Car insurance
New Driver Car Insurance
car cover for newly qualified drivers of any age, and ways to build a record from the first policy
Car cover for someone newly qualified, at any age. The first year sets up your driving record, so accurate details and careful driving matter as much as the price.
- Newly qualified at any age
- Black box and standard policies
- Build your no claims bonus
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerNew driver car insurance is car cover for someone who has recently passed their test, at any age. With little driving history and no no claims bonus yet, the first policy can cost more. Black box policies, a lower insurance group car, a sensible excess and a claim-free first year can all help. Enter your registration and UK providers can come back with quotes.
This page is about drivers who have recently passed, at any age. Drivers under 25 are on our young drivers car insurance page.
At a glance
New Driver Cover, in Brief
Six things that decide how new driver car insurance behaves, before any of the detail.
- Time since passing
- Experience matters more than age
- No claims bonus
- Starts building after your first year
- Black box
- Your driving helps set the price
- The car
- Lower groups can cost less
- The excess
- Check the total you would pay
- Points
- Extra rules for your first years
The basics
What Is New Driver Car Insurance?
Car insurance for someone who has recently passed their test. The cover levels are the same as for any driver, with the price reflecting little experience.
Third-party cover
Injury to others and damage to their property.
Fire and theft
Your car if stolen or burnt out, on higher levels.
Comprehensive cover
Damage to your own car as well.
Black box policies
Pricing based partly on how you drive.
Your own record
A policy in your name builds your history.
Monthly or annual
Payment options to suit.
How it works
How Does New Driver Car Insurance Work?
You give details of yourself, the car and how it is used, choose a standard or black box policy, and pick the excess and extras.
You describe the car
Registration, model, insurance group, value and where it is kept overnight.
You describe the drivers
When you passed, your licence, and anyone else who will drive.
You describe how it is used
Social, commuting or business use, and roughly how far you drive.
You choose the terms
The level of cover, the excess, any extras and how you pay.
What it covers
What Does New Driver Car Insurance Cover?
The usual levels of car cover, with inexperience excesses on some policies and driving-score terms on telematics policies.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Injury and damage to others | Core | Included at every level |
| Fire and theft | Core on higher levels | Subject to security conditions |
| Accidental damage | Comprehensive | Can carry an inexperience excess |
| Windscreen | Often included | Can carry a separate excess |
| Courtesy car | Often included | Check any experience limits |
| Legal expenses | Optional | Helps recover uninsured losses |
| Black box terms | On telematics policies | Scores or limits on some |
Not just for the young. Drivers who pass later in life can face higher prices at first too, because insurers weight time since passing.
Exclusions
What New Driver Car Insurance Does Not Include
Cover can exclude driving outside black box terms, undeclared drivers or use, fronting and driving while unfit.
Breaking black box terms
Where the policy sets conditions.
Fronting
Naming someone else as main driver when you drive most.
Undeclared drivers
Someone driving who is not named or allowed.
Undeclared use
Commuting or business not shown on the policy.
Keys left in the car
Theft with the keys in or on the car.
Undeclared modifications
Changes the insurer was not told about.
Options
Ways to Insure a New Driver
New drivers have a few routes to cover. Each suits a different situation.
Black box policy
Your driving helps set the price.
Standard policy
Priced on your details alone.
Named driver
On someone else’s car, if they really drive it most.
Your own policy
Builds your own no claims bonus.
Pay-as-you-go cover
Priced by the mile, on some products.
Short-term cover
For borrowing a car occasionally.
Under 25? See our young drivers car insurance page.
Who it suits
Who New Driver Car Insurance Suits
Anyone in their first years of driving after passing their test.
Young new drivers
Just passed in their teens or twenties.
Later-in-life drivers
Passed in their thirties or beyond.
Returning drivers
Back behind the wheel after a long break.
First car buyers
Choosing a car to insure.
Drivers who moved to the UK
Converting or passing a UK licence.
Named drivers going solo
Taking out their own policy.
Want the highest level of cover? See our fully comprehensive car insurance page.
New or experienced
New Drivers vs Experienced Drivers
The cover is the same. What differs is the history behind the price, which builds with each claim-free year.
| New driver | Experienced driver | |
|---|---|---|
| No claims bonus | None yet | Built up over years |
| Price | Often higher | Often lower |
| Black box | Common option | Less common |
| Excess | Can be higher | Standard |
Thinking about a black box? See our black box guide.
Cost
What New Driver Car Insurance Is Priced On
Your experience, age, the car, where it is kept, how it is used, and any claims or convictions. We do not print average premiums.
Why experience leads
Time since passing carries a lot of weight, whatever your age, until a record builds up.
Why the car matters too
Its insurance group, value, security and where it is kept feed the price alongside the driver.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- ExperienceTime since passingBase
- The carInsurance group and valueRate
- PostcodeWhere it is keptRate
- Driving dataBlack box score, if usedAdjust
- HistoryClaims and convictionsAdjust
Lower group cars
Can help the price.
Black box
Careful driving can help at renewal.
Off-road parking
A driveway or garage can help.
The details
The First-Year Details That Decide a New Driver Claim
New driver claims can turn on the details given at the start. Four come up again and again.
Give accurate details
When you passed, where the car is kept and how it is used.
Name the real main driver
Naming someone more experienced when you drive most is fronting.
Keep to black box terms
Where the policy sets conditions, keep to them.
Report claims promptly
Tell the insurer about any incident, even if you do not plan to claim.
Quote checklist
What You Will Be Asked for a New Driver Quote
Six things shape the quote: you, the car, how it is used, where it is kept, any claims or convictions, and other drivers.
The car
Registration, model and insurance group.
The drivers
Everyone who will drive, and their licences.
Claims and convictions
Recent claims and any motoring convictions.
How it is used
Social, commuting or business, and mileage.
Where it is kept
Postcode and overnight parking.
When you passed
The date on your licence.
Comparing
Checking New Driver Quotes Side by Side
Four areas decide whether a policy suits you: the cover, the excess, the driver terms, and the wider terms. The price is only one of them.
The cover
- Level of cover and courtesy car
- Windscreen cover
- Driving other cars
The excess
- Compulsory excess
- Voluntary excess
- Windscreen excess
Driver terms
- Inexperience excess
- Black box conditions
- Named driver rules
Terms
- No claims bonus protection
- European driving
- Paying monthly or upfront
Add up the total excess. Extra excesses can apply to newer drivers. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.
Cutting costs
How to Reduce the Cost of New Driver Car Insurance
The levers are the car you choose, the excess, a black box, accurate details and how you buy. We publish no savings figures.
Choose a lower group car
Insurance group has a big effect.
Consider a black box
Careful driving can help.
Choose the excess deliberately
A higher voluntary excess is a lever, worth using only at a level you could pay.
Build a claim-free year
Your first no claims bonus can help at renewal.
Pay annually if you can
Paying monthly can cost more overall.
Consider extra training
Some insurers recognise it.
Glossary
New Driver Insurance Terms Explained
The words that come up most on a new driver insurance schedule.
- Newly qualified
- A driver who has recently passed their test.
- Black box
- A device or app that records how you drive.
- Fronting
- Naming a less risky main driver than the real one, which can void a claim.
- Inexperience excess
- An extra excess for newer drivers.
- Pay as you go
- Cover priced by the mile driven.
- Main driver
- The person who drives the car most.
- Named driver
- Someone else allowed to drive the car under the policy.
- No claims bonus
- A discount built up through claim-free years.
- Compulsory excess
- The part of a claim the insurer sets that you pay.
- Voluntary excess
- An extra amount you choose to pay on a claim.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Compare New Driver Car Insurance with MyMoneyComparison.com?
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces drivers to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one car
Describe the car once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
New Driver Car Insurance FAQs
Answers on first policies, no claims bonus, points and black boxes.
What is new driver car insurance?
Car cover for someone who has recently passed their test, at any age. It offers the usual levels of cover, priced for a driver with little history and no no claims bonus yet.
Why is insurance expensive for new drivers?
With little driving history, insurers have less to go on, and newer drivers are statistically more likely to claim. Time since passing carries a lot of weight until a record builds up.
Do older new drivers pay less?
Often, though not always. Older new drivers can pay less than teenagers, but still more than experienced drivers of the same age, because experience matters as well as age.
When will my no claims bonus start?
Usually after your first full year on your own policy without a claim. Each claim-free year after that can add to the discount at renewal.
Is a black box worth it for a new driver?
It can help if you drive carefully, as your driving data can improve the price at renewal. Some policies set conditions, such as curfews or score thresholds.
Can I be a named driver instead?
Yes, on a car someone else really drives most. It can cost less, but it does not usually build your own no claims bonus, and fronting can void a claim.
What car is cheapest to insure as a new driver?
Cars in lower insurance groups, with smaller engines, lower values and good security, usually cost less to insure. Check the group before you buy. Running costs matter too.
Do penalty points affect new drivers differently?
New drivers can face extra consequences for points in their first years of driving, and points raise insurance prices. Driving carefully protects both your licence and your premiums.
Can I drive other people’s cars?
Only if you are insured to. Driving other cars cover is rarely offered to new drivers, so you may need to be named on their policy or use short-term cover.
What if I passed abroad?
Tell the insurer where and when you passed, and whether you hold a UK licence. Foreign driving experience may or may not be recognised. Have your licence details ready.
Does extra training help?
Some insurers recognise post-test courses or advanced driving qualifications, which can help the terms. Ask whether your insurer takes them into account. Keep proof of any course you complete.
Is comprehensive worth it for a new driver?
It covers damage to your own car too, and it is not always the dearest level for newer drivers. Compare all three levels before deciding.
Should I pay monthly or annually?
Paying annually, where possible, can cost less overall, as monthly payments can include interest or fees. Check the total cost of each option. Ask for the annual price as well.
What happens after my first year?
If you have not claimed, you can start to build a no claims bonus, and your price may fall at renewal. Compare the market rather than auto-renewing.
Can I get pay-as-you-go cover?
Some products price cover by the mile, which can suit new drivers who drive little. Check how miles are measured and what the policy covers.
How do I compare new driver quotes?
Look beyond the price to the total excess, black box conditions, the level of cover, courtesy car terms and how easily you can build your no claims bonus.
Ready when you are
Get Quotes for Your First Policy
Enter your registration and tell us about the drivers. UK providers can then come back with quotes. Free to use, with no obligation to buy.
- First-policy options compared
- Free to use, no obligation
- FCA authorised and regulated
Free to use · No obligation · UK brokers
About this page
This page explains UK new Driver Car Insurance: what it covers, what it leaves out, and how accurate details in your first years decide a claim. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
How we approached this page
- Published UK new driver and telematics policy summaries
- No claims bonus, excess and telematics terms
- Financial Ombudsman material on motor insurance complaints
Legal & Regulatory Information:
The MyMoneyComparison.com website is owned and operated by MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd, which does not provide financial advice and does not sell insurance policies. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for insurance mediation and credit broking activity under FCA registration number 916241.
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 2018, registered on the Data Protection Register under registration number ZA460665.
Registered Office: Jubilee House, 55 Church St, Morley, Leeds LS27 9JQ, United Kingdom.
© 2013-2026 MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd. All rights reserved.