Bought a car from a dealer or private seller? Get fully comprehensive temporary cover in minutes so you can drive it home legally – from 1 hour up to 30 days.
Buying a car is exciting, but you can’t legally drive it away until you’re insured to drive it. Drive away insurance is short-term cover that bridges the gap between handing over the money and arranging your long-term policy, so you can collect the car the same day.
Insure just the journey home, or choose up to 30 days while you compare annual policies.
Drive home a UK-registered car bought from a dealership or a private seller, subject to eligibility.
Your policy is uploaded to the Motor Insurance Database, so you can tax the car before you set off.
Yes. Every car driven on a public road must be insured, and the seller’s insurance won’t cover you once the car is yours. Some annual policies include limited cover for driving other cars, but it’s usually third party only, may not apply to a car you’ve just bought and often isn’t offered to younger drivers – so check your own policy wording rather than assuming you’re covered.
Driving uninsured carries a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points, and cases that go to court can result in an unlimited fine and disqualification. Police can also seize the vehicle, which is the last thing you want on your first day of owning it. Insurance for picking up a car avoids all of that.
You get a quote online using the car’s registration number, your licence details and a few questions about yourself. Choose a start time that lines up with the collection and a duration that suits – from one hour for a short drive home to several days if you want time to compare annual policies. Once you’ve paid, your documents are emailed instantly.
Because it’s temporary insurance for buying a car, the cover ends automatically when your chosen period finishes. Before it runs out, make sure your long-term policy is in place so there’s no gap.
Yes. Since October 2014, vehicle tax no longer transfers with the car when it’s sold. The previous keeper’s tax is cancelled and any full months remaining are refunded to them, so as the new keeper you must tax the car before you drive it – even if it’s only the journey home.
To tax the car you’ll need the 12-digit reference number from the new keeper slip (V5C/2) of the logbook, and the car must be insured. That’s why it helps to buy your drive away cover first, so your policy is on the Motor Insurance Database, then tax the car online before setting off.
Some dealers offer short-term cover as part of the sale, but not all do and the level of cover varies, so ask what’s included before you collect. If it isn’t offered, or you’d rather choose your own, you can arrange insurance to drive the car home from the dealer yourself in a couple of minutes.
Private sales need a little more preparation, because a private seller won’t provide any insurance. Check that the registration and logbook details match, look up the car’s MOT history on GOV.UK and make sure it has a valid MOT if it needs one. You can only drive a car without a valid MOT to a pre-booked MOT test, and it must still be insured for that journey.
Our temporary policies are fully comprehensive, covering accidental damage to the car you’ve bought, fire and theft, and your liability to other road users, subject to the excess, terms and exclusions in your policy wording. It’s a standalone policy, so it doesn’t affect anyone else’s insurance or No Claims Discount.
Cover is for social, domestic and pleasure use in Great Britain, and the car must be UK registered. It isn’t designed for business use or driving abroad, and eligibility criteria and underwriting acceptance apply to both the driver and the vehicle.
Yes. You must be insured before you drive the car on a public road, including the journey home from the seller. The seller’s insurance won’t cover you, and ‘driving other cars’ cover on your own policy, if you have it, is often third party only and may not apply.
Yes. Temporary insurance can cover you to drive a UK-registered car home from a private sale, subject to eligibility. You’ll need the registration number, and you must tax the car before driving it.
You choose. Cover can be as short as 1 hour for the drive home or up to 30 days if you need time to arrange an annual policy. It ends automatically at the time shown on your certificate.
No. Since October 2014 tax doesn’t transfer to the new keeper, so you must tax the car before driving it. You’ll need the reference number from the V5C/2 new keeper slip and valid insurance in place.
Yes. You can get a quote online in a couple of minutes, choose a start time from now onwards and receive your documents by email immediately. Your policy is also uploaded to the Motor Insurance Database.
Some dealers offer short-term drive away cover as part of the sale, but not all do and the cover varies. Ask the dealer what’s included and check the details before you drive off.