Do I need car insurance to drive on a provisional licence?

The short answer is yes. Before you get behind the wheel, you’ll need to have valid insurance in place. Having said that, getting provisional insurance will depend on how you’re learning to drive.

Are you learning through an approved driving school/instructor?

If you’re learning to drive with an approved driving school or instructor, they will have arranged your insurance. You don’t need to worry about getting insurance until you pass your test.

Be aware that it’s illegal for someone to charge for driving lessons if they aren’t qualified or registered, or don’t have a trainee driving instructor licence.

Are you learning in a friend or relative’s car?

Some insurance providers offer ‘learner driver insurance’, which the car owner can add to their policy. You’ll have to sort out who pays for it between you…

Are you learning with another driver in your own car?

You’ll need to arrange your own insurance policy and add the person who’ll be taking you out in the car as a named driver. If you take out cover while you’re driving with a provisional licence, you’ll start to build up your no claims discount, which can reduce your car insurance premium going forwards.

Find out more about learner driver insurance with our useful guide here.

How to reduce the cost of provisional licence insurance

If you can share your car with an experienced driver, adding them to your policy could reduce the price of your premium.

But make sure you’re not fronting. That’s when you claim another, more experienced driver is the car’s main user to save money. It’s illegal and you could be prosecuted if you’re caught.

What else can I do to reduce the cost of provisional insurance cover?

If you’re keen to potentially save money on your provisional insurance premiums, here are some tips:

• Choose your car wisely: large cars with powerful engines cost more to insure, especially when they’re being driven by  young drivers. Opting for a smaller, slower model could help to push costs down.
• Increase your voluntary excess: in some cases, increasing your voluntary excess can have a positive effect on premium price.
• Only buy the cover you need: there’ll be plenty of opportunity to add extras to your policy once you’ve passed your test. So, if you want to keep costs to a minimum now, it’s worth considering keeping your policy to the bare minimum.
• Consider telematics insurance: some insurance providers offer telematics or  black box insurance  to learner drivers. This involves the use of a device installed in your car to monitor your driving. The better and safer you drive, the lower your premiums are likely to be.
• Become a named driver: adding yourself as a named driver on someone else’s policy is often cheaper than taking out a new policy on your own. However, as mentioned above, it’s important that you only do this if you’re learning in someone else’s car.