Driving other cars on your car insurance

Key takeaways

• Your car insurance policy won’t automatically cover you to drive other cars

• There is a fixed penalty of £300, six points, and an IN10 conviction for driving uninsured

• Driving other cars cover allows the main driver on a policy to drive other cars with the owner’s permission, but only provides third-party cover

Am I insured for driving other cars on my car insurance policy?

No, your car insurance policy won’t automatically cover you for driving cars other than your own that you’ve named on the policy.

Some car insurance policies do come with driving other cars (DOC) cover included, but you should check first to be sure.

What are the penalties for driving a car I’m not insured on?

Driving a car you aren’t insured to drive can lead to:

• a fixed penalty of £300

• six penalty points on your driving licence

• an IN10 conviction

If the case goes to court this could lead to:

• an unlimited fine

• disqualification from driving.

This can also affect your car insurance. If you have an IN10 conviction it’s likely you’ll pay more for cover, and you may even struggle to find cover at all as some insurance companies may consider you as too high a claim risk.

When might I need to be insured to drive another car?

You may need insurance on another person’s car in the following situations:

Can I drive my partner’s car?

Yes, provided that you are added as a named driver on your partner’s car insurance. If you don’t plan to drive their car regularly but you may need to drive their car in an emergency then consider taking out driving other cars (DOC) cover.

What is DOC cover?

Driving other cars or DOC cover is an extension on your regular car insurance policy that allows you to drive other cars, usually in an emergency but only with the owner’s permission.

How does DOC cover work?

A driving other cars (DOC) policy lets you drive someone else’s car with their permission, but you’ll only get third-party level cover. This means you’ll be insured for damage you do to another vehicle, person, or property, but any damage done to the car you’re driving won’t be covered.

The car you’re driving must already be insured by the owner, and your DOC policy only applies to you as the main driver on your own insurance. If you have named drivers on your policy, the DOC cover doesn’t apply to them, so they won’t be insured to drive other cars.

Additionally, you’ll need to be 25 or over at the policy start date to qualify, and your own policy must be fully comprehensive.

How do I know if I have DOC insurance?

You can check your policy documents or certificate, either online or on a physical copy if you have it. If you’re online, try searching the document for ‘driving other cars’ or ‘DOC’.

What are the alternative options to DOC insurance?

If you don’t have DOC cover, you can ask your insurer if they can offer it as an add-on to your policy.

However, if that’s not an option, you can also consider:

DOC insurance vs temporary car insurance

A temporary car insurance policy can be more useful in the sense that it offers more cover - you’ll be able to take out fully comprehensive cover, rather than the third-party level you’d get with DOC insurance.

However, a DOC policy is always active, so you’ll have peace of mind that you’re already covered so long as you have the owner’s permission to drive, and the circumstances allow it.

Can someone else drive my car if they aren’t insured on it?

In most cases, no - other people won’t be insured as standard to drive your car just as you won’t be automatically covered to drive other cars. However, as mentioned above, someone may be insured to drive your car in these situations:

• If they have DOC cover: In an emergency, you can give someone with DOC cover on their own policy permission to drive your car

• If they’ve bought temporary cover: You can also give them permission to take out temporary insurance on your vehicle

• If you have them as a named driver: Lastly you can add them to your car insurance policy as a named driver

Did you know...? On average, there are 300,000 uninsured vehicles on UK roads each day, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. As vehicles may be uninsured for months at a time, the total number uninsured across the year is more than a million.

Compare car insurance quotes

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You’ll be able to compare providers by the cost of their policy, the level of protection offered, and the excess you’ll need to pay to make a claim. Once you’ve found the one you want, just click through to the provider’s website to complete your purchase.