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- Learner Driver Insurance
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Learner Driver Insurance
Get learner driver insurance with Tempcover
- Enjoy extra practice when it suits you
- Policies from 12 hours up to 28 days
- Comprehensive with no impact on no claims discount
What is learner driver insurance?
If you’re a learner driver practising with friends or family instead of or alongside a qualified instructor, you will need your own insurance policy. But, when learning to drive, you probably won’t need cover constantly – instead, choose a flexible insurance policy.
With learner car insurance, you only pay for the cover you need, when you need it. You can choose to take out learner insurance for a day, a week, or a month.
The DVSA estimates it takes the average learner around 45 hours of lessons with instructors and 22 hours of private practice to pass their test.
Fully comprehensive as standard, this cover gives you complete peace of mind while honing your driving skills.
How much does learner driver insurance cost?
This varies depending on factors including the age of the learner and the vehicle they are driving in. It can be more affordable than adding a learner to an annual policy as you only pay for the time you need.
How does our learner insurance work?
Our short-term learner car insurance is ideal for learning to drive in your own or a family member’s car. You can take out cover for the length of time that you need.
As a provisional licence holder, you’ll need to make sure you have someone with you who’s qualified to drive and is eligible to supervise you. There’s no impact on any No Claims Discount so any other policy won’t be affected.
It’s important to remember that your learner driver insurance won’t cover you once you’ve passed your test.
Flexible
Only pay for the time you need.
Cost-effective
No need to add a learner to an annual policy.
Peace of mind
Fully comprehensive cover.
Fast
Quotes in under 2 minutes.
What does learner driver insurance cover?
Comprehensive as standard, syou are automatically covered for any damage sustained to yourself, the vehicle, or any third parties.
What's covered with Tempcover's provisional insurance?
- Fully comprehensive policies from 12 hours to 28 days
- Accidental and malicious damage to your car
- Cover for injury or damage to another person or their property
- Driving in the UK
What's not covered with learner driver insurance?
- The excess you agreed to pay
- Release from an impound (unless you buy an impound insurance policy)
- Additional drivers – we can only cover the driver named on the policy
- A sole claim or separate cover for broken/damaged glass including the windscreen
- Driving once you’ve passed your test
Am I eligible for provisional insurance?
We’re confident that if you meet the criteria below, you will be eligible for learner driver insurance.
To get learner driver insurance, you must
- Be aged 17-69 years old.
- Hold a UK provisional driving licence without any points.
- Have been a permanent UK resident for the last 12 months.
- Have no criminal convictions.
- Not have had a previous policy of insurance declared void by an insurer.
To get learner car insurance, the person supervising you must
- Be aged over 25.
- Have held a full UK driving licence for at least 3 years.
- Have been a permanent UK resident for at least 2 years.
To get learner insurance, your car must
- Be valued between £500 and £30,000.
- Be taxed and in a roadworthy condition with a current and valid MOT.
- Be insured with an annual insurance policy if the owner of the vehicle is not you (the learner and policyholder).
- Be used only when you, the learner and the policyholder, are being supervised to learn to drive.
- Be a right-hand drive car with no more than 5 seats in total and not be modified in any way except to aid disabled drivers.
Each insurer on our panel has its own eligibility criteria. Please pay close attention to the Proposer’s Declaration.
How can I get learner driver insurance?
If you’re learning to drive in a private car, you legally need learner driver insurance. Just follow these steps:
- Enter a few details about yourself and the car you want to learn in.
- Confirm you’re happy with the price and details of your policy.
- Pay for your policy.
When your policy expires, we’ll send you a reminder in case you need another policy. If you do, it’s the same simple process every time.
The supervisor you practise your driving with (without paying them) must:
- Be over 25 (the legal age for a supervisor of private driving lessons in the UK is 21 but Tempcover policies only cover drivers over 25)
- Be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you want to learn in, for example they must have a manual car licence if they’re supervising you in a manual car.
- Have had their full driving licence for 3 years (from the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein).
You can be fined up to £1,000 and get up to 6 penalty points on your provisional licence if you drive without the right supervision.
Can I get learner driver car insurance on my own car?
There’s nothing stopping you buying a car before passing their test, but any learner who has their own car will need insurance to learn to drive in it.
This has some advantages as you can get comfortable in the car you’ll be driving long term. Bear in mind with learner driver insurance you need to be supervised by a driver who has held a full licence for at least three years.
When you pass your test, you’ll need to get an annual or temporary car insurance policy in place before driving independently.
How much does it cost to add a learner driver to an insurance policy?
Adding a learner driver to an annual policy can be expensive. This is because learners are seen as a higher risk due to lack of experience. Some insurance providers might not even allow learners to be added.
Adding a learner to your policy could increase your premium and you may have to pay an admin fee to amend it.
You also face the risk of losing your no claims discount if the learner has an accident in your car. This could be expensive to repair and increase your annual insurance premium.
Learner car insurance is an option that won’t impact any existing no claims discount. This is because it’s a standalone policy that lasts between 12 hours and 28 days.
Benefits of insurance for learner drivers on parents’ cars
Learning to drive is an exciting journey, but it often requires many hours behind the wheel - both your instructor’s and the family car - before passing your test.
With learner insurance, you only pay for the time you need for private practice.
- Practise on your terms - Get crucial extra time behind the wheel, in a car and with people you are comfortable with.
- Cut the cost of learning - The average driving lesson costs between £25 and £45 an hour. Learner insurance has one flat fee from 12 hours up to 28 days.
- No claims? No worries - Family members who have built up a no claims discount can be nervous about a learner practising in their car. Learner insurance is a stand-alone policy that won’t affect any existing discounts.
- Take the test in a car you know - Drive with confidence in a familiar vehicle.
- Complete peace of mind on the road - Comprehensive as standard, so everyone can relax and focus on passing the test.
What happens to my learner driver insurance policy after I pass my test?
Before you head off on a celebratory drive, be aware your learner driver insurance is no longer be valid.
Once you’ve passed your test , you will either need to buy annual temporary car insurance. A short-term policy gives you time to find the right yearly policy.
Find out more about Learner Driver Insurance
From the cost of driving lessons to driving test tips and advice on who can sit with a learner driver and how to pass your theory test, Tempcover has so many guides to help you with every aspect of learning to drive.
What will I need to get a learner insurance quote?
The details you will need
- The vehicle's reg number
- Your details (name, address, date of birth, etc.)
- The value of the vehicle
- Your occupation
- Your email/phone number (to send policy documents)
- When you'd like the policy to start and end
We work directly with insurers to provide you with short-term insurance to suit your needs
You can pay for your short term insurance policy in several ways. Using our secure payment system, you can use the following payment methods:
After you’ve bought your policy, your documents will be emailed to you instantly so there’s no waiting around.
Learner driver insurance FAQs
No – only your qualified instructor’s insurance covers you as a learner automatically. When you’re in your driving instructor’s car, they have a special kind of insurance policy that covers you so long as you’re paying for their services. If an accident were to happen, it would be for them to claim and sort out, so learners need not worry about insurance at all when paying for classes.
But, if you’re arranging private sessions with a friend or family member, you will need a separate policy to cover learner drivers. The car owner could try adding you to their policy, but since you haven’t even passed yet, there’s a good chance their insurance provider will say no – and cover could cost a lot of money regardless. Because their insurance won’t apply to you, you’ll need another arrangement. And that’s where our short-term cover comes in. You can get learner insurance for one day, one week, or one month.
Yes. Any learner driver will have to have insurance cover, whether you want to add them to your existing policy or not. But if you’d rather eliminate the risk, Tempcover’s provisional insurance doesn’t affect your main policy, and your No Claims Discount is protected.
Learner driver insurance policies are tailored to the needs of provisional drivers. Tempcover’s learner insurance is a flexible, short-term option that’s ideal if you’re learning to drive and want to get some experience outside of your usual lessons, in a different car.
This type of cover can be taken out for the time period that suits you, unlike standard policies that usually offer annual cover. This makes our provisional insurance a cost-effective way of getting covered while learning to drive. Get a quote today to find out how affordable it could be.
No, a learner driver is only insured to drive the car that’s named on the policy. But nothing is stopping you from paying for another provisional insurance policy on a different car if you wanted to get some practice by using a second vehicle.
Your learner driver insurance quote will depend on a range of factors including how long to want to take out cover for and the vehicle you want to insure.
Get a quote and see how little provisional insurance could cost you.
You can find cheap provisional insurance by choosing the right insurance for your situation and only paying for cover when you’re actually behind the wheel.
Without road experience, insurers will always increase the cost of provisional insurance. To get cheap learner driver insurance, you will first need to choose the right type of insurance:
Learner driver insurance – The ideal option for learner drivers who want something more flexible and don’t want the huge expense of an annual policy. If you only practice on weekends, learner insurance for one day, or weekend insurance is likely to be the best option. If your test is in a week or a month, getting just one week’s insurance or one month’s learner insurance will be more cost-effective than an annual policy.
With temporary learner driver insurance, there are no long-term commitments, so if you pass your driving test sooner than expected, you aren’t left tied into a contract.
Become a named driver – Being a named driver on your parents or other family members’ policy can be a better option if you’re planning on learning for a long time or aren’t sure exactly when you’ll be practising. However, there are a few drawbacks, including the risk to the vehicle owner’s No Claims Discount and the likelihood that the cost of their insurance will go up to cover you.
Annual learner driver insurance – This is a long-term option if you aren’t planning on taking or potentially passing your test in the near future. Once you have passed your test, you can update the details of the policy and continue with that insurance provider or cancel the policy (both actions will come at an additional cost).
Choosing the right policy for your needs is the best way to get cheap provisional insurance. You can also reduce the cost of your policy by taking the following steps:
- Practice in a small-engine car in a low-insurance group
- Increase any voluntary excess on the policy
- Add a more experienced driver to your policy (if it’s your vehicle and you are still the main driver)
- Choose comprehensive cover over lower levels of cover
Yes, you can get one-week learner driver insurance. Like other temporary car insurance policies, you can get learner insurance for 12 hours, a day, a week, or a month, up to 28 days at a time. So, whether you need that last bit of practice before your test or you’re getting behind the wheel for the first time, you can select a policy duration that fits your needs.
No, you probably don’t – unless you’re planning to drive a car other than your instructor’s.
As was the case during your lessons, if you take the test in your instructor’s car, their specialised insurance will automatically cover you. But if you want to take the test in your car or a friend/family member’s car, you’ll have to arrange temporary learner car insurance to do this. You will also need some form of learner insurance if you’re driving someone else’s car.
Once you pass your test, your learner driver insurance will become invalid, so you’ll need to make sure you have other arrangements for this.
Potentially, yes. All the same laws apply to drivers learning on ‘private land’. If you are learning to drive in an area the public has access to, for example, a footpath, then you must have the same insurance as you would need to drive on the road.
Without the right weekly or monthly learner driver insurance, not only do you risk having your car seized but you could face fines and see points added to your licence. This can have a big negative impact on your premiums when buying annual insurance after you’ve passed.
Having the right insurance is not only the law, but it gives learners that little bit of extra reassurance when practising on the road.
You can get an unlimited fine, be banned from driving and get up to 8 penalty points for driving without insurance.
As a learner, you can also be fined up to £1,000 and get up to 6 penalty points on your provisional licence if you drive without the right supervision.
If a learner is caught driving alone, they could invalidate their insurance and face a potential driving ban.
You need your own insurance as a learner driver if you own your car. Your family member or friend will usually be covered on this.
If you’re practising in someone else’s car, you need to either:
- Make sure you’re covered by the car owner’s insurance policy as a learner driver.
- Take out your own insurance policy that covers you driving in the car as a learner driver.
Learner drivers can be fined up to £1,000 and also get 6 points on their licence if they do not have the correct supervision.
A learner cannot drive a car without supervision. This supervisor can be a either a qualified driving instructor or friend or family member who:
- Is over 21 years old (with a Tempcover policy, the supervisor must be over 25).
- Had held a full UK driving licence for three years.
- Is qualified to drive the type of vehicle they are learning in.
- Must not currently be banned from driving.
As a supervisor, you need to be covered in the learner’s vehicle. If this is a vehicle you own, you’ll already have a policy. If you’re practising in a car owned by the learner or somebody else, make sure you are added as a named driver or have temporary car insurance in place.
Find out more about learning to drive with family and friends on the UK government’s website.
Marc Pell
Managing Director
What our expert says
Learning to drive can be long and expensive. Get that crucial extra practice with people you know and have peace of mind that you're properly insured with short-term learner insurance.
Marc Pell
Managing Director
