re in Wales, D plates must be displayed. 
  
• The car must be taxed, insured, and have a valid MOT.
  
• You can’t drive alone on a provisional licence at any time – it’s illegal and comes with serious consequences.
  
• You can’t drive on the motorway without a qualified instructor – that means the motorway is off-limits for learners during practice sessions outside of lessons. 
  
• You must only drive the vehicle you’re insured to use.

Remember to make sure your supervisor meets the requirements. If they’re not properly insured themselves or don’t meet the criteria, both of you could be penalised.

Yes – learner insurance is logged on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), which the police can access. If you’re stopped, your details must be up to date, your insurance must show up as active, and under a learner policy, you must have a provisional licence and be supervised.

We update the MID four times daily, so policies usually appear within a few hours. But you can drive legally as soon as you receive your insurance certificate, which we send directly to you instantly – and you can easily access it if you use our app. 

So, remember, learner drivers always need to be insured when driving outside of lessons. If you’re heading out for a practice session, don’t take any unnecessary risks. Get learner driver insurance that works around your schedule and lets you focus on passing your test – not paperwork. Download our temporary insurance app and get a quote today.