What is temporary car insurance?
Temporary car insurance is a flexible, short-term policy that provides cover from as little as an hour up to 30 days. It's an affordable solution if you're borrowing a car, sharing driving duties or going on a work trip. You can get insured and start driving within 15 minutes, paying only for the time you need. If you need protection for longer, you can extend your cover online. This insurance can also be taken alongside an annual policy and the vehicle owner's No Claims Discount is protected if a claim is made*.
We’ve partnered with Dayinsure, specialists in short-term car cover, to give you comprehensive cover that offers peace of mind for as long as you need it.
If you need to insure yourself several times a year or need coverage for longer than 30 days then our standard annual car insurance could be more practical and may work out more cost effective.
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)
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 – £22.89
2 hours – £24.34
3 hours – £27.65
4 hours – £30.06
Day car insurance
1 day – £35.07
2 days – £51.60
3 days – £64.08
4 days – £75.07
On average, save up to 61% when you choose a 7-day policy vs 7 x 1-day policies^
Weekly car insurance
1 week – £95.51
2 weeks – £136.58
3 weeks – £173.42
4 weeks – £202.53
^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 01/04/24 and 30/11/24. Prices for these policies will vary based on an individual’s risk information, therefore, actual savings may vary.
What’s covered in temporary car insurance?
Short term insurance is fully comprehensive 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
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. 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 58,000 reviews on Trustpilot (30/05/2025).
Why choose RAC Temporary Car Insurance?
Quick and easy
Get covered within 15 minutes. Or buy up to 28 days in advance.
Claim confidently
Making a claim won’t affect the vehicle owner’s No Claims Discount.*
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 notify the MID of all new insurance policies within 24 hours. It’s still legal for you to drive during these 24 hours – 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.
Temporary car insurance tends to cost more day-by-day than an annual policy. But if you don’t need car insurance for a whole year, then it’s usually much cheaper to just get temporary car insurance for the time you need it.
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.
If you need temp cover insurance on someone else’s car for an hour, a day, or even up to 30 days, then our temporary car insurance has you covered. No matter what policy you chose, you'll get comprehensive cover as standard. Temporary insurance can be useful if you and a friend are sharing the driving on a road trip, or a family member is borrowing your car. You can buy cover for 1 hour up to 30 days, but each driver would need their own policy.
Also, if the person insured on your car was to damage it, it wouldn’t affect the vehicle owner's annual 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.
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.
Page reviewed by: David Buxton
Last updated 01/07/2025