What is temporary car insurance?
Temporary car insurance gives you short-term, flexible cover if you need to drive a car you aren’t insured on. For example, if you’re borrowing a car for a trip, a temporary car insurance policy means you can get cover without affecting the owner’s insurance policy. So, they won’t lose their no claims discount if you have to make a claim.
We’ve partnered with Dayinsure, specialists in short-term car cover, to give you comprehensive cover that offers complete peace of mind® for as long as you need it. Get on the road in just 15 minutes, with instant proof of cover from the moment your policy starts. You can get temporary car insurance for just an hour or up to 30 days. And you can extend it easily if you need cover for longer.
If you need insurance several times a year, or for more than 30 days, our standard annual car insurance may be a better option.
Why choose RAC short-term car insurance?
Comprehensive
You’re fully covered with a temporary car insurance policy – for leisure or business use1.
Quick and easy
Get covered within 15 minutes. Or buy up to 28 days in advance.
Claim confidently
Making a claim on your temporary cover won’t affect the vehicle owner’s No Claims Discount.*
When could you use short-term car insurance?
Test-driving or buying a new car
If you’re buying a vehicle from a private owner, make sure you have temporary cover in place for your test drive. If you’re buying from a car dealer, check that their insurance covers test drives. If not, you can get temporary car insurance in as little as 15 minutes.
Sharing driving duties on a road trip or business journey
It’s important to take rest breaks when driving long distances, so it makes sense to share driving duties with someone else. But even if it’s only for a short time, anyone driving a vehicle needs to be insured. Temporary insurance is a great way to get cover for a driver who isn’t on the owner’s main policy.
Temporary car insurance for business use
Do you have to travel to multiple places of work? Check that your normal car insurance policy covers you for business use. This could include driving between offices or to visit clients. If not, get temporary business car insurance for your trip.
How long can you have temporary car insurance for?
Short-term car insurance offers you complete flexibility available for an hour, a week or a month.
Hourly insurance
Test drive: hourly car insurance for if you’re planning a test drive or driving your new car home.
Day insurance
Road trip: one day car insurance so you can share the driving for a personal or business trip.
Weekly insurance
Occasional use: weekly insurance to borrow your parents' car for a visit home or a short road trip.
Monthly insurance
Extended use: monthly insurance to borrow a car for a summer break, gap between cars, or long work project.
Am I eligible for temporary car insurance?
Before you take out a short-term insurance policy, there are a few things you will need to check – some for you and some for your vehicle:
As the driver, you must
have a current permanent address in the UK
hold a current, valid, full GB driving licence and have done so for at least 6 months (3 months if aged over 25)
have a current permanent address
have permission from the vehicle owner to drive it and you’ve agreed to insure it
have had no more than 1 fault claim in the last 12 months
have had no more than 9 penalty points and no disqualifications in the last 12 months
have had no driving offences in the last 3 years starting with the code DR, CD, DD, UT or DG
have had no driving offences in the last 6 months starting with the code IN or CU80
not have any unspent criminal convictions (other than driving offences)
have never been refused insurance or had a policy cancelled
Your vehicle must
be registered in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man
have a current market value of less than £75,000
have no more than 8 seats in total
not be a hire & reward or rental vehicle
not be leased under an agreement of 12 months or less
not be a seized vehicle or in a police compound
not have any engine modifications, body kits or alloy wheels – unless they were carried out for a disabled driver or passenger, or they were fitted at manufacture or were manufacturer optional extras
not be imported from another country through channels other than the maker’s official distribution system
not be a heavy goods vehicle (HGV)
not be over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW)
What’s covered in RAC temporary car insurance?
RAC short term insurance provides fully comprehensive cover for the vehicle you're driving, meaning all you need to do is pick your duration and you can be on the road within 15 minutes. There are certain things that are and aren't covered regardless of duration – check these out below:
What's covered
Loss, theft, fire or vandalism
Child seat replacement
Replacement locks
New car replacement - Of the same make, model and specification2
Accident recovery - And an approved repair service3
Legal liability - If another person is injured or dies, or their property's damaged
Personal accident - Up to £2,500 per claim (or £5,000 per insurance year)
Personal belongings - Cover up to £150
Protects the owner's No Claims Discount*
What's not covered
Unattended / keys in ignition - Loss or damage if the vehicle was left unattended with the engine running or the keys in the ignition
Wear and tear - Electrical and mechanical breakdown or gradual deterioration
Loss of value following a repair
Confiscation, requisition, or destruction - By or under order of any government, public or local authority
Courtesy car
Damage to tyres by braking or by punctures, cuts or bursts
Driving the car without a valid, full GB driving licence
Product information is based on policies underwritten by Aviva. DayInsure also offer policies with Mulsanne, and cover may differ. Please ensure cover levels meet your needs – read the full policy requirements.
How much is temporary car insurance?
The cost of short-term car insurance will depend on your situation and vehicle. Things like your location and policy duration can make a difference. Also, your type of car and driving history can impact how much you pay for temporary car insurance.
These are average prices4:
Hourly car insurance
1 hour – £25.61
2 hours – £27.03
3 hours – £29.68
4 hours – £33.89
Day car insurance
1 day – £35.85
2 days – £52.91
3 days – £64.89
4 days – £77.06
On average, save up to 61% when you choose a 7-day policy vs 7 x 1-day policies^
Weekly car insurance
1 week – £98.20
2 weeks – £138.15
3 weeks – £169.73
4 weeks – £208.11
^These potential savings have been calculated using the average sold price for 7 individual 1-day policies compared with an individual 7-day policy. The data was gathered for policies sold between 01/05/25 and 01/11/25. Prices for these policies will vary based on an individual’s risk information, therefore, actual savings may vary.
Product information is based on policies underwritten by Aviva. Dayinsure also offer policies with Mulsanne, and cover may differ. Please ensure cover levels meet your needs. If you want to read more about what's covered read the full insurance policy document.
Optional extras for temporary car insurance
We want your cover to be tailored to exactly what you need so there are a few optional extras that you can add to make sure it's perfect:
RAC Breakdown Cover
Give yourself peace of mind when on the road with our 5-Star Defatqo breakdown cover. We'll come out to you if you run into any complications on your short-term trip.
European car insurance cover
Planning a short road trip in Europe? You can get car insurance that covers travel in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. This means you’re protected if you have an accident.
Excess protection
Reimbursement for any excess charges, if you need to make a claim during your short-term trip with our excess protection.
What customers are saying about our partner Dayinsure on Trustpilot
Our partners Dayinsure have a 4.7 rating with over 60,000 reviews on Trustpilot (09/01/2026).
Still not sure? Find answers to your questions
No. You cannot build up your NCD (No Claims Discount) with temporary car insurance. This is because RAC Temporary Car Insurance is a flat-rate policy for a short, fixed period. You will not, however, affect the no claims of the owner in the case you make a claim.*
Yes, that’s not a problem. And if you needed to make a claim on your temporary policy, it won’t affect the no claims discount on your annual policy. You just need to make sure you declare the claim to your annual insurer.
Yes, new drivers can get temporary car insurance. This is a great option for those looking to borrow a car, take over driving on a long trip or just get some more practice in.
Temporary car insurance is quick and easy to set up online and flexible. You can get cover for an hour, or up to 30 days. Under RAC Temporary Car Insurance, drivers must hold a current, valid, full GB driving licence and have done so for at least 6 months (reduced to 3 months if aged over 25).
Yes, you can get your car taxed with temporary insurance. Just keep in mind that, if you’re taxing your car online, you’ll have to wait for the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to update. We guarantee to update the MID every 7 days and, in some cases, more often. It’s still legal for you to drive during this period – but it’s always worth double-checking that you’ve received and checked your insurance documents.
Yes you can. Also, if you need to make a claim while you have a short term car insurance policy on somebody else's car, their no claims discount won’t be affected.
Yes, you can use temporary car insurance to borrow a friend’s car. It means they don’t have to pay more to add you to their policy. If you need to make a claim on your short-term car insurance policy, their no claims discount won’t be affected either.
You can get temporary cover for more than one driver, but you need a policy for each person. Every driver who isn’t on the owner’s policy needs their own temporary car insurance policy.
If you’re borrowing someone else’s vehicle, they could add you as a named driver on their policy. Or you could take out an annual policy on another vehicle and cancel it when you no longer need it. However, these options are likely to cost more than temp cover for you or the car owner. And they could impact the owner’s Protected No Claims Discount in the event of a claim by the person driving it.
Other alternatives include:
Temporary van insurance: it could be that you need to borrow a van to move house or transport furniture. Our temporary van insurance works much like our short-term car policy, where you only take cover for the time you need. We also cover motorhomes and campervans.
Temporary car insurance for business use: if you need to take a business trip but aren’t covered to use your car for business on your existing annual policy, our temporary car insurance will cover for temporary business use.
Test drive insurance: if you’re buying a car privately and want to test drive it, or if you’re setting up test drives for a car you’re selling, we’ll cover that.
More about your policy
Yes, you can cancel your policy at any time. You’ll be entitled to a full refund of your premium, if you cancel the policy before cover has started. If you cancel the policy after cover has started, you’ll be entitled to a partial refund.
Note: If Excess Protection is purchased no refund is given on that part of the policy if cancelled.
You can extend your temp car insurance policy quickly and easily online. Simply log in to your account to extend your policy.
If you didn’t create an account when you bought your policy, you can still extend it by clicking ‘manage policy and view documents’ in your email confirmation and following the steps online.
Please note: Extensions are only available for policies underwritten by Aviva.
The Motor Insurance Database (MID) will be updated every 7 days and in some cases more often, but we recommend always having a copy of your Insurance Certificate with you during the period of cover. You can drive the vehicle legally between the dates and times shown on the insurance certificate issued to you.
You’ll be covered in the case of any crashes or damage to the vehicle up to the car’s current market value. Also, the no claims discount of the vehicle’s owner won’t be affected, so you don’t need to worry about that.* Repairs are covered and will be carried out by an approved provider3.
When you're declined temporary car insurance, it's usually because of a few things. It might be because of where you live or not meeting age rules. It could also involve past convictions or modifying your car.
Also, if your previous car insurance got cancelled, other insurance companies may say no to covering you.
The quickest way to find out when your RAC Temporary Car Insurance expires is by checking your online account.
To find out when your car insurance expires, you can also check your policy documents or insurance certificate. Or in your emails for e-receipts.
No, you can’t add an additional driver to your temporary car insurance. If you want to add an additional driver, they will have to take out a separate policy.
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Page reviewed by: David Buxton
Last updated 01/07/2025