Named Driver Car Insurance
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[1] Correct as of June 2023.
Everything you need to know about named driver car insurance
There’s a whole host of reasons you might want to add a named driver to your car insurance. Maybe your son or daughter is learning to drive? Perhaps your friend or partner needs to use your car occasionally?
Whatever the reason, it’s good to know that other people can use your car. And, should anything happen, to know that you have cover. Here’s what you need to know about adding a driver to car insurance.
What is named driver insurance?
Named driver insurance is adding someone to your car insurance policy as an additional driver. It means you’ve told your insurance provider that someone other than you might drive your car.
Can I save money by adding someone to my car insurance?
If you’re a student, or a young or inexperienced driver, insurance providers consider you high risk. This means your premium is likely to be far more expensive.
The average car insurance premium for 17-24 year-olds is £1,672[2].
But if you share your car with an experienced driver, you could lower the cost of your policy by adding someone to your car insurance.
That’s because you’re likely to be spending less time driving the car, which means your chances of having an accident and making a claim are reduced.
Just be sure that whoever is identified as the main driver is the person who drives the car most often. Otherwise they could be guilty of car insurance fronting.
If you’re looking to cut down the cost of your car insurance, you might also want to consider a telematics policy. A ‘black box’ is fitted to your car and monitors your driving, then sends the information to your insurance provider. If you can show that you’re a safe driver, you could get a discount on your premium.
[2] 51% of young drivers between 17-24 years old could achieve a quote of up to £1,671.33 for their car insurance based on Compare the Market data in June 2023.
Can I add a young driver to my policy?
If you’re an experienced driver, you might want to add a young driver to your policy. For example, you might be a parent adding a driver to your car insurance who hasn’t got a car of their own, or they’ve just passed their test but can’t afford their own insurance. Just be aware that your premium will probably go up, as you’re adding a higher-risk driver to your policy.
How do I add a driver to my insurance?
Adding someone to your car insurance is quite simple. If you have an existing car insurance policy, you’ll need to contact your insurance provider and give them the details of the additional driver, including their name, date of birth and occupation. You’ll also need to provide details of any driving convictions and accidents they’ve been involved in.
If you’re taking out a new car insurance policy, you can add the named driver from the start.
What if I only want to add a named driver for a short time?
If you’re thinking of adding a driver to your car insurance temporarily, for example, you have friends visiting from abroad and you offer to lend them your car, it might be cheaper to get short-term car insurance rather than changing your own policy.
Depending on the insurance provider you choose, short-term car insurance cover can range from just one hour, up to 84 days.
What do I need to get a quote?
To get a car insurance quote, you’ll need to give us some simple details, including:
- your car – its registration, make, model and age
- where you keep your car overnight
- average annual mileage
- whether you have a no-claims discount
- your driving history
- your age, address, and type of job you do
- details of any additional drivers you want to add to the policy
Once you’ve chosen the level of cover you want, we’ll send you a list of suitable quotes to compare.
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Frequently asked questions
What kind of cover will the named driver have?
If you have comprehensive insurance, your named driver will almost always have comprehensive cover, too.
Check the policy details to make sure you have the level of cover that you both need. Your named driver should also be covered for any extras you add to your policy, for example:
How does my no claims bonus work if I add a driver to my car insurance?
Your no claims bonus should still build up as normal, providing neither of you have an accident.
But if you or your named driver has an accident, it’s likely to affect your bonus. That’s because, regardless of who’s driving, you’ll be making a claim and your insurance provider may need to pay out.
Policies hardly ever allow your named driver to build up a no-claims discount of their own. This is worth bearing in mind if you’re adding a young driver to your insurance, as they won’t typically receive a no-claims discount until they take out a policy in their own name.
However, your insurance provider may offer the young driver a discount to take up a policy with them, based on their driving history in your car.
How much will it cost to add a named driver to my policy?
If you’re adding a driver to car insurance, you may have to pay an admin fee for adding a named driver to your car insurance.
Usually, it works out cheaper to add a named driver at the start of a new policy, rather than adding them to an existing one.
The cost of second driver insurance depends on a number of things:
- the named driver’s age and job title
- their relationship to the policyholder
- whether they have any medical conditions or disabilities reported to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
- claims history and any past driving convictions
How many named drivers can I add to my policy?
You can usually add up to four additional drivers to your policy. However, it depends on your policy terms and insurance provider.
What is fronting?
Fronting is if you claim to be the car’s main driver, but the additional driver uses it more often.
Often a more experienced driver (usually a parent) falsely insures the car in their own name, but a younger, less experienced, driver (their child) is actually the main driver.
If you’re adding a driver to your car insurance and give your insurance provider false information to reduce the cost of your premiums, your policy could be invalidated. What’s more, car insurance fronting is fraud and you could be prosecuted.
How can I be sure I’m not fronting?
Just make sure the person who drives the car most is named as the main driver on the policy. If it’s genuinely a 50/50 split, talk to your insurance provider.
Can I drive someone else’s car if I’m not a named driver?
Some policies will cover you for driving someone else’s car without having to be added as a named driver on their car insurance.
However, this is usually within restricted circumstances, so it’s important that you check your policy wording. However, you’ll usually only get third-party cover when driving another person’s car, even if your own policy is fully comprehensive.
Why compare named driver insurance with Compare the Market?
We independently compare named driver car insurance deals from a wide range of trusted UK car insurance providers.
We’ll show you policies based on price, level of cover, add-ons or payment terms, helping you compare policies based on your needs.
What our expert says...
“For young drivers, the cost of insurance can be prohibitively expensive. Adding an experienced named driver to your policy is a legitimate way to bring the cost down, as long as they also drive the car.
However, it's essential that all information given to your insurance provider is accurate. Young drivers should take care to avoid fronting as they could land their parents with a criminal record, unlimited fine and six penalty points.”
- Julie Daniels, Motor insurance expert
Why use Compare The Market?
We compare prices for 169[3] car insurance products
51% of consumers could save up to £457[4]
[3] Correct as of June 2023.
[4] Based on Online independent research by Consumer Intelligence during May 2023 51% of customers could achieve this saving on their car insurance through Compare the Market.
