It’s illegal to drive in the UK without insurance, but if you only need cover for a very short period, a one-day policy may be a convenient way to ensure you’re driving legally.

One-day car insurance could be a good option if you are:

borrowing a car from a family member or friend
driving a car you’ve just bought from a seller
driving someone else’s car in an emergency
learning to drive in a family member’s or friend’s car
hiring a car to go on a trip
test-driving a car before buying
looking to go beyond third-party cover when using a courtesy car
driving a vehicle you only use occasionally, like a classic car

If you have comprehensive annual car insurance, you may already be insured to drive another car, but this protection is likely limited to third-party cover – meaning there’s no payout if you injure yourself or damage the car you’re driving.

Can I temporarily insure a car?

Not everyone, or every vehicle, is eligible for one-day car insurance. There are specialist policies available that cover most of the population, but before you apply it’s worth considering:

Your age

Insurers may set a minimum and maximum age to take out a one-day policy.

The car’s value

The maximum vehicle value you can get cover for – as cars costing more than this won’t be covered.

The excess

The standard excess that’s payable in the event of a claim. Here’s how car insurance excess works.

Where can I get one-day car insurance?

Short-term policies are available from several brokers, a few of which are listed above. Temporary car insurance may be able to cover you from one hour up to 28 days depending on the provider and policy.

Is temporary car insurance expensive?

The average cost for a one-day policy is just £42¹, but how much you pay will depend on how much of a risk the insurance company considers you to be. If you’re younger or have less experience, then you may end up paying more than an older driver.

There are ways to bring the cost down, such as paying a larger up-front fee, opting for a higher excess or driving a less valuable or less powerful car.

What about three- to six-month car insurance?

If you need short-term cover for longer – for example, for three to six months – it can be cheaper to take out and subsequently cancel an annual policy, but you do need to factor in cancellation costs.

Find out whether you need short term car insurance

Alternatives to one-day car insurance

There are a few ways to cover yourself to drive a car in the short term. You could:

Take out a full insurance policy that you later cancel. However, cancellation fees as high as £70 mean this method generally costs more than a one-day policy
Be added as a named driver to a policy already existing on the car. However, this may incur a policy alteration charge, and it could cause the policy to rise in cost if you are deemed a greater risk than its current drivers
Use a ‘drive any car’ clause if you have one on another policy. This will mean you’re legally allowed to drive the car, but these clauses generally only offer third-party cover

Existing policies can also come with restrictions regarding your age and profession that can see some drivers excluded:

	1 day car insurance	Added as named driver	Drive any car clause
Cover level	Fully comprehensive	Same as the main policy	Third party only
No claims impact	None	Yes - but on their policy	Yes
Age restriction	No	No	Over-25s
Work restrictions	No	No	Some jobs excluded
Car restrictions	Limited by value	No	No

James Andrews, Car Insurance Expert

"One-day car insurance can be a great option if you need to drive someone else’s car for a short period - especially as you can generally sign up in a few minutes.

"Just be aware that the cheapest one-day car insurance quote isn’t always the best one. So make sure you check it’s the best policy for your needs first. Breakdown cover, for example, is often an optional extra rather than included as standard."

One day car insurance FAQs

It can cover damage to your and another driver’s car after an accident. It can also cover theft, vandalism, fire and more.

Most short-term car insurance policies will include fully comprehensive cover, although some insurers may be able to offer third-party or third-party, fire and theft cover.

Comprehensive cover will typically include loss or damage caused by vandalism, theft or fire; damage to the car in an accident; accident recovery and repair; legal cover in case of death or injury to other people; and legal cover for damage to other people’s cars or property.

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