Named Driver Car Insurance
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Why Compare Named Driver Car Insurance At SimplyQuote.co.uk?
Named driver car insurance allows you to legally drive someone else’s car without being the main policyholder.
It can be a smart way to get behind the wheel without taking out your own full policy — but getting it right depends on choosing the right insurer. At SimplyQuote.co.uk, we’ve partnered with Quotezone to help you compare quotes from over 120 trusted UK providers in one place.
Whether you’re a young driver sharing a car with family or just occasionally using someone else’s vehicle, the comparison service makes it easy to find policies that reflect how often you drive, who owns the car, and what kind of cover you actually need.
Instead of filling in your details across multiple websites, you can compare features, excess levels, and optional extras side by side. You’ll see which insurers offer value for occasional drivers — and which ones might offer flexibility, like temporary named driver options or better protection for borrowed vehicles.
Named driver insurance isn’t just about price — it’s about making sure your role as a secondary driver is properly covered. And with SimplyQuote, you’re only shown quotes that match how you really use the car — with no guesswork.
Why Do I Need To Get A Quote?
To get a named driver car insurance quote, you’ll need to provide details about the main policyholder, the vehicle, and your role as a named driver.
While you won’t need to supply any documents upfront, the accuracy of your answers matters — it directly affects whether you’re quoted at all, and how much you’ll pay.
Here’s what’s typically required:
- Main driver’s details – Name, postcode, licence type, and how long they’ve held it.
- Vehicle details – Make, model, registration number, and where it’s usually kept overnight.
- Named driver’s information – Your name, age, how long you’ve held a licence, and your claims or conviction history.
- Usage type – Whether the car is used for commuting, social driving, or business.
- Mileage estimate – Annual mileage for the vehicle and how often the named driver will use it.
- No-claims bonus – If the main policyholder has a no-claims discount, this needs to be declared (note: named drivers don’t usually accrue their own NCD unless the policy allows it).
It’s essential to be transparent. If you’ll be using the car regularly, you mustn’t list yourself as a named driver just to reduce the premium — insurers consider this “fronting,” and it could invalidate the policy.
Even if the car isn’t yours, the insurer still wants to understand how and how often you’ll drive it. A carefully filled quote form leads to a more accurate (and often cheaper) price.
Why Do I Need Named Driver Car Insurance Cover?
Named driver insurance allows you to legally drive someone else’s car, but it also protects both the main driver and you in case of an accident.
While the car owner’s policy is what technically insures the vehicle, being listed as a named driver is what gives you legal permission to use it — and makes sure you’re covered if something goes wrong while you’re behind the wheel.
Named driver cover is also important from a claims perspective. If you cause an accident and you’re not officially listed, the insurer may refuse to pay out. Worse still, the main policyholder could face increased premiums or even policy cancellation.
It’s a legal safeguard, but also a practical one. It defines your role, limits liability disputes, and protects your right to drive — all without needing your own standalone insurance.
What Does Named Driver Car Insurance Cover Include?
Named driver insurance provides the same level of cover as the main driver’s policy, but only when you’re behind the wheel with permission.
If you’re listed as a named driver, you’re legally allowed to drive the car — and the policy extends to cover you under the same terms. However, it’s important to remember that you’re not the policyholder. You’re insured because you’ve been added to someone else’s insurance, not through your own standalone policy.
The cover you receive depends entirely on what the main driver has chosen:
- Third Party Only (TPO) – You’ll be covered for damage you cause to others, but not to the car you’re driving.
- Third Party, Fire and Theft (TPFT) – Adds cover for theft or fire damage to the vehicle.
- Comprehensive – Covers damage to other vehicles and the car you’re driving, even if the accident was your fault.
Some policies may also include benefits like:
- Windscreen repair
- Courtesy car use (if the main driver’s policy includes it)
- Legal expenses
- Personal belongings cover
But none of these are guaranteed — and most apply to the vehicle, not the person. That’s why it’s crucial to understand that as a named driver, you can’t assume full policy benefits automatically apply to you. Your access to those extras depends on the insurer’s terms.
What’s Not Included?
Named driver insurance doesn’t automatically grant full policy benefits — and several scenarios can leave you without cover altogether.
While you’re insured to drive the car, your protection has limits. Many named drivers misunderstand what’s actually included and end up assuming they’re entitled to the same rights as the policyholder. That’s not always the case.
Here are the most common exclusions and limitations:
- No own-car cover – You’re only covered when driving the vehicle listed on the main driver’s policy. You can’t drive other people’s cars unless a policy explicitly includes it.
- No ability to build a no-claims bonus – In most cases, named drivers won’t accumulate their own NCD unless the insurer allows it under specific conditions.
- Fronting risk – If you’re added as a named driver but use the car more than the policyholder, insurers may void the policy. This is considered insurance fraud.
- Limited extras – Features like personal belongings cover, breakdown assistance, or legal expenses may apply only to the main driver unless the policy says otherwise.
- No cover for unauthorised use – If you take the car without the owner’s consent, or use it outside the agreed terms (e.g. business use when you’re only covered for social), you likely won’t be insured.
In short, being a named driver isn’t the same as having your own insurance — it’s conditional access. If you drive regularly or need consistent benefits, a full policy may be more suitable.
How Much Does Named Driver Car Insurance Cost?
There’s no fixed price for named driver insurance, but it often reduces the overall premium — especially for newer or higher-risk drivers.
The cost depends on who the named driver is, how often they’ll use the car, and what kind of risk they represent. In most cases, adding a named driver (like an experienced parent or partner) can bring down the main driver’s premium. But if the named driver is young, inexperienced, or has recent claims, it may push the price up.
It’s also important to note: named drivers don’t pay for a separate policy. They’re added to the main driver’s policy, so the premium reflects the shared risk of everyone listed.
Several factors influence the impact:
- Age and driving history – A 45-year-old named driver with 10 years’ claim-free driving can help lower the cost.
- Vehicle usage – If the named driver only uses the car occasionally, that’s less of a risk than daily use.
- Relationship to the policyholder – Spouses and parents tend to be treated more favourably than friends or flatmates.
- Location and storage – Where the car is kept and how often it’s driven also affects pricing.
As a general guide, a younger driver adding a parent as a named driver could reduce their premium by up to 20–25%, depending on the insurer. But the opposite is true if an insurer considers the named driver to increase the overall risk.
Named driver insurance isn’t “cheap insurance” by default — but when used correctly, it can strategically bring costs down without cutting corners.
How Can I Save Money On Named Driver Insurance?
Adding a named driver can lower your premium, but only if the insurer sees them as reducing—not increasing—your overall risk.
Many drivers add someone to their policy hoping for a price drop, but it doesn’t always work that way. The outcome depends on who the named driver is and how you use the car.
That said, there are legitimate ways to use named driver insurance strategically:
Add an experienced driver
If you’re a younger driver, adding a parent or someone with a long, clean driving history can reduce your premium. Insurers tend to see this as lowering the overall risk.
Be honest about usage
List yourself as the main driver if that’s how the car is used. Trying to reduce costs by putting a parent down as the primary driver (when they’re not) is called fronting—and it’s considered fraud.
Choose a low-risk car
Cars in lower insurance groups (like a Fiat Panda or Toyota Yaris) are cheaper to insure, especially when shared between a cautious main driver and an experienced named driver.
Pay annually if you can
Monthly payments often carry interest. A single annual payment avoids extra finance charges, keeping your policy lean.
Compare regularly
Named driver discounts vary wildly between insurers. Just because one provider raised your premium doesn’t mean others will.
Remember, insurers want to see consistency, caution, and transparency. If your setup feels suspicious or misaligned, the saving you hoped for could be wiped out—or worse, refused altogether.
How To Compare Named Driver Insurance At SimplyQuote.co.uk?
Comparing named driver insurance quotes through SimplyQuote.co.uk is quick, secure, and tailored to how you actually use the car — no repeated forms, no guesswork.
Named driver insurance works best when the policy reflects real usage. That’s why the platform asks smart questions up front — helping you see policies that actually fit, not just ones that look cheap.
Here’s how it works:
- Start with your details
You’ll enter your age, postcode, and licence history. This helps shape the quote around who’s driving and where. - Add your vehicle
Input the car’s registration (or make/model), how it’s used (commuting or personal), and where it’s parked overnight. - Add the named driver
This is key — provide their age, relationship to you, and driving history. The platform uses this to recalculate risk and return the most relevant quotes. - Choose your level of cover
Third Party, TPFT, or Comprehensive — plus any extras you need, like breakdown cover or legal expenses. - Compare results and select a policy
Quotes appear side by side, with clear breakdowns of price, excess, included features, and insurer details. You click through to complete the purchase directly with the provider.
The whole process takes just a few minutes — and because your quote includes named driver data from the start, you won’t have to add it manually later or second-guess the price.
*51% of consumers could save £515.24 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next six cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from December 2024 data. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can be a named driver on multiple car insurance policies at the same time, as long as the insurers are aware. However, you can only be the main driver on one vehicle.
Usually not — only the main policyholder earns a no-claims discount. Some insurers do offer no-claims recognition for named drivers, but it’s not standard.
Not typically. Driving Other Cars (DOC) cover is usually reserved for the main driver and often excluded from named driver access unless explicitly stated.
It depends on the named driver’s risk profile. Adding a more experienced driver can reduce the premium, but adding a high-risk driver might increase it.
The main policyholder’s no-claims bonus could be affected, and the claim will go on their record — even if the named driver was at fault.
Yes, but if they’re the main user of the car, they must be listed as the main driver. Otherwise, the policy could be invalid due to fronting.
Yes. If a named driver is involved in an incident or receives penalty points, this will affect the main policy’s risk profile and future premiums
Not to drive the car they’re named on — but they will need their own policy to drive a different vehicle, unless they’re also named on that one.
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Written by Chris Richards
Page last reviewed on 24th March 2025 by Chris Richards