Car insurance

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How much does car insurance cost?

The amount you’ll pay for your car insurance policy depends on a range of factors, including the level of cover you need. Your personal risk profile – based on things like your age, driving history and annual mileage – plays a key role too.

Insurance providers also factor in the value of your car and how expensive it would be to replace or repair. If you’re after a cheaper car insurance deal, choosing a car in a lower insurance group could help.

Here’s how much car insurance typically costs annually and monthly in the UK (you can find out how this breaks down for your age group below):

Policy type	Price per year⁴	Equivalent price per month**
Comprehensive	£593	£49.36
Third-party, fire and theft	£962	£80.16
Third-party only	£1,302	£108.45

**Doesn’t include any interest charges for paying monthly.

Learn more about how your car insurance premium is calculated.

Does age impact your car insurance?

Usually, yes. Car insurance for young drivers is often more expensive because they're more likely to make a claim than older drivers.

Here's what different age groups typically pay for annual car insurance⁵:

Age group	Comprehensive	Third-party, fire and theft	Third-party only
17-24	£1,318	£1,622	£2,046
25-29	£712	£1,051	£1,320
30-39	£568	£857	£1,094
40-49	£491	£690	£960
50-59	£388	£509	£851
60-69	£322	£408	£629
70+	£355	£408	£575

How can I get cheaper car insurance?

Find out why auto-renewing your policy is a bad idea, plus how to get a cheaper quote without breaking the rules.

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Text transcript

First things first. If you drive a car, you need insurance, so make sure you get it.

But don't auto renew if you already have insurance, because you're then limited to that particular provider's price.

If you use a comparison site, you get a much wider range of quotes, so you're playing the odds. The chances are for most people there'll be a cheaper deal, but there might not be. But if you don't check, you don't know.

Sometimes, legitimately playing around with a few variables can save you money. First thing, legitimately changing your job title. On car insurance question sets, there might be more than one job title that accurately reflects what you do. So sometimes playing around, as long as you're not lying, playing around can sometimes get you a cheaper deal. Also, legitimately adding a responsible second driver can sometimes bring the cost down as well, so it's worth checking. But really importantly, don't put them down as the main driver if they're not going to be. That's something called fronting, which is against the law.

But being a responsible second driver sometimes cut costs, so it's worth checking.

5 ways you could save on your car insurance

You can find even more tips in our guide to getting cheaper car insurance.

Increase your voluntary excess

This is the amount you’re willing to pay on top of the compulsory excess if you make a claim.

Pay annually

Opting for monthly instalments tends to be more expensive in the long run, as you’ll be charged interest. Our data shows people typically pay £509 for annual comprehensive cover, compared to £734 for those who pay in monthly instalments⁵.

Remove any unnecessary add-ons

For example, excess protection or car keys cover, if you don’t need them.

Add a named driver to your policy

This can be especially effective for young drivers, who could save up to £438 by adding a named driver⁷.

But beware of car insurance fronting, where a more experienced driver falsely claims to be the main driver to get a cheaper premium. It’s a type of car insurance fraud and is illegal.

Shop around

Prices change over time, so it’s useful to compare quotes and find the right deal for you. You could save up to £485 when you compare car insurance with us¹.

What do our customers say about our car insurance comparison service?

Based on 93,685 reviews, customers who bought car insurance rated us 4.6 out of 5

Fantastic easy to use

Julie - 20/01/2026

Made car insurance a lot cheaper!

Adil - 12/02/2026

Easy to navigate the web site

Caroline - 15/02/2026

What info do I need to get a car insurance quote?

This is the key info we’ll need in order to give you personalised prices from a range of insurance providers.

Get a quote

Your car and how you use it

We’ll need the registration number or the car’s make, model and age. We’ll also need to know whether you use your car for pleasure or business, and an estimate of how many miles you drive in a year.

Your details

Let us know your name, age, address, and job details. We’ll need the same for any other drivers you want to add to your policy.

Your driving and your licence

Tell us about your no-claims discount (NCD) if you have one, plus your driving history. If you can, provide your driving licence number. This could potentially lower your quote with some insurance providers.

Get a quote

Do I need car insurance?

Yes, you need car insurance to drive legally on UK roads. Car insurance offers financial protection if your car is involved in an incident that damages property or a vehicle, or injures another person.

If you’re caught driving without valid insurance, you could face penalties including a £300 fine and six points on your licence. If you end up in court, you could face an unlimited fine and be banned from driving.

Car insurance types compared

There are three main types of car insurance. Here’s what they do and don’t typically cover:

Comprehensive

Comprehensive insurance is the highest level of cover
It includes damage or injuries to other people, fire damage and theft
Repair costs if your car is damaged in an accident, regardless of who’s at fault
A pay-out in the event your car is written off
It doesn’t automatically let you drive other cars or cover theft from an unlocked vehicle, so it’s important to check the terms of your policy

Third-party, fire and theft

Third-party, fire and theft insurance is the middle tier of car insurance
It includes damage or injuries to other people
Fire damage
Theft
If you’re at fault for an accident, it won’t cover repairs to your own vehicle or your medical costs

Third-party only

Third-party only insurance is the minimum level of cover you need to legally drive on UK roads
You’ll only be covered for damage and injuries to other people
It won’t cover you or your car
It usually works out more expensive than comprehensive cover, and some providers no longer even offer it

Which is the cheapest type of car insurance?

Despite offering the highest level of cover, comprehensive policies can sometimes be the cheapest option.

Third-party policies are often more expensive as the drivers who choose them may be those considered higher risk by insurance providers.

Drivers typically pay £593 per year for comprehensive cover versus £1,302 for third-party cover⁵.

Other types of car insurance

Business car insurance

If you use your car for work purposes other than commuting.

Temporary car insurance

Can cover anything from one hour to 28 days.

Multi-car insurance

When you insure more than one car registered at the same address.

Black box insurance

Involves installing a telematics device in your car to monitor your driving. Drivers aged 17-24 typically pay £1,324 for black box insurance⁵, compared with £1,340 for regular comprehensive cover⁸.

European car insurance

Covers driving abroad in Europe.

Optional car insurance upgrades and add-ons

There are plenty of optional car insurance upgrades available, but you’ll usually have to pay to add them to your policy. Think carefully about the cover you want so you don’t end up paying more than you need to.

Breakdown cover

Personal accident cover

Motor legal protection

Excess protection

Car keys cover

No-claims bonus protection

Misfuelling cover

Are there any specialist vehicle insurance policies tailored to me?

Very possibly. Some providers specialise in covering specific types of drivers or situations, for example:

Learner drivers – if you have a provisional licence
Young drivers – if you don’t have much experience
New drivers – if you’ve just passed your test
Student drivers – if you’re away at college or university. Students typically pay less than £1,272 for car insurance⁵
Over 50s – if you’re an experienced driver
Named drivers – if you’re named on someone else’s policy
Disabled drivers – if you have health issues or drive an adapted vehicle
Occasional drivers – if you borrow a car from time to time
Drivers with convictions – if you have points on your licence or have been disqualified. Drivers with motoring convictions typically pay £772 for car insurance, compared with £588 for drivers with no convictions⁵.

What our expert says...

“After a prolonged period of sharp increases, it’s encouraging to see drivers now paying some of the lowest prices we’ve seen in over two years.

“Lower inflation, easing repair and labour costs, and a reduction in motor claims could all be helping to reduce premiums, and those savings are starting to benefit motorists.”

Sam Wilson, Insurance expert

What types of cars can I insure?

As well as insurance for standard cars, we can help you find the right cover for cars that are a bit different.

Classic car

There’s no set definition of a classic car, but insurance providers consider it to be one that’s at least 15 years old.

We can help you find car insurance cover for your classic car, so long as it was manufactured in 1970 or later. The typical cost to insure a classic car is £681 per year⁵.

Sports car

High-performance cars can be attractive to thieves, and they’re likely to be driven faster than regular cars. So, it’s not surprising that sports car insurance can be expensive. Compare car insurance quotes to see if you can find the right deal for your pride and joy.

Imported cars

Cars imported into the UK can sometimes be more expensive to insure. According to our data, the typical annual premium is £954⁵.

This can partly depend on where they’ve been imported from: ‘grey’ imports, from outside the EU, can be pricier to insure – particularly if they’re more powerful or high-spec than the average car.

‘Parallel’ imports come from the EU and might not cost much more to insure than a car bought in the UK. Whichever import type it is, it’s important to find the right cover for your imported car.

Modified cars

Some modifications, like fitting an immobiliser, could cut the cost of your car insurance. Other popular modifications, such as alloy wheels, exhaust system changes and tow bars, might increase it.

Customers with modified cars typically pay less than £633 for car insurance. But that’s £41 more than those without any modifications⁵.

Understand how car modifications can affect your car insurance quote and find the right cover for you.

Electric cars

Sales of electric cars are growing. According to the RAC, over 86,000 new electric cars were registered in the UK in March 2026 – the highest on record.

It typically costs less than £587 per year to insure an electric car⁵.

Green cars

Green cars include electric and hybrid vehicles as well as cars that run on biofuel, hydrogen or LPG. Find out about insuring your hybrid car.

FAQs

Does your job title affect your car insurance?

Yes, your job title can affect the cost of your car insurance. If your job means you spend more time on the road, there’s more risk of you being involved in an accident. A courier, for example, may be considered a higher risk than an office administrator.

Jobs that tend to attract younger workers could also result in a higher premium. This is because young drivers are statistically more at risk of having an accident.

Do I need a credit check to buy car insurance?

Not necessarily. The insurance provider will only carry out a full credit check if you want to pay for your car insurance monthly.

Providers may look at your credit score (a soft search) when you compare car insurance quotes. But this is just to check your details and won’t affect your score.

How do I estimate my mileage, and will it affect my premium?

To estimate your vehicle’s mileage:

Work out how many miles you drive every week, then multiply by 52 to work out your annual use.
You can also check your MOT certificate or car service record, which will show how many miles you’ve driven. You can use this as a basis to calculate your future mileage.

Mileage can affect your car insurance premium – the more you drive, the more of a risk providers consider you to be.

It’s important to be as accurate as you can when estimating your annual mileage too. If you underestimate, it could invalidate your policy. If you overestimate, you could end up paying more than you need to.

How do I work out my car’s value?

To work out your car’s value, you can use a free valuation tool such as the one from AutoTrader. Or look at used car listings to see the prices of models similar to yours for age, condition and mileage.

When you compare car insurance quotes with us, we’ll give you a valuation figure based on the car’s current market value, where possible. You can change this if it doesn’t look right.

How long is my quote valid for?

Some insurance quotes last as long as 60 days, but some can change at any point. Check your quote to see how long it’s valid for.

When you compare car insurance with us, you can save your searches. Remember, though, you won’t necessarily get the price that you saved when you come back to buy your policy.

Will I be charged if I cancel my policy?

If you cancel your car insurance policy within the 14-day cooling-off period, you might have to pay an admin fee. But you’ll get a refund minus the days the policy was active for, unless a fault claim has occurred.

If you cancel later after 14 days have passed, you might have to pay a cancellation and admin fee. You could get a refund, depending on the circumstances and whether you pay for your policy annually or monthly.

How do I claim on my car insurance?

To make a claim on your car insurance:

Contact your insurance provider directly.
Get a crime reference number from the police if your car has been stolen or vandalised.
Gather the information you need to give to your insurance provider, including details of the other driver(s) and any witnesses.

You must always tell your insurance provider if you’ve had an accident – whether you claim or not. If you don’t tell them, you could invalidate your policy.

When might a claim be rejected?

There are a few reasons why your insurance claim might be rejected. It could be that:

You’re not covered for what you’re trying to claim for
There’s a dispute over who’s at fault in an accident
The provider believes you’ve invalidated your car insurance – for example, not telling them about something they should know.

If your claim is turned down and you don’t think it’s justified, there are steps you can take to dispute a rejected claim.

I had to make a claim last year. Will my insurance go up?

If you made a claim last year, you’re likely to pay more for your car insurance on renewal.

In fact, your premium may go up even if you had an accident and didn’t make a claim. This is because the insurance provider might consider you a higher risk of having another accident.

Even if it wasn’t your fault, an accident could affect your car insurance premium. Your no-claims discount shouldn’t be affected if it’s protected, but your basic premium is still likely to go up.

The more claim-free years you have, the lower your car insurance premium. Drivers who have 10 years or more of claim-free years typically pay less than £373 for their car insurance. Someone who has between one and three claim-free years typically pays less than £822⁵.

Can my parents help me get cheaper car insurance?

If you share your car with one of your parents, having them on your policy as a named or additional driver could reduce your premium. But they mustn’t be on the policy as the main driver if they’re not. This is a type of insurance fraud called fronting and it’s illegal.

Do I need insurance if my car is off the road?

You don’t need insurance if your car is off the road as long as you officially declare a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). However, this means your car won’t be covered if it’s damaged while parked up.

And you won’t legally be able to park or drive the car on a public road until insurance is in place and the SORN has ended.

Will a comprehensive policy allow me to drive someone else’s car?

Sometimes. You’ll need to check the policy details to be sure that you’re covered to drive someone else’s car with a comprehensive policy.

If your policy doesn’t include this cover, you could be added as a named driver to the other person’s policy.

Alternatively, you could opt for temporary car insurance.

What admin fees should I expect?

If you make alterations to your car insurance policy, such as adding a named driver, you may have to pay an admin fee. And you’ll usually need to pay a fee for cancelling your policy or missing a payment.

With a telematics policy, you might have to pay a fee if you go over the specified mileage.

Fees can vary widely among providers, but they will all be set out in your policy documents. You may be able to avoid some of them if you make changes via your online account.

Do driving courses lower the cost of insurance?

Taking a driving course, such as Pass Plus, might lower the cost of your premium, but this is entirely up to the individual provider.

Drivers with a Pass Plus qualification typically pay less than £484 for their car insurance, compared with £908 without an additional driving qualification⁵.

Based on their own claims experience, some insurance providers may assume that taking an advanced driving course may make you less likely to be involved in an accident.

And if the course makes you a safer driver, this should help keep down the cost of your car insurance in the longer term.

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Reviewed 05 Aug 2026 by Amy Rootham Insurance expert

Amy helps make sure you get the best value when choosing insurance. Thanks to more than four years’ experience at Compare the Market, she understands what people look for, working closely with insurance providers to offer you deals and services that are fair, easy to understand and right for your needs.

Methodology

¹ Based on Online independent research by Consumer Intelligence during June 2026, 51% of customers could achieve this saving on their car insurance through Compare the Market.

² Based on Compare the Market data from August 2025-July 2026

³ Based on Trustpilot ratings (July 2026).

⁴51% of our customers were quoted less than £592.26 for their comprehensive car insurance in June 2026.

51% of our customers were quoted less than £961.96 for their third party fire and theft car insurance in June 2026.

51% of our customers were quoted less than £1,301.37 per year for their third party car insurance in June 2026.

⁵ Based on 51% of customers who compared quotes for this type of policy in June 2026.

⁶ Based on the % of respondents claiming they have used Compare the Market in the last 12 months vs. other leading PCWs. Source: Savanta BrandVue Financial Services, National Representative Survey of 12,257 respondents (June 2026)

⁷Based on Compare the Market data in June 2026.

⁸ 51% of young drivers between 17-24 years old could achieve a quote of up to £1339.58 for their car insurance based on Compare the Market data in June 2026.