How to add a temporary driver to your car insurance
If someone needs to drive your car for a short while, you have two main routes: add them to your annual policy as a named driver, or have them take out their own short-term cover on your car. Each suits different situations, and which is better depends on how long they need to drive and whose record you want any claim to land on.
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Can you add someone to your insurance just temporarily?
Yes, in two different ways. The first is to add them to your existing annual policy as a named driver, which many insurers allow you to do for a defined period and then remove. The second is for the driver to take out their own short-term policy on your car, separate from your insurance entirely.
Both get the person legally insured to drive your car. The difference is whose policy the cover sits on, and therefore whose no claims bonus is exposed if something goes wrong, which is the key thing to weigh up.
What does adding a named driver involve?
To add a named driver to your annual policy, you contact your insurer and provide the additional driver's details, such as their licence, age and driving history. The insurer decides whether to add them and what, if anything, it changes about your premium.
Whether you can add someone temporarily, and whether there is a fee, is insurer-dependent, so it is worth asking yours directly rather than assuming. The important thing to understand is that the named driver is on your policy, so any at-fault claim they make is a claim on your insurance and can affect your no claims bonus.
Named driver vs temporary insurance: which is right?
A named driver on your annual policy can suit someone who will drive your car regularly over a long period, such as a partner sharing the household car. Because they are a permanent feature of how the car is used, putting them on the main policy reflects reality.
Standalone short-term cover suits a defined, shorter need: a friend driving your car for a weekend, someone sharing a long one-off journey, or a relative using it while you are away. In those cases, keeping the cover separate protects your policy. Our guide on protecting your no claims bonus when lending explains why that separation matters.
When temporary insurance is a good option
The standout advantage of short-term cover is that any claim from that driver runs through their policy, not yours, so your no claims bonus is untouched. For a one-off or short period, that protection is usually worth more than the convenience of adding someone to your annual policy.
It is also quick to arrange and ends by itself, with nothing to remember to remove afterwards. Temporary cover for lending your car is built for this, and for two people regularly sharing a car, our car sharing cover may fit better.
Avoiding the fronting trap
There is one line you must not cross. If the person who will really do most of the driving is named only as an occasional or named driver, while you are put down as the main driver to keep the premium lower, that is fronting, and it is insurance fraud.
It is most tempting with younger or newer drivers, but it can void the policy and leave everyone uninsured at the worst moment. The honest test is simple: the main driver on any policy should be the person who genuinely uses the car most. Our guide to car insurance fronting explains where the line falls.
What if they only need to drive once?
For a genuine one-off, such as a friend driving your car home while you take the train, or sharing the wheel on a single long journey, short-term cover is ideal because it can be taken out for as little as a day or even an hour. There is no point adding someone to your annual policy for a single trip and then having to remember to remove them.
The driver simply arranges cover for the day they need, drives, and the policy ends by itself. Nothing touches your annual insurance, and there is no admin for you to undo afterwards. This is the cleanest way to handle the common "can you drive my car back for me" situation, and it is exactly what day and short-term policies were created for.
How to get a friend or partner insured on your car
If the need is short term, the quickest route is usually for the driver to take out their own short-term policy on your car. They provide their licence details and your car's registration, choose how long they need, and they are covered, separately from your insurance.
That keeps your annual policy and no claims bonus out of it entirely, which is the cleanest outcome for a favour or a one-off. For a genuinely long-term, regular arrangement, adding a named driver to your annual policy may make more sense, so match the route to how the car will actually be used. Get that match right and the driver is properly covered, your no claims bonus is protected, and there are no fronting complications to worry about further down the line.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add someone to my insurance just for a weekend?
Yes, either by adding them to your annual policy as a named driver for a period, which is insurer-dependent, or by having them take out their own short-term cover on your car. For a weekend, separate short-term cover often protects your policy better.
Will adding a named driver affect my premium?
It can, depending on the driver's age and history and your insurer's view of the risk. Whether you can add someone temporarily and whether there is a fee is also insurer-dependent, so ask yours directly. Any claim they make would be on your policy.
Is it better to add a named driver or use temporary insurance?
A named driver suits someone driving your car regularly over a long period. Standalone short-term cover suits a defined, shorter need and keeps any claim off your policy and no claims bonus. Match the route to how long and how often they will drive.
Can my partner drive my car if they are not on my insurance?
Not unless they are insured to do so, either as a named driver on your policy or through their own cover. Driving your car with no valid insurance is an offence. Add them to your policy or arrange short-term cover before they drive.
Is naming myself as main driver to lower the cost allowed?
No. If someone else is really the main driver but you are listed as the main driver to reduce the premium, that is fronting and it is fraud. It can void the policy. The main driver should always be the person who genuinely uses the car most.
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