Learner driver insurance

Get extra driving practice with flexible provisional licence insurance

Cover to drive a car owned by a family member or friend
Short-term insurance options from 1 hour to 6 months
Temporary and annual policies to practice in your own car

Learner driver insurance on a parent’s car

All drivers need to be covered by a valid insurance policy before they can go out on the road - including drivers with a provisional licence.

So, if you want to get extra driving practice between lessons in a parent, family member, or friend’s car, you’ll either need to be added to their insurance policy as named driver or take out a learner driver insurance policy that covers you to drive it.

Adding a named driver to an insurance policy can be expensive, inflexible, and some insurers may not even cover learner drivers. The vehicle owner’s no claims bonus could also be affected if the additional driver is involved in an accident.

Temporary learner driver insurance

Temporary learner driver insurance covers you to drive someone else’s car, but runs separately to the car owner’s insurance policy.

So, if there’s an accident while you’re driving, any damage is claimed through the learner driver policy and won’t affect their no claims bonus. Now there's an incentive for your family and friends to hand over the car keys!

Short-term learner driver insurance on your own car

If you already own your first car, insuring it with a short-term policy until you pass your test is another great way to gain experience between driving lessons, without taking out an annual policy.

Useful information for learner drivers

There's a lot of new information to take in when you're learning to drive, so we’ve put together some useful information to make the insurance part easier.

How much does learner driver insurance cost?

That will depend on several factors, such as your age, the type of car you drive, where you live, and how long you want the policy to last.

Do learner drivers have to be insured?

Yes, one way or another, whether that's through your driving instructor's own insurance, your parents' if you practice in their car, or a policy of your own. It's the law.

Do you need your own insurance if you're learning to drive with an instructor?

If you've signed up for a course of driving lessons with an approved instructor and will only be driving their car, your driving instructor is responsible for insuring the car and his student drivers.

Learner driver insurance and private land

It's a misconception that if you drive on private land with a provisional licence, you don't need insurance. This is only true if you have a right to use private land to which the general public does not have access (e.g. via a footpath or bridleway).

If the private land is not totally exclusive to your own use, you must be insured and be supervised, just like any other provisional licence holder.

What happens to my insurance after I pass my driving test?

As soon as you pass your driving test, you’ll no longer be covered by a learner driver policy.

To insure your own car, you’ll need to take out a new driver insurance policy in your own name, on a full driving licence.

Alternatively, there are also a range of temporary or pay per mile options that will cover you to drive your own car or someone else’s.

If you don't own a car yet and you want to drive a parent, family member, or friend’s, you'll need to ensure that you're added as a named driver to their insurance, using your updated licence details.

But beware of "fronting" - being a named driver on someone else's policy when you're actually the main driver - you could invalidate their cover.

Rules for Supervising Learner Drivers: What are your legal obligations when you supervise a someone who hasn't yet passed their driving test - in their own car or in yours?

Learner Driver Rules: What are the rules about driving, being supervised, your car and the driving test? Read this handy guide.

Can I drive my parents’ car without insurance?

Pass Plus Driver Training: What is the Pass Plus training course?