Can i drive any car with comprehensive insurance

Table of Contents Show

• Value your car in under 30 seconds
• How do I find out if I can drive other cars with my insurance?
• How can I add DOC to my car insurance policy?
• What are the alternative options?
• What should I do if I’m unsure if I have DOC on my policy?
• Can I get insurance so anybody can drive my car?
• Related articles
• Age Co Car Insurance
• Can you drive another car on your insurance?
• Can I drive another car with comprehensive insurance?
• What are your other options?

Last updated April 30, 2021

Historically, it was standard policy to be able to drive other cars (DOC) on your comprehensive car insurance, but today most policies don’t provide the option to do so as standard, with some not even offering it as an additional extra. So before you get behind the wheel of your friends or family members car, it is important to understand what you’re covered for on your car insurance policy to avoid breaking the law and putting your licence at risk.

Value your car in under 30 seconds

How do I find out if I can drive other cars with my insurance?

If you have the minimum level of insurance (third-party or third-party fire and theft) it’s unlikely you’ll be able to drive another car as part of your policy. Nevertheless, it may be possible to have it included in your policy as standard or an extra, so you should check your policy documents to know if you can drive somebody else's car.

If you have comprehensive car insurance for your own vehicle, there is a possibility that you are able to drive another car as part of your policy, despite it being less common than in the past. Again, you will need to check your certificate of insurance or contact your insurance provider to find out if you are insured to get behind the wheel of another vehicle.

How can I add DOC to my car insurance policy?

How to add DOC to your policy will depend on the insurer and some don’t offer it as an option at all. However, where it is an optional extra, the criteria may include:

• Be over 25 years of age
• Have fully comprehensive cover
• The car you want to add to your policy will need fully comprehensive cover
• The car must be roadworthy and have a valid MOT

To find out how to add DOC to your policy, you should contact your provider or log in to your account to see if it is an option.

What are the alternative options?

If you want to drive another car, there are other options available. Firstly, you could be added as a named driver on the policy of the car you want to drive. This will allow you to legally drive the car, but you must ensure that this is less than that of the main driver, otherwise you could be breaking the law. Adding yourself as a named driver on someone else’s policy will provide you with the same level of cover as that person, meaning if they’ve got fully comprehensive cover, you will have the same. To add yourself as a named driver, you will need the policy holder to contact their insurance and see if it is possible, which may incur an additional cost.

Secondly, you could get insured on another car through a temporary policy. This type of policy is ideal if you want to use another car for a short amount of time, such as if you were to drive a parent’s car on a long car journey. By choosing comprehensive temporary insurance, you will have a higher level of cover than if you added DOC to your policy, where you would only be covered for third-party damage.

What should I do if I’m unsure if I have DOC on my policy?

If you are thinking about getting behind the wheel of another car, you should always check your insurance policy first to ensure you’re not breaking the law for driving without insurance. If you are still unsure after checking your policy documents, you should call your provider to check.

If you are caught driving without insurance, you will receive an IN10 conviction, which will result in 6-8 points on your driving licence. This means you will lose your licence if you have been driving for fewer than two years and is likely to increase your renewal premium, even if you’re an experienced driver. As well as the points on your licence, there is a minimum fixed penalty fine of £300 for driving without insurance and you could be taken to court.

Can I get insurance so anybody can drive my car?

It is possible to get an any driver insurance policy, which allows anybody with a valid licence to drive your car. However, this insurance policy type is uncommon and many insurers may not even offer is as an option. Due to the risk being increased by anybody being allowed to drive your vehicle, you can expect this type of policy to be more expensive than the more common third-party and comprehensive policies.

Related articles

There’s always confusion around car insurance and whether you can drive someone else’s car and still be insured under your policy. 

The main types of insurance in the UK are comprehensive, third party and third party fire and theft. These all offer different levels of cover and it’s important that you understand the difference between them before taking out a policy.

Third party insurance only covers the damage to other vehicles that are involved in an accident and you will not receive compensation to fix the damage to your own vehicle. Third party fire and theft insurance offers the same level of cover as third party, but will also provide compensation if your car is involved in a fire or is stolen. Comprehensive insurance, sometimes referred to as ‘fully comp’, will cover the cost to fix any damage to your car as well as other vehicles that were involved in the accident, whether it was your fault or not.

But do any of these kinds of insurance cover you when you’re driving someone else’s vehicle?

Age Co Car Insurance

Find out more

Can you drive another car on your insurance?

If you have the minimum levels of cover (third party or third party fire and theft insurance), then it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to drive someone else’s vehicle using your policy. However, every insurance policy is different, so it’s important that you check the small print in your policy document. This document should outline whether you’re covered to drive another car and the type of cover you will have.

Most policy providers only allow you to drive other vehicles if you have a minimum of comprehensive cover. But even with this form of insurance you might not be able to drive another car.

Can I drive another car with comprehensive insurance?

Comprehensive car insurance is designed to insure you for any accidents in a variety of different situations. For example, you can make a claim if you’ve discovered damage to your car but can’t prove who was to blame. It will cover your vehicle if it’s parked on the street or if an accident was caused by you. It can also compensate passengers or drivers that were injured in the incident. This is why it’s the most popular form of insurance in the UK, despite typically being the most expensive

Just because you have comprehensive car insurance doesn’t automatically mean that you can drive another person’s vehicle. Some providers allow you to do so, while others might claim in the small print that you won’t be covered. Having fully comp insurance on your own vehicle doesn’t mean that you’re fully comp on someone else’s.

If your insurance provider does allow you to drive a different vehicle, it’s likely that they will only provide third party cover as a maximum. This means that if you’re involved in a collision, the policy will pay for the damages made to the other vehicle involved, but you will need to pay to have the vehicle you were driving fixed. This could cost thousands, depending on how severe the damage is. 

In the past, many comprehensive policies would cover you when you’re driving other vehicles, but now it isn’t as common. You should always check your certificate of insurance or your policy documents to confirm what you’re protected against.

If you’re in doubt, it isn’t worth getting in the car. It is illegal to drive without insurance, even if you thought you were covered, and you could be fined up to £300 or have six penalty points added to your licence. These would stay on your record for five years. The punishment could be more severe if you already have convictions on your licence.

What are your other options?

If your insurance policy doesn’t cover you to drive someone else’s car, there are a couple of ways that you can become insured on a second vehicle.

First, you could be added as a named driver to an insurance policy. A named driver is someone who is insured to use a vehicle, but they aren’t the main driver and don’t use the vehicle as frequently as the owner. They will have the same level of cover as the main policyholder and means they are completely covered should any incidents occur. An example of a named driver would be a father who might occasionally need to use his daughter’s car. The named user should never be the person who uses the vehicle most regularly. This is known as fronting and is illegal. If you’re caught, you may be refused insurance in the future or have a criminal record.

Second, you could take out temporary car insurance. For example, if you’re planning a road trip and want to split the driving between a few people, you can each take out a short-term insurance policy for a day or a week. This means you would all be equally covered to drive the car and would only need to pay one fee upfront.

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