Can You Transfer a No Claims Bonus in the UK?

You can transfer a no claims bonus when you change car or switch insurer, because a no-claims bonus belongs to you as the policyholder, not to the vehicle or the insurer. A no-claims bonus (also called a no-claims discount, or NCD) is the reduction insurers apply to your premium for each consecutive year you drive without making an at-fault claim. If you move to a new car or a new provider, that record moves with you once you show proof.

Around a third of car insurance quotes on Free Price Compare come from drivers with 0 years of no-claims bonus, so if you are starting out or starting again, you are in good company. The rules on transfers matter most to you, because knowing them helps you protect every year you build and avoid losing it through a simple gap or missed deadline.

Last updated: October 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed October 2026

Who owns a no claims bonus and what can move with it

A no claims bonus belongs to the policyholder named on the policy, so it is yours to carry between cars and insurers, but it cannot be split, duplicated or handed to someone else. Each claim-free year is earned by the main policyholder, which is why a named driver on your policy does not build their own transferable discount in most cases. If you buy your own policy later after years as a named driver, some insurers let you keep a limited discount, but usually only if you stay with that same insurer.

Because the bonus is tied to your name rather than the car’s registration, you can keep it when you replace your vehicle or shop for a better price elsewhere. What you cannot do is apply the same bonus to two cars at once. If you insure two vehicles, you build two separate records over time. For the background on how the discount itself works, our explainer on no claims bonus basics breaks down the scale and the savings.

Can you transfer a no claims bonus to another car?

Yes, you can transfer a no claims bonus to another car, and in practice it happens automatically when you change vehicles with the same insurer or take out a fresh policy and prove your history. When you replace your car during a policy term, your insurer simply updates the vehicle details on your existing cover and your bonus stays intact because it follows your name, not the car. You do not start from scratch just because the car changed.

A mid-term vehicle change may involve an administration fee, and your premium may rise or fall if the new car sits in a different insurance group or has a higher value. If you are selling one car and buying another, the cleanest approach is often to add the new car to your current policy, let the old one come off, then compare prices at renewal rather than cancelling early.

Compare car insurance quotes with your NCB

How do I get proof of my no claims bonus to transfer it?

Proof of your no claims bonus is an official document from your previous insurer showing your name, the policy dates and the number of claim-free years, usually your renewal letter or a cancellation or confirmation document. Your no-claims bonus is not tracked centrally for the discount, so it is your responsibility to keep and supply the record when you move insurer. A valid proof document names you as the policyholder and clearly states the NCD years earned.

You normally have 7 to 28 days to provide proof after taking out a new policy, with many insurers asking for it within 21 days. Some insurers will verify your history independently by contacting your old provider or checking industry records, but you should not rely on that. The Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE) is the shared database insurers use to check claims history, while the Motor Insurers’ Bureau holds separate records; both can corroborate what you declare, but your proof document is still the thing that secures the discount quickly.

• Ask your old insurer for a renewal or cancellation letter showing your NCD years
• Check it names you, the policy dates and the exact number of claim-free years
• Send it to your new insurer within the deadline they set, usually 7 to 28 days
• Keep a copy, because the discount is not held on a central register for you

Starting with little or no NCB?

See how the discount builds and what each claim-free year is worth.

Read the NCB guide

Can you transfer no claims bonus to another insurer?

Yes, you can transfer a no claims bonus to another insurer when you switch, and keeping your discount is one of the main reasons shopping around rarely costs you your built-up savings. Your NCB is yours, so a new provider will honour it once you supply proof of your claim-free years. Most insurers accept standard proof, though the exact wording and format they require can vary slightly.

Switching at renewal is often where the biggest savings sit, because loyalty does not usually earn you a lower price. When you compare, declare your NCB years accurately and have your proof ready. We compare car insurance from a panel of 130+ insurers, so you can line up prices that already factor in your discount rather than guessing which insurer values it most. For the numbers behind each year of cover, our page on how much a no claims bonus saves shows typical discount scales.

Can you transfer no claims bonus to a spouse or someone else?

No, you cannot transfer a no claims bonus to a spouse, partner or family member, because the discount belongs to the individual policyholder and cannot be gifted or split. This is one of the most common misunderstandings. If your partner wants to insure their own car, they build their own NCB from their own claim-free years. There is no official mechanism to pass your record to them.

There is a related option some insurers offer called a mirrored no claims discount. A mirrored NCB lets an insurer apply a discount on a second car in the household that reflects the main policyholder’s record, rather than literally transferring the bonus. It is not available everywhere and the terms differ by insurer, so treat it as a feature to ask about, not a right. If you both drive, building two separate records usually serves you better long term, and our guide on no claims discount protection explains how to safeguard what you have earned.

See how your no-claims discount affects your price

Can I transfer a no claims bonus earned abroad or on a company car?

A no claims bonus earned abroad or on a company car can sometimes be transferred, but acceptance is restricted and often capped, so it is never guaranteed. Most UK insurers that accept a foreign no-claims bonus cap the credit at around two years, and they usually require an official English translation of the document plus contact details for the overseas insurer so they can verify it. Not every insurer accepts overseas records, so this is a point worth checking before you buy.

A company car no-claims bonus is more complicated. You can earn an NCB on a company car only if you are the named policyholder on the insurance, not simply the driver. Where the policy sits with the employer, the bonus belongs to the company and is not usually transferable to your own personal policy. Ask your employer or the fleet administrator whether a transferable NCB confirmation is available before you assume you have one to carry over.

How long before a no claims bonus expires if unused?

A no claims bonus typically expires after two years without an active policy, so if you stop insuring a car and do not use your bonus elsewhere, you usually have around two years to reactivate it before it is lost. As long as you keep valid cover and make no at-fault claims, your bonus stays live and continues to grow. The two-year window is the standard, but it is not universal.

Some insurers are stricter and only accept proof dated within 12 months, while a few will honour an unused bonus for up to three years, and a small number of specialists consider expired NCB older than that. If you expect a gap, for example selling a car before buying another, note the date your last policy ended and factor the two-year clock into your plans. The bonus does not pause indefinitely, and once it lapses you build it again from zero.

How an at-fault claim affects your no claims bonus

An at-fault claim reduces your no claims bonus, and a no-fault claim where your insurer fully recovers its costs should not affect it, which is why the circumstances of a claim matter as much as the claim itself. If you have an accident that is your fault, or a fault cannot be assigned, insurers usually step your bonus down by a set number of years at renewal. A claim that is settled entirely by the other party’s insurer, a genuine no-fault loss, typically leaves your bonus intact.

This is where no claims discount protection earns its place. Protection can prevent your bonus dropping after a set number of claims within a period, but the price and minimum NCB requirement vary between insurers. Protection stops your discount falling, but it does not freeze your overall premium, which can still rise after a claim. If your car is declared a write-off or total loss in an at-fault incident, the same stepback rules apply unless your bonus is protected.

Compare cover levels and protect your bonus

Does a transferred no claims bonus lower your excess?

A no claims bonus lowers your premium, not your excess, so transferring your bonus reduces the price you pay but does not change the excess you agree to pay towards a claim. Your excess is made up of a compulsory excess set by the insurer and a voluntary excess you choose, and the two are added together when you claim. The NCB and the excess are separate levers on your policy.

Raising your voluntary excess can reduce your premium further, but only set it at a level you could actually afford if you needed to claim tomorrow. Combining a healthy no-claims bonus with a sensibly chosen voluntary excess often produces the keenest price, provided the excess is realistic for your finances. If you are new to this, treat the excess and the bonus as two different parts of the same quote rather than one saving.

• What is a no claims bonus? – Guide by FreePriceCompare.com
• No Claims Bonus: Understanding the Basics – Free Price Compare
• No Claims Discount Protection UK | Is It Worth It in 2025
• Car Insurance No Claims Bonus | How Much You Save
• Home Insurance No Claims Bonus | How Much You Save

Information correct as of 14 October 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).