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LEARNER DRIVER INSURANCE

A flexible policy that helps you practice driving in a friends' or family car without affecting their No Claims Discount

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This cover is suitable for:

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Provisional licence holders aged 17-34
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Insuring a learner driver on a parent’s, friend’s, or family car
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Learner drivers practising for and taking their driving test
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This cover is not for you if:

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You're learning to drive in a van or commercial vehicle

What is learner driver insurance?

If a learner driver is practicing in a family member's or friend's car, they need learner driver insurance. Learner Driver Insurance covers the learner while they practice their driving skills in a family member or friend’s car and continues to provide cover during the test – a great option from less than £10 per week¹

This flexible short-term policy protects the No Claims Discount of the car owner’s main policy. Choose from cover for 30 - 240 days, whatever suits your needs! There are a few rules and stipulations around where you can drive and who with, which is why we put together our complete guide to learner driver insurance.

Do learner drivers need insurance?

In short, yes. Anyone who is driving on a UK road, by law, needs to have valid insurance in place – even if they are a provisional licence holder. If you’re driving with an instructor, they are likely to already have this in place, but if you are planning on practising outside lessons in your own car or a family member’s/friend’s car, then you definitely need insurance as a learner driver. The penalty for driving without valid insurance is £300 and 6 penalty points (or more if it goes to court). No-one wants that at the start of their driving career, right?

How does learner driver insurance work?

1
Get covered
Hassle free comprehensive cover that’s flexible and easy to arrange - it sits alongside the main insurance!
2
Get practising
Practice in a friend's or parent's car - with no risk to car owner’s No Claims Discount. Enjoy flexible renewal options to get you ready for your test.
3
Pass your test
Earn up to 10% off your next policy with Marmalade when you become a full licence holder.

Increase your chance of passing with private practice

Who can supervise a learner driver?
- Any driver who is over 25
- Currently holds a current valid full UK driving licence for at least 3 years

It doesn’t even need to be the person who owns the car! Just make sure permission is given by the car owner – but we’re sure you already know that.

Keep in mind that they must be qualified to drive the vehicle you are using. For example, if their licence is for automatic vehicles, they can’t supervise you in a manual car.

The DVSA recommends learner drivers get as much private practice alongside lessons as possible, especially since learners are taking around six months or more to pass their test. With their Ready to pass? campaign, the DVSA are urging learners to get in some extra practice if they think they aren't ready - rescheduling their test to give themselves some extra time, and a ready learner a slot sooner!

Before you head out practising, check out our guide to make sure you get the most out of private practice.

Why choose Marmalade's learner insurance?

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No risk to the car owner’s No Claims Discount

Our learner insurance is comprehensive, and there’s no risk to the car owner’s No Claims Discount in the event the learner driver makes a claim.
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Get covered straight away!

Get a quote in minutes and you can be covered to drive as soon as you've paid.
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Save money when you renew your policy

Stay with us and enjoy a whole host of discounts such as 10% off any of our car sharing policies!
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99% of customers would recommend us!³

Plus, We’re the UK’s leading name in young driver insurance²!

Common questions about learner insurance

Can more than one learner driver be insured on the same car?arrow
This learner driver car insurance only covers the learner driver named on the policy. However, if there is more than one learner driver to insure each driver can have their own policy and practise in the same car.
Does temporary learner driver insurance cover you after you’ve passed your test?arrow
This policy is designed specifically for learner drivers, so cover will cease as soon as you pass your driving test. So, if you do take the test in the insured car - make sure you arrange a lift home from the test centre.
Your journey with Marmalade doesn’t have to end - discover the options with our insurance finder tool.
How much is the policy excess?arrow
You will need to pay the first £250 towards the claim if there is a fire, the car is stolen or you have an accident whilst you're driving.
What length of learner insurance policy should I choose?arrow
This will really depend on how far into your learning journey you are. If you have your test booked, it makes sense to choose a policy length that takes you near to the big day! The great news is that you can choose learner insurance for between 30 and 240 days – with the option to extend the policy by as little as 7 or 14 days until you pass. If you’re ready to go, it’s quick and easy to get a quote for your policy length and you could be on the road in minutes!
How much is learner driver insurance?arrow
It starts from £69.99 a month and of course, depends on the length of your chosen policy and where you live. Get a quick and easy quote here.
Is learner driver insurance the same as dual insurance?arrow
No, it’s not the same. Dual insurance would be two insurance policies covering the same risk on the policy i.e. two insurance policies specifically insuring the same car. Learner driver insurance is insuring the learner as the risk when they are behind the wheel of the car. Learner driver insurance is separate from the owner’s insurance, which means that a claim made by the learner on their own policy won’t affect the car owner’s insurance.
Will I be covered to take my driving test with learner insurance?arrow
Yes. You will need to take your insurance policy documents with you and ensure the car meets certain requirements set by the government. We’ve summarised the main points here but we advise you to read the full requirements in our advice on taking the driving test in your own car. - It must be taxed - The car must be roadworthy (with a current MOT for cars over 3 years old) - There can’t be any warning lights showing - There can’t be any tyre damage or space-saver tyre fitted - You must fit L plates to the front and rear of the car and an extra interior rear-view mirror for the examiner. The cover ceases immediately after the test has been passed, so make sure you call us to let us know the good news, organise a lift home and make sure you have a new policy arranged to make sure you are covered.
Does learner insurance cover a driving test in my own car?arrow
Our short-term learner insurance policy will cover you to take your driving test in a family car or friend's car as it's designed to sit alongside an existing motor policy of a car owned by someone else. The policy ceases once you pass so call us with your good news and ensure you have a lift arranged or have another policy in place. If you’re looking for car insurance for a driving test on your own car - we can cover you with our Black Box Insurance! It's designed to cover a young driver in their own car before and after they pass with no increase in price on passing! If you're not quite decided yet what type of insurance you need, we have a handy guide to help you compare insurance options for learner drivers.
Is it compulsory to take out learner driver insurance?arrow
If you’re getting behind the wheel for private practice, it is a legal requirement to have insurance in place. If you are only taking lessons with a professional driving school or driving instructor in their car, the insurance is generally included in the cost.
Can I put a learner driver on my insurance?arrow
You may well be able to, it all depends on your current policy as some insurers won’t allow it. For those that do it can be expensive and could affect your No Claims Discount should they have a bump. Get a quick quote for our learner driver insurance; it won’t affect your No Claims Bonus as it sits beside your existing policy.
Will it affect the owner’s No Claims Discount if I claim?arrow
It won’t affect the car owner’s No Claims Bonus as it’s a separate policy for the learner only, so the car owner doesn’t need to declare a claim made by the learner to their insurer. Obviously, if the learner makes a claim they will need to declare it when they take out their next policy.
Do you offer one day car insurance?arrow
A lot of people look for 1 day car insurance but at Marmalade we don’t think that’s the best approach. You need regular practice over a few weeks to see any benefit, which is why our learner insurance starts at 30 days and can be renewed for 7 or 14 days.
How can I extend my policy?arrow
You can enjoy learner driver insurance for as long as you are learning to drive. We'll send you reminders before your policy expires. As your details are saved with us it's super easy to get you covered! Simply log in, check your details, choose your policy length, pay and you're sorted!
Why can't you provide cover for me?arrow
If you completed a quick quote, which declines because of your age or postcode, there will be no quote to retrieve to enable us to determine the reason. However, If you completed a full quote we will be able to determine the reason. Double-check the details entered to see if they’re entered correctly on the form. If you’d like us to look into this in more detail, please call us on 0330 343 8814 and we should be able to view the quote and let you know the reason.
Can I use Learner Driver Insurance to drive abroad?arrow
Marmalade learner insurance provides cover to drive in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
How can I contact Marmalade?arrow
There are lots of ways to get in touch with the team - by phone, live chat, social media and email. Live chat is a great place to start - simply click on the speech bubble at the bottom right of this page. If you need to speak to a member of the team, you can contact us on 0330 343 8814, during working hours. You can find out our opening hours and read more about how to get in touch on our contact us page.
Does learner insurance show on askMID?arrow
Yes, it does, and will take about a week for it to show. If you are using a family member or friend’s car, please check that their annual policy is on there to ensure you remain covered.
Does learner insurance count towards your No Claims Discount?arrow
As this is a short-term policy, you won’t start building your No Claims discount just yet. If this is important, why not check out our Named Young Driver Insurance which is an annual policy in the young driver’s own name and they can start earning their own No Claims Discount.
The great news is that it offers seamless cover from learner to full licence with no price increase on passing the driving test!
How do I insure a learner driver on my own car?arrow
If you're looking to insure a learner driver on your car there are two options. They can take out a standalone policy that covers them when they are behind the wheel until they pass their test, like our learner driver insurance, or you can speak to your insurance company about adding a named driver. Get a quote and join over 4000 learners who opt for our short-term learner insurance every month as it's quick and easy to arrange and there's no risk to the car owner's No Claims Discount if the learner needs to make a claim.

Unsure what policy to choose?

We’ve got a handy tool to help you figure it out - simply answer 3 quick questions and we’ll show you the options that may suit your young driver best
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What's covered by our Learner Driver Insurance policy?

Legal liability

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Damage to the car owner’s vehicle

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Personal accident up to £2,500

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Medical expenses up to £250

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Personal belongings up to £100

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Learner advice

If you're learning to drive, we've got everything you need to know to get ready for your driving test in one place!

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Don't forget L-Plates!

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Advice and guides for parents helping their learner driver on their driving journey.

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