Drive away car insurance
Instant, comprehensive car insurance for a drive-away.
Get a price in under 60 seconds!
Why choose
Covertime?
- Do everything online
- Comprehensive cover
- Protect existing No Claims Discount
- Get on the road in minutes
- Insure only for the time you need
- Docs available right after purchase
- Cover from one hour to 28 days
- Quick and flexible
What is
drive away car insurance?
Drive away insurance cover can be super useful when purchasing a new car. You may need temporary drive away cover to get home from the dealership, showroom or a private seller, depending on where you’re purchasing your new car from.
It allows you to drive away your new car, fully insured. Perhaps you need to speak to your annual insurance company to make a Mid Term Adjustment (MTA), or maybe you need new quotes from a new provider and you want the time to find the best deal, not rush it from the showroom forecourt.
Occasionally, you might even find that your existing insurer won't insure your new car as their underwriting criteria doesn’t allow it. This is when drive away insurance can be very useful.
With temporary drive away insurance, you can take your new car home even if you don't have an annual car insurance policy in place yet. This gives you complete peace of mind, knowing your car is insured while you take your time to find the best longer term insurance options.
Drive away insurance is convenient if you simply need an hour or two to get your vehicle home, or if you want a few hours, days or weeks to get your insurance admin in order then it will come in handy for that purpose too.
With Covertime’s drive away insurance, you can select the exact amount of time you need to get your new or used car home, or a little longer to sort out your longer-term solution when you have time.
How much does drive away car insurance cost?
Drive away insurance really doesn’t need to break the bank. You can insure your new car for a short period of time, for as little as an hour to simply get the new car home.
The cost of your drive away insurance will depend on a few factors, about you, your car, when you need it to start and how long you need the drive away insurance to last.
The quote process is extremely quick and will only need a few details, these are then used to calculate your drive away insurance premium:
- How long you need it for: The length of time you need insurance will impact the price. Longer periods of cover will usually cost more.
- Your new car: The make, model, power and cost of the car you want to insure could affect the cost of your drive away insurance.
- You and your licence: Your driving experience will also play a factor in your drive away insurance premium.
How can you get cheap drive away car insurance?
To get the cheapest drive away car insurance make sure you only purchase cover for the exact amount of time you need.
Drive away insurance allows you to insure yourself at the exact time you need to start driving and set it to end when you need it to.
By only insuring yourself on your new car for the time you need to drive it home from where you purchased it, you can keep your short term drive away cover costs to a minimum.
Choose from as little as one hour all the way up to 28 days from when you drive your new or used car purchase home. When getting a quote, you can use the slider to change your duration to make sure you’re getting the best value for the time on cover you need.
Our drive away policies are comprehensive
What is covered?
- Damage to the car you're driving
- Theft or attempted theft
- Fire damage
- Third party: damage to other vehicles / property / injury to others
What isn't covered?
- More than one driver on a temporary policy
- Delivery, courier or taxi work
- Theft or damage due to neglect; such as leaving the car unlocked
- Wear and tear
How to get drive away car insurance
Getting drive away car insurance is easy!
When you need a drive away insurance quote, you might be waiting to drive your new car home, so you'll want it quick and simple. With our straightforward quote process, you can get a drive away quote in a couple of minutes and be on the road sharpish...
Who is
temporary car cover suitable for?
Benefits of short term drive away insurance
Choose your time
Insure your new car from driving it home up to the point that suits you, from one hour to 28 days.
Comprehensive cover
Our drive away insurance protects you, your passengers, your car as well as other people, vehicles and property.
Great for new car purchases
Sort out insurance for a new car on a short term basis, quickly and easily, from wherever you bought your new vehicle.
Quick, easy and affordable
Get a quote quickly, with a minimal amount of questions for just the length of time you need, to keep costs to a minimum.
Who needs drive away insurance?
Drive away insurance is suitable for drivers who have just bought a new car and want to drive it home, without having to set up an annual policy immediately.
You may want some time to look around and find the best annual car insurance deal or perhaps you’ve just not had time to obtain annual quotes yet.
You may have purchased a new car from a dealership, a private listing from Autotrader or even at an auction. Wherever you got your new or used car from, you’ll need insurance to drive it home to avoid a fine and / or licence points, as driving without insurance is illegal, no matter what the reason!
Drive away is perfect for those who might be picking up a new car for someone else; a daughter, son or another family member who don’t need an annual policy on the new car themselves. You may only need it for two or three days. This is a great reason to purchase a temporary drive away policy from Covertime to get the car home to your loved one.
If you're in need of drive away cover, you could already have an annual policy in existence and need to swap the insurance over with your existing provider, but you haven’t got round to it yet.
Drive away insurance can also be used to wait until the end of your existing annual car insurance policy. It can enable you to avoid common insurance fees such as a Mid Term Adjustment (MTA) fee for making a change part way through your 12 month car insurance contract.
You may wish to see out the end of your existing annual policy to avoid a cancellation fee, but remember you must cancel the existing insurance if you've sold the car.
You may have had a quote from your insurer to change your car part way through your annual policy and it’s too high or maybe your existing insurer doesn’t have the appetite to cover your new car.
Any of the above reasons are a perfect opportunity to give drive away insurance a whirl and see how handy and flexible the world of temporary car insurance be.
If the journey home takes less than a day and you want the most precise option, one day car insurance covers that specific 24-hour window.
If you have not agreed to buy yet and need cover for a test drive first, test drive insurance covers that stage before the sale is agreed.
The most common situation on buying forums is collecting a privately purchased car at a weekend when the annual insurer's phone line is closed. You have found the car on AutoTrader, agreed a price, and are collecting it on a Saturday afternoon. Drive-away cover lets you insure the car from the moment you hand over the money and drive it home legally. You can then compare annual insurance quotes properly in working hours, rather than rushing into the first policy you can reach on a Saturday just to get the car moved.
Regulated, trusted and independently reviewed
Covertime Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under Firm Reference Number 1022738. You can verify this on the FCA register. Covertime is also a member of the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) - the UK's leading professional body for insurance brokers and intermediaries. You can view our BIBA listing in their broker directory.
Over 700 customers have rated us 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Our temporary car insurance is also listed on Compare the Market, GoCompare and MoneySupermarket - each of which independently vets the providers they feature before making them available to customers.
Our car insurance policies are underwritten by a panel of FCA-authorised UK insurers, including First Underwriting, Allianz, KGM and Somerset Bridge.
Buying insurance from an FCA-regulated firm means you have defined protections. If you have a complaint that Covertime cannot resolve to your satisfaction, you have the right to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service - a free, independent service for consumers. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) may be able to provide compensation if a regulated firm cannot meet its financial obligations. If your policy has not started, you can cancel for a full refund.
Drive-away cover closes the gap between buying a car privately and starting an annual policy - a period when many drivers are technically uninsured. Underwritten by FCA-authorised UK insurers and available on the major comparison platforms, your certificate is immediately recognised by police and insurers from the moment of purchase.
Drive away insurance FAQs
Can I drive a car home I just bought without insurance?
You cannot drive a car home without insurance even if you have only just purchased it. You must have insurance in place before you drive your new car on the road. There are no exclusions from this law especially as you can get insurance on the go with drive away cover.
If you have not already arranged insurance for an annual policy for your new car or you don’t want to go through the process at the place where you purchased it, then drive away insurance on a short term basis could be perfect for you.
Do dealerships give drive away insurance for free?
Some car dealerships do offer drive away car insurance for free when you purchase a car from them but never assume that it is included. Always double check that any drive away insurance is properly in place before driving your car home for the first time.
Car dealership drive away insurance can sometimes last for five days or seven days, it could be included in your car purchase or available for an additional fee.
If the place where you purchase your new car doesn't include drive away insurance, then get a quote from Covertime today and we can set up a drive away car insurance policy for you in a jiffy!
What happens if I drive a new car home uninsured?
It is illegal to drive a new car home without insurance. It’s illegal to drive any car without insurance, even if it’s just for a short distance.
If you’re pulled over by the police whilst driving a car without insurance you could be given a fine, points on your licence, the car could be seized or you could even be disqualified from driving.
How long does drive away car insurance last?
Drive away insurance is completely flexible, not only does it allow you to drive a new car home, it allows you to choose the exact amount of time you need to use drive away insurance for, until you get an annual policy arranged.
You can insure a new car with drive away cover for as little as one hour to 28 days.
Does drive away insurance include road tax?
Drive away insurance won’t include road tax (usually called vehicle tax), when you take it out, but it will allow you to tax your new car before you drive it home, as you need car tax to drive it.
Vehicle tax is a legal requirement and you need insurance in place to take it out, so your drive away policy can assist you with this part of the vehicle tax process.
What does drive away insurance mean?
Drive away car insurance is a temporary policy designed to cover you as you drive your new car home.
It allows you to sort out a full annual car insurance policy in your own time to make sure you get the best deal you can.
Drive away policies can range from one hour to a maximum of 28 days and insure your new car comprehensively.
Do you need insurance to drive a new car home?
Yes, you must have valid insurance before driving a new car home in the UK. Even if the vehicle has road tax and a valid MOT, it is illegal to drive on public roads without insurance covering you as the driver.
Can I get drive-away insurance for a used car bought from a private seller?
Yes. Drive-away cover is available for used cars purchased privately as well as from dealers. The key requirement is that you are the new keeper of the vehicle and you have permission to drive it. Whether you are collecting from a dealership forecourt or a private seller's address, the same type of short-term policy covers the journey home.
Can I use drive-away insurance while I wait for my annual policy to start?
Drive-away insurance is well-suited to bridging the gap between collecting a vehicle and the start date of an annual policy. If your regular insurer cannot start cover immediately, or if you are switching providers and there is a short gap, a temporary drive-away policy covers you legally in the meantime. You can set the duration to match exactly the gap you need to fill.
Did you know?
Driving other cars using an annual policy usually only insures you for Third Party claims, meaning damage to the car you are driving is not covered.