Does a named driver have to drive the car?

Asked by: Nicolas Bartell  |  Last update: February 7, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (64 votes)

If your personal policy is a named driver policy but a friend's policy whose vehicle you want to drive is not, you are eligible to drive their vehicle under the permissive use clause. If the other vehicle you want to drive is on your named driver policy.

What happens if you are a named driver?

If you drive someone else's vehicle then you will not be covered by their (the main driver) motor insurance policy – you must become a named driver on their policy. As a named driver you will be given the same level of cover as the vehicle's main driver.

Does the policy holder have to be the main driver?

Does the policyholder have to be the main driver? Generally, insurance policies are set up with the policyholder also being the main driver of the car. It's worth noting that it's illegal for anyone other than the main driver to be placed as the policy holder, this is 'fronting'.

Can you drive another car if your only a named driver?

Can I drive my partner's car? As we've seen, driving other cars (DOC) insurance isn't usually included as part of a fully comprehensive policy. Unless your policy states otherwise, you'll only be able to drive your partner's car if they've added you as a named driver or have a family or any driver car insurance policy.

Can named drivers drive to work?

Any named driver can use your vehicle occasionally. That means they shouldn't be the permanent driver, nor should they be regularly using the vehicle, for example for driving to work. If someone is named as an additional driver but in fact has main use of the car, this is called fronting, which is illegal.

What is a Named Driver Only Policy?

38 related questions found

Does a named driver have to live with you?

Does a named driver have to live at the same address as the main driver? No, someone does not have to live at the same address as you to be added as a named driver to your policy.

Are named drivers covered for commuting?

Social, domestic, pleasure and commuting (SDPC)

This use will cover the regular driver and any named drivers to use the vehicle for social, domestic and pleasure use, plus to travel to and from a single permanent place of employment.

Can named drivers drive courtesy cars?

Most insurers will automatically cover anyone who's included in your insurance to drive a courtesy car – so if you have named drivers, they should be insured too.

Do named drivers have to declare accidents?

You need to tell your insurer if a named driver has an accident in your car, even if you don't want to claim. The named driver will need to tell their insurance company when their own policy comes up for renewal. This could push up the cost of their own insurance, too.

Is fronting illegal?

Fronting is illegal, carrying serious consequences that can include a criminal record. Find out what this form of insurance fraud is, how you might accidentally do it, and why it should be avoided.

Can I insure a car but not be the main driver?

It depends. Some insurance providers will only insure you as the main driver if you're the car's owner or registered keeper. If you're having trouble getting cover from one insurance provider, it's worth contacting others for a quote.

Can you own a car but not be the main driver?

But the main driver doesn't necessarily have to be the owner or the registered keeper. This is pretty common for married couples. If you're married, one of you can own the car and be the registered keeper. But if your spouse drives the car more often than you do, they'll need to be listed as the "main driver".

Can I own a car but not be the registered keeper?

The Owner Of A Vehicle/Car

The owner is not necessarily and does not have to be the registered keeper or be the day to day user/driver of the car. A common scenario is where a company owns the vehicle but an employee is the registered keeper and the day to day user of the vehicle.

What does being a named driver mean?

A named driver is someone who is insured to drive a vehicle in which another person does most of the driving. When driving that vehicle, the named driver will have the same level of cover as the main driver. They may also be referred to as an additional driver.

Do named drivers get no claims?

Named drivers can't usually build up a no claims discount, although they can accumulate their own if they're insured as the main driver on their own car. Some insurance providers may give a named driver a discount – provided they take out their own policy at a later date.

Can you have 2 main drivers on the same car?

You and your partner can both take out separate policies for the same car. Car insurance policies are for both the vehicle and the driver, so it's perfectly fine, legal and common for two people to be insured on the same vehicle under separate policies. There are a few reasons why you might consider doing this.

Who is affected if the named driver has an accident?

While named driver insurance can have benefits for both parties, the policyholder is more at risk. This is because is the named driver on your policy crashes the car, it will be under your name. So, if you have built up a no claims history of five years, and your named driver crashes, you will lose it if you claim.

Is a named driver fully comp?

If you have comprehensive insurance, your named driver will almost always have comprehensive cover, too. Check the policy details to make sure you have the level of cover that you both need. Your named driver should also be covered for any extras you add to your policy, for example: Breakdown cover.

Can someone drive my car if they are not on my insurance UK?

Myth 2: Other people can drive my car if I've said I don't mind. FACT: Many people may think it's just a case of giving permission, but it's not as simple as that. If someone else wants to drive your car, they will need their own car insurance with driving other cars cover. They will not be covered under your policy.

How many named drivers can you have on car insurance?

A named driver can be anyone you choose to add, whether that's a partner, family member or friend. You can usually add up to three or four named drivers to one policy. Note that a named driver is different to the main driver as the main driver is the person who will be doing most of the driving.

Can a new driver be a named driver?

If they're only an occasional user of the car, then they can be included as a named driver and they could have the same level of cover as the main policy holder.

Can a named driver drive a courtesy car from a garage?

Am I insured to drive a courtesy car? If you have a comprehensive car insurance, you're likely to be insured to drive a courtesy car. Most of the time, insurers that offer courtesy cars also cover any named drivers added to your policy.

What is classed as commuting on car insurance?

Commuting. Commuting is the next class up, and covers everything included in Social, Domestic and Pleasure, plus driving to and from one place of work in a day. Driving your car to the train station and leaving it there while you go to work counts as commuting for some insurers.

Is driving to school classed as commuting?

No, commuting is “to and from a place of work”. Work is defined as being paid.

Does car insurance cover driving to and from work?

Most insurance policies only apply when commuting to one place of work - and going out of your way to drop off a friend or family member could mean you're not covered. Any diversion from your normal route could give your insurer a way to wriggle out of a claim - especially if you were knowingly doing so.