Hourly car insurance
Cover in no time
Takes less than 60 seconds!
Why choose Covertime?
Do everything online
Insure only for the time you need
Comprehensive cover
Docs available immediately after purchase
Protect existing No Claims Discount
Cover from one hour to 28 days
Get on the road in minutes
Quick and flexible
Things to know about hourly car insurance
Whether it's for one hour, two or twelve, if that’s how much cover you need, that’s how much cover you should pay for - you decide.
If you only need to drive the car for an hour or two, why pay for the whole day? With flexible options tailored to suit your schedule, you can drive with peace of mind, knowing you're protected for exactly the time you need and not a minute more. Hourly car insurance is perfect for drivers who need to keep things flexible – you're in the driver's seat.
There are plenty of reasons why you might find yourself looking for car insurance by the hour. You may need to borrow a friend’s car to run a few errands, share the drive with friends on a long trip or you could need cover for an hour or two after you've bought a new car to drive it home.
Hourly car insurance may be short by nature but that doesn't make it any less mighty! It's also comprehensive so it will cover you, the car you're driving, as well as other people and other vehicles. Sounds pretty good to us...
Sharing the drive on a long trip
Driving family to the airport (very nice of you)
Borrowing someone else's car (with permission, of course)
Test driving a car
Driving a new car home from the dealership
Our hourly car insurance 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
Sole damage to the windscreen
How to get car insurance by the hour
The good news is, taking out hour by hour car insurance is simple and only takes a few minutes. Covertime is proudly faff-free!
Need cover instantly? No problem – select that you’d like your cover to start right away and it usually only takes a few minutes to get you set up and on the way! We don't waste our time or yours with a long set of never-ending questions, we only ask you the information we absolutely need to get you covered and let our technology do the rest behind the scenes.
If you’re super organised and are setting up cover in advance, you can do this by selecting the exact date and time you’d like your cover to start up to 30 days in the future.
1
Just let us know the vehicle reg and a few details about yourself
2
Then we need to know when you need the cover and how long for
3
Get your quote, check the terms, choose how you want to pay and you're off!
Who needs hourly car insurance?
This type of short but mighty comprehensive insurance is for drivers who need car insurance by the hour and don't want to pay for more than what they need.
Whatever the reason - whether it's emergency, spontaneity or necessity - hourly temporary car insurance is a simple and quick way to make sure you have the cover you need.
You don't even need to own the car to take out a short term policy, you will need the owner's permission though!
Who is hourly car cover suitable for?
Personal use
Ages 21-75
Full UK licence holders
Vehicle value from £1,500 to £65,000
*Other terms and conditions apply.
How much is hourly car insurance?
Hourly car insurance is a great way to keep costs down if you're only looking to insure a car for a very short amount of time, because you're only paying for what you need.
The cost of car insurance by the hour will depend on a few factors - about you, your car, when you need it to start and how many hours you're planning to be out on the road.
Our quote process is super quick and will only need a few details, these are then used to calculate your hourly 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.
- The car you're driving: The make, model, power and cost of the car you want to insure could affect the cost of your cover.
- You and your licence: Your driving experience will also play a factor in your hourly insurance premium.
How can you get the cheapest hourly insurance?
To get the cheapest hourly car insurance, make sure you only purchase cover for the exact amount of time you need.
Hourly 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.
Choose from as little as one hour all the way up to 28 days. When you get a quote, you can use the slider to change your cover duration to make sure you’re getting the best value for the time on cover you need.
Do everything from your phone easily & quickly
Hourly car insurance
Takes less than 60 seconds!
Benefits of short term insurance by the hour
The choice is yours
You can now choose how long you need cover, from 1 hour to 28 days - why pay for more?
Comprehensive cover
Our hourly car 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
Covertime is proudly faff-free! Get a quote quickly and keep costs to a minimum.
Pay securely and easily
Hourly insurance FAQs
1 hour car insurance? Absolutely!
You can take out a fully comprehensive car insurance policy with Covertime for as little as just 1 hour out on the road. You get to decide how long you need cover, whether that's for 1 hour or all the way up to 28 days.
Provided that you have their permission, you can absolutely get hourly car insurance to borrow someone else's car. In fact, it's actually quite simple and often cost-effective way to get insured, whether that's for one hour or twelve. It means they can avoid the faff of getting you put as a named driver on their policy and it won't affect their no claims bonus.
When you take out hourly car insurance with Covertime you'll always know the date, time and how long you're covered for.
As soon as you've purchased your hourly insurance policy, we'll send you a policy confirmation email which contains a link to access all of your policy documents instantly to your inbox. This email and those documents will tell you absolutely everything you need to know about your hourly car insurance cover.
We’ll also send you a reminder when your cover is about to expire, so you’ll never be caught out without your insurance in place.
Absolutely. One of the best things about this type of short term car insurance is how quickly you can get a quote and take out cover. This could be helpful in a number of emergency situations, such as your car breaking down or needing to borrow a friend's car in a hurry.
Yes, even if you're only driving for a short period of time, it is illegal to drive on a road or public place without insurance in place in the UK. Even if the vehicle itself is insured, it's important to make sure that you are insured to drive it.
Failure to make sure you have the required insurance in place could result in hefty penalties, penalty fines and in some cases, disqualification from driving.
At the moment our policies cannot be extended and do not renew. Don't worry though, we won't stand between you and the open road - you can purchase a new hourly policy by getting a fresh quote anytime, for however long you need it.
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.