1 Day Car Insurance: How It Works and What It Costs

Written by Brijesh Patel
Reviewed by Pratik Aghera
7 min read
Updated: 3 Aug 2026
Car Insurance Guides
1 Day Car Insurance: How It Works and What It Costs

1 day car insurance is a short-term policy that legally covers you to drive a car for a single day, usually with comprehensive cover and a start time you choose down to the hour. It is sold separately from an annual policy and is bought online in minutes, making it a practical option for borrowing a car, collecting a purchase, or a one-off long journey.

For the typical driver comparing cover, the main appeal is flexibility: you pay only for the day you need, and if you drive someone else’s car, their no-claims bonus stays untouched. The trade-off is that a single day of standalone cover costs far more per day than an annual policy, and temporary policies often carry a high excess, so it pays to weigh it against the alternatives before you buy.

Quick Answer

  • A single day of standalone cover typically costs from around £7.55 to £35, depending on your age, the car’s insurance group and your licence.
  • Most 1 day policies are comprehensive and can start almost immediately, though it can take up to 48 hours to appear on the Motor Insurance Database (cover is still valid from your stated start time).
  • Driving someone else’s car on temporary cover does not affect the owner’s no-claims bonus, because you take out a separate policy in your own name.
  • Temporary policies often carry a high excess, sometimes £500 or more, so minor damage below that figure comes out of your own pocket.
  • Most providers require you to be aged 18-75 with a full UK licence held for 3-6 months; a few cover from age 17 and learner drivers separately.

Last updated: July 2026

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

Content in this article

When 1 day car insurance is the right choice

1 day car insurance makes sense when you need to drive a specific car for a limited time and adding yourself to an annual policy would be slower, dearer or affect someone else’s cover. Common situations include borrowing a family member’s car for the day, collecting a car you have just bought, driving a friend’s vehicle home, or taking a one-off long trip in a shared car.

The key reason people choose it over being added as a named driver is the no-claims protection: because you buy a separate policy in your own name, any claim falls on your temporary cover, not the owner’s annual policy. That protects a hard-earned discount that can be worth a large share of the owner’s premium.

According to the ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker for Q1 2026, the average premium drivers actually paid held steady at £560, roughly £20 lower than a year earlier. Against a settled annual price like that, standalone daily cover only works out sensibly when you need cover for a handful of days, not weeks.

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How much does one day car insurance cost?

One day car insurance in the UK typically costs from around £7.55 to £35 for a single day, based on advertised starting prices as of 2026. The exact figure depends heavily on your age, how long you have held your licence, and the car’s insurance group, so the low end is rarely what an average driver pays.

These are “from” prices, meaning the cheapest quote a provider gives to their lowest-risk customers. A driver in their late 40s or 50s insuring a mid-value car will usually pay somewhere in the middle of that range, while a younger driver or a higher-group car pushes the price up.

Cover length Indicative starting price
1 hour From around £5.30
1 day From around £7.55 to £35
1 week From around £26 to £58
4 weeks From around £55

Figures are indicative and may change.

Compared with an annual policy, a single day of standalone cover costs far more per day. If you spread the ABI’s Q1 2026 average paid premium of £560 across the year, that is around £1.50 a day. Temporary cover is priced higher per day because the insurer takes on concentrated risk for a short window with no time to earn back the cost over a year.

How much does one day car insurance cost

Can you get comprehensive cover for just one day?

Yes, most 1 day car insurance policies are comprehensive, which means they cover damage to the car you are driving, other people’s property and injury, and third-party claims. Comprehensive is the standard cover level for temporary policies, so you rarely need to hunt for it.

Comprehensive is also the cover level most drivers choose overall. Around 88-89% of car insurance quotes through Free Price Compare are for comprehensive cover, rising to around 88-91% of actual purchases (Free Price Compare data, Jan-Jun 2026). That preference carries over to short-term cover, where paying a little more for full protection on a borrowed or newly bought car usually makes sense.

The three standard cover levels apply the same way as on an annual policy: third-party only is the legal minimum, third-party fire and theft adds those two risks, and comprehensive covers damage to the car you are driving as well. For a one-day policy you will almost always be quoted comprehensive by default.

Watch the excess and the exclusions

Temporary car insurance often carries a high excess, sometimes £500 or more, which is the amount you pay towards any claim before the insurer covers the rest. On a short-term policy this matters more than the headline price, because a lot of everyday damage costs less than the excess and would come straight out of your pocket.

A car insurance excess is the fixed amount you agree to pay towards a claim. If your temporary policy has a £500 excess and you scrape a bumper that costs £400 to repair, you pay the full £400 yourself and gain nothing from the claim. Some providers also add a further excess of around £100 depending on the vehicle, so always check the total figure before you buy.

  • Check the compulsory excess on the quote, not just the daily price.
  • Ask whether an additional vehicle excess applies to your car.
  • Confirm the car is taxed and roadworthy, as cover will not pay out if it is not legally on the road.
  • Read the mileage or use restrictions, which can be tighter than an annual policy.

Repair costs are the main pressure on claims. The ABI reported that the average accidental damage claim rose to £3,699 in Q1 2026, up 8% on the previous quarter, as parts prices and vehicle complexity increase. Higher repair bills are one reason insurers keep temporary excesses high.

Not sure short-term cover is right for you?

Compare annual and short-term car insurance side by side before you decide.

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Does it affect the car owner’s no-claims bonus?

No, taking out 1 day car insurance to drive someone else’s car does not affect the owner’s no-claims bonus, because you buy a completely separate policy in your own name. Any claim you make sits against your temporary cover, so the owner’s annual policy and their discount are left untouched.

A no-claims bonus is the discount an insurer gives for each consecutive year you drive without making a claim, and it can knock a large percentage off a renewal price. That is exactly why temporary cover is often preferred over adding a named driver: adding someone to an annual policy means any claim they make can reduce the policyholder’s bonus.

Temporary cover also does not build a no-claims bonus of its own, so it is a standalone arrangement in both directions. If you drive regularly, an annual policy that earns you a discount over time is better value than repeated day policies.

If you are weighing this against being added to a friend or relative’s policy, our guide on driving someone else’s car compares both routes in detail.

Can learners and young drivers get 1 day cover?

Most temporary car insurance providers require you to be aged 18-75 and to have held a full UK driving licence for 3-6 months, though a few offer cover from age 17 and dedicated learner policies. Young and new drivers can usually still get short-term cover, but the price is higher because insurers price them as higher risk.

Learner temporary insurance is a distinct product that covers a provisional licence holder to practise in a car they do not own, usually with a qualified supervising driver. This can be more flexible than being added to a parent’s policy for a short period, and it keeps any learner incident off the car owner’s record.

New drivers dominate the shopping side of the market. Around a third of car insurance quotes through Free Price Compare come from drivers with zero years of no-claims bonus (Free Price Compare data, Jan-Jun 2026), which shows how many people are insuring for the first time or after a claim. For those drivers, comparing short-term against annual and named-driver options is worth doing carefully.

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Can you use 1 day insurance to tax a car?

Yes, you can use 1 day or short-term car insurance to tax a car, because valid insurance is a legal requirement to tax a vehicle and the temporary policy counts. The insurance details need to be recorded on the Motor Insurance Database, and most providers update it on the same day so the tax can go through.

Under Continuous Insurance Enforcement, a registered vehicle must be insured at all times unless it has a valid Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). The DVLA checks insurance against the Motor Insurance Database when you tax online, so your temporary cover must show up before the transaction completes.

One practical point: it can take up to 48 hours for a policy to appear on the Motor Insurance Database, even though your cover is valid from the start time on your documents. If you need to tax a car quickly, buy the policy in good time and check it has registered before you rely on it.

How to find the cheapest suitable short-term cover

The cheapest suitable 1 day car insurance is found by comparing standalone daily quotes against the alternatives, because short-term cover is not always the best-value option. Standard comparison journeys often exclude temporary policies, so you may need to check specialist short-term providers alongside annual and named-driver quotes.

Buying online is now the norm, and increasingly on a phone. Around 8 in 10 car insurance journeys through Free Price Compare happen on a mobile device, with roughly 77-81% of sales completed on mobile (Free Price Compare data, Jan-Jun 2026), so short-term quotes are designed to be bought quickly on a handset.

  • Compare a day policy against a week policy if you might need the car for more than one day.
  • Check whether adding the car to an existing annual policy as a temporary additional vehicle is cheaper.
  • For regular use, get an annual quote too, as daily cover rarely beats it over more than a few days.
  • Read the excess and use restrictions before comparing on price alone.

Free Price Compare compares car insurance from a panel of 130+ insurers, so checking an annual price alongside short-term cover takes only a few minutes. If you are borrowing a specific brand of cover or want a fuller annual policy, comparing short-term car insurance against a standard annual quote is the quickest way to see which is cheaper for your situation.

How to find the cheapest suitable short-term cover

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FAQs about 1 day car insurance

Can I get car insurance for just one day?

Yes, several UK providers sell standalone one-day car insurance, and cover can start within minutes of buying online. It is a genuine legal policy for a single day, usually comprehensive, and separate from any annual cover. You choose the start time when you buy, so you only pay for the exact window you need.

How quickly can I be covered with a 1 day policy?

Cover from a 1 day policy usually starts almost immediately, and you can often set it to begin within minutes of purchase. Your cover is valid from the start time shown on your documents, even though it can take up to 48 hours to appear on the Motor Insurance Database. If you need to tax the car, allow time for the policy to register first.

Is 1 day car insurance cheaper than adding a named driver?

It depends on the situation, so it is worth comparing both. For a single day, temporary cover is often cheaper and, unlike a named-driver addition, it does not put the owner’s no-claims bonus at risk. Over several days or weeks, adding a driver to an annual policy or buying a short-term policy for a longer block can work out better value.

Can I insure a car I have just bought for one day to drive it home?

Yes, a 1 day policy is commonly used to drive a newly purchased car home legally. You can buy it before you collect the car and set the start time for when you plan to drive away. Make sure the car is taxed as well, or arrange the tax using the temporary insurance once it appears on the Motor Insurance Database.

Do I need my own policy to drive someone else’s insured car?

Usually yes, unless you already have a policy that includes driving-other-cars cover, which is often third-party only and increasingly rare. Being named on the owner’s policy or taking out temporary cover in your own name are the two safe routes. Temporary cover has the advantage of keeping the owner’s no-claims bonus separate from any claim you make.

What excess should I expect on a temporary policy?

Temporary policies often carry a high excess, sometimes £500 or more, and some add a further vehicle-specific excess on top. This is the amount you pay towards any claim before the insurer contributes. Because a lot of minor damage costs less than the excess, check the total figure before you buy so you know when a claim would actually pay out.

Can a learner driver get temporary car insurance?

Yes, some providers offer dedicated temporary learner insurance for provisional licence holders practising in a car they do not own. It usually requires a qualified supervising driver and keeps any incident off the car owner’s own policy. It can be more flexible than being added to a parent’s annual policy for a short practice period.

Does temporary insurance build up a no-claims bonus?

No, temporary or 1 day car insurance does not earn you a no-claims bonus, because it is standalone short-term cover rather than a continuous annual policy. If building a no-claims discount matters to you, an annual policy is the way to do it. Temporary cover is best kept for occasional, one-off driving needs.

Can I use short-term insurance on a SORN car?

You cannot legally drive a car that is declared SORN on any public road, even with temporary insurance, until you cancel the SORN and tax it. Once the car is taxed and insured it can be driven, but a SORN vehicle is only permitted on private land. If you need to move a SORN car, arrange tax and cover, or trailer it.

What happens if I have an accident on a 1 day policy?

If you have an accident during the policy period, you claim on your temporary cover just as you would on an annual policy, paying the stated excess towards any repair. The claim sits against your own temporary policy, so if you were driving someone else’s car, their no-claims bonus is not affected. Report the incident to your temporary insurer as soon as possible.

Is there a minimum age or licence length for 1 day cover?

Most providers require you to be aged 18-75 with a full UK licence held for 3-6 months, though a few cover drivers from 17 and offer separate learner policies. Younger drivers and those with newer licences can usually still get cover, but at a higher price. Always check the specific provider’s eligibility before assuming you qualify.

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Information correct as of 4 July 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).

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