Temporary car insurance covers a vehicle for anything from 1 hour to 28 days, without committing to a full annual policy or changing the cover already in place for the car's regular driver. It's built for situations an annual insurance policy doesn't fit well: borrowing someone else's car for a weekend, covering a new car for the few days before your annual cover starts, or a one-off long journey in a vehicle that isn't normally yours. Because a temporary policy is quick to set up, it often works as good as instant cover, arranged online or over the phone and starting the same day, sometimes within the hour, when plans change at short notice.
Chris Knott Insurance arranges temporary insurance, also called short-term or pay-as-you-go car cover, through a panel of specialist providers, with fully comprehensive cover for drivers aged 17 to 75 and van insurance for drivers aged 21 to 75, on vehicles valued between £500 and £60,000.
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The most common reason is wanting to borrow a car for a single occasion, without being added to someone's annual policy. It's a straightforward way to legally drive a car you don't own, without disturbing anyone else's cover. The situations it suits tend to fall into a few groups.
If you're a younger driver borrowing the family car, our insurance for young and new drivers may be a better fit for regular use, while a household running several vehicles might save with multi-car insurance instead. Temporary cover is for the one-off, not the everyday.
No, and this is one of the main reasons people choose temporary insurance over adding someone to their own policy. Temporary car insurance is a separate policy in its own right, so an accident during the cover period doesn't affect the no-claims discount on the car owner's annual policy, and neither does simply arranging the cover itself. This is exactly why it works well for occasional drivers: it protects the arrangement the main driver already has, rather than putting it at risk for someone else's short-term need.
Yes, and it's both legal and normal for a car to be covered by an annual policy and a temporary one at the same time, as long as the temporary policy is for a genuinely separate driver and purpose. The two car insurance policies don't conflict because they're covering different drivers under different terms, not duplicating the same cover. It's still worth telling the car's main insurer if a change feels significant, such as regular additional use, but a single short-term arrangement generally doesn't need to be reported.
Fully comprehensive cover is standard on most temporary car insurance policies, rather than being an upgrade from a more basic level, which means the same insurance cover you'd expect from a good annual policy: damage to the car you're driving, third-party injury and property damage, fire and theft. Not every provider will offer this on every vehicle, so higher-value cars, some modified vehicles, and cars outside the usual price range may need a specialist quote rather than an instant one. It's worth checking if the specific vehicle is eligible before you commit to plans that depend on it, particularly for anything unusual or high-value.
Because cover is arranged across a panel of providers, the extras on offer vary from one policy to the next. Depending on the provider and the vehicle, you may be able to add or include:
Not every extra is available on every policy, so it's worth telling our team what matters to you when you enquire, and they'll confirm what a given provider includes as standard and what costs extra.
Cover typically runs from 1 hour up to 28 days, and the right length depends entirely on what you're doing. Matching the duration to the job is how you avoid paying for cover you won't use:
Anything longer than 28 days usually makes more sense as an annual policy, though some providers offer an extension if your plans change, so it's worth asking rather than starting a fresh policy from scratch. Whether your cover runs for an hour or the full month, the same core protections apply for the time you've paid for, rather than a reduced version of standard cover.
In most cases, yes. Getting a quote is quick: you'll typically need your driving licence details, the vehicle's registration, and how long you need cover for. The provider can usually issue documents within minutes, so cover can start the same day, and often within the hour if you need it urgently. That makes temporary insurance a practical answer to last-minute plans, rather than something you have to arrange days ahead.
The driver, not just the car, has to be eligible. As a general guide, temporary car cover is available for drivers aged 17 to 75, and temporary van cover for drivers aged 21 to 75, on vehicles valued between £500 and £60,000.
Beyond age, a few things affect whether cover can be arranged, and the exact requirements differ between the providers on our panel:
Because we work across a panel rather than a single insurer, it's often possible to find a home for a driver one provider has turned away. If you're unsure whether you qualify, our team can check before you go any further.
Short-term cover is designed for everyday private driving in a borrowed or one-off vehicle. It isn't the right fit for every situation, and some uses are commonly excluded:
Some higher-value cars, heavily modified vehicles and imports may also fall outside a standard temporary quote and need a specialist arrangement instead. If your car is a classic, our classic car insurance is likely the better route, and if you drive a classic every day, we cover that too with classic car insurance for daily drivers.
Because Chris Knott works across a panel of specialist providers rather than one insurer, cover can be arranged for a wide range of situations, from an hour to nearly a month, on cars and vans alike. We're a UK-based broker that's been arranging cover since 1983, with a 4.9-star Trustpilot rating from over 2,200 reviews you can check yourself, and we're not on the comparison sites. We're authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
It depends on the length of cover, the driver's age and experience, and the value of the vehicle, more than on any single factor alone. An hour of cover for a low-value car costs a fraction of 28 days on a more expensive one, so the price scales with both how long you need cover and what you're insuring, rather than being a flat daily rate.
Yes, this is one of the most common uses of temporary cover. You take out the policy in your own name for the day you need, and it insures you to drive their car without touching their annual policy or their no-claims discount. You'll need the car's registration and their permission, and the cover can usually start the same day.
Yes. Because cover runs from as little as an hour up to 28 days, a weekend is well within range, whether that's borrowing a car from Friday to Sunday or covering a short break away. You choose the exact start and end times, so you only pay for the days you actually need.
It depends on the provider. Some on our panel will cover drivers on an EU or overseas licence, and some will cover provisional licence holders, but the terms and availability vary. Let us know your licence type when you get in touch and we'll point you to a provider that can help.
Cover is primarily arranged for driving in the UK, and European driving isn't something to assume is included. Some providers can extend cover abroad, so if you're planning to drive in the EU it's important to say so upfront, rather than relying on it being built in.
Yes, van insurance is available on the same basis for drivers aged 21 to 75, which suits situations like a one-off house move or picking up a large item that a car can't manage. The eligibility and vehicle value limits are broadly similar to temporary car cover, so it's worth mentioning upfront if you need a van rather than a car when you get a quote.
Learners are generally better suited to a dedicated learner driver insurance policy, which is built specifically around practising in someone else's car, rather than a scheme aimed at licensed drivers. If you've already passed your test and just need short-term cover, this is the right product; if you're still learning, the learner-specific scheme usually fits better.
You can make a claim by contacting our team directly, and we'll talk you through what's needed. Having the policy dates, the vehicle details and a description of what happened ready speeds things up, particularly since a temporary policy only covers a specific, limited window of time.
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*Chris Knott Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 304452). You can check this on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk.*
