Can you get temporary car insurance on an uninsured car?

You can get temporary car insurance on a car that isn’t currently insured. This makes it easy for you to drive a new car home, borrow one from the friend, or take your SORN car to the garage for its MOT.

On that last note, there’s one rule to bear in mind when driving: a car on a UK road either needs to be insured or declared off road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) at all times. Temporary car insurance can help fill this gap.

Do you need an existing policy to get temporary insurance?

You won’t need an existing annual insurance policy to get temporary insurance as it’s a completely separate and stand-alone policy. The car won’t need to be insured for you to take out temporary insurance.

Temporary insurance is different to dual insurance, which is when two active policies overlap and cover the same vehicle for the same period. Temporary insurance covers a short period of time when a car might be uninsured. There’s nothing to amend, cancel or declare. Just buy the policy and drive.

This makes temporary insurance a fast and flexible alternative to amending an annual policy. You can use it when you need to:

• Drive a new car home
• Collect a used car
• Take a test drive
• Cover a gap between two policies
• Borrow someone else’s car for a day or two
• Drive a car without an annual premium to a pre-booked MOT

Remember, temporary car insurance also has no impact or effect on any existing no claims bonus.

What’s the legal difference between an uninsured car and a SORN car?

Under UK law, every vehicle has to be insured or declared SORN (off the road). This applies whether it’s being driven on a regular basis or just sitting on a private driveway. This is Continuous Insurance Enforcement and is checked by comparing the Motor Insurance Database (MID) against DVLA records. This can be done by ANPR cameras. You don’t have to be pulled over by the police to be caught.

If you’re caught driving without insurance, you could face the following penalties:

• A £300 fixed fine
• 6 points
• An unlimited fine if the case goes to court

If it’s the car itself that’s uninsured and undeclared (not being driven), the penalty fine starts at £100 (or £50 if you pay within 21 days) before potentially progressing to court action or the car being seized.

Registering a vehicle SORN means you don’t need insurance for it, but you also won’t be able to drive it on any public road - even if you’re just popping to the shops. If you want to drive it, you’ll need some form of insurance.

Are you eligible for temporary insurance on an uninsured car?

This will depend on both driver and vehicle…