Learner driver insurance is a short-term car insurance policy that covers a learner driver while they practise driving in someone else's car (often a parent or grandparent). It sits alongside the main annual insurance policy for the car and only covers the learner driver before they pass their driving test.

Learner driver insurance can be offered for any duration from 7 days to 90 days, but ends as soon as the learner driver passes their practical driving test.

It gives the learner their own short-term, flexible policy that’s designed specifically for them while they learn to drive. The learner driver is the policyholder, and it will usually be their first ever insurance policy. It is ideal for both the learner and the car owner as it provides cover without affecting the car owner’s No Claims Discount.

The car must be owned by someone other than the learner driver and it must also have its own annual car insurance in place to cover the owner and other drivers.

The learner driver policy can be renewed once it ends so long as the learner driver has not passed their driving test.

The benefits of this type of policy are that:

• It is flexible as it can be bought for any number of days between 7 days and 90 days;
• It can be cheaper than adding a learner driver to the main annual policy. Also, the price of the annual insurance policy may increase significantly in the middle of the policy term after the learner driver has passed their test;
• Some insurers will not even allow a learner driver to be added to an annual policy;
• It protects the car-owners No Claims Discount (NCD), as if the learner driver has a claim, this will be against the learner driver policy and will not affect the main annual policy.