Vehicles
Does car insurance cover someone else driving my car?
The short answer
Only if they're a named driver on your policy, or their own policy includes driving other cars with the owner's permission — which is usually third-party only, and increasingly not included at all.
Named drivers
Adding a named driver extends your cover to them at the same level. The car must still mainly be used by the policyholder — declaring the wrong main driver ('fronting') is fraud and voids the policy.
Driving other cars
Some comprehensive policies include driving other cars with the owner's permission, but it's normally third-party only, often restricted to over-25s, and excluded for cars the driver owns or hires.
It is no longer standard. The only reliable check is the certificate wording under 'persons or classes of person entitled to drive'.
If they crash
Your policy and your no-claims discount take the hit, and your excess applies. Temporary short-term cover in the driver's own name is often the safer route for a one-off trip.
Check these on your own policy
- Read the 'entitled to drive' section of the certificate
- Confirm the main driver is declared correctly
- Consider temporary cover for one-off journeys
- Check age restrictions on driving-other-cars cover
Common follow-up questions
Can a learner drive my car?
Only with insurance covering learner drivers in that car — usually a specialist learner policy, and the car needs L plates and a qualified supervising driver.
Does a fully comprehensive policy cover any car?
No. That's a myth. It only covers other cars if the certificate says so, and then usually third-party only.