When you only need to drive for an hour or two, insure yourself for exactly that and nothing more.
Moving a car across town or nipping out to collect something shouldn’t mean changing someone’s annual policy. Covrly’s hourly car insurance covers you on a car from as little as one hour. Choose your start time, do the job, and the cover ends when your time is up.
Start with a single hour, or pick a longer window if the job needs it, all the way up to 30 days.
Even an hour’s cover is fully comprehensive, subject to the excess and your policy terms.
Your policy stands alone, so a claim won’t affect the owner’s insurance or their No Claims Discount.
Car insurance by the hour is for moments that are too short to justify anything bigger. The common thread is a quick, clearly defined task in a car that isn’t normally yours to drive.
Hourly cover also helps when two people swap driving for a short leg of a journey, or when the owner is unwell and needs someone to drive them somewhere in their own car.
It’s one of the questions we hear most, and the honest answer is that it depends on you and the car. There’s no fixed hourly rate. Your quote is worked out from the risk of a claim during your chosen window, using factors like your age, licence history, any claims or convictions, the car’s make and value, and where it’s kept.
Bear in mind that insurance prices don’t shrink in a straight line with time. Every policy involves the same checks and set-up whether it lasts an hour or a week, so the cost per hour of a very short policy can look higher than a longer one. You’re simply not paying for time you don’t need.
The quickest way to see a real figure is to get a quote. It takes around three minutes, and you can compare a couple of different lengths before you decide.
Short policies leave less room for error, so it pays to be realistic. Think about the whole job, not just the drive: loading, unloading, finding somewhere to park and getting back.
Once your cover ends, you’re not insured to drive that car, even if you’re five minutes from home. If you think you’ll run over, buy a new policy before the current one finishes.
Learners follow different rules, so they need cover designed for a provisional licence. In practice that means being supervised by someone who is at least 21 and has held a full licence for at least three years, and displaying L plates.
If you’re searching for hourly car insurance for learner drivers, start with our learner driver insurance page, which explains the options for practising in a parent’s or friend’s car. Don’t assume a standard temporary policy covers you on a provisional licence.
Once you’ve passed your test and hold a full licence, standard temporary cover, including short hourly policies, may be available to you, subject to eligibility.
Even though it’s short, an hourly policy from Covrly is fully comprehensive. It’s a standalone policy in your name, your details are uploaded to the Motor Insurance Database, and your documents are emailed straight away so you can show proof of cover if asked.
It’s for social, domestic and pleasure use only. That rules out business driving and any kind of hire and reward, such as food delivery or paid lifts. It doesn’t include breakdown cover, which is a separate product, and the car must be UK-registered. Your policy wording sets out the full details.
Yes. Covrly policies start from 1 hour, and you can choose longer if you need it, up to 30 days. Eligibility criteria apply to both you and the car.
There’s no fixed price. Your quote depends on your age, driving history, the car, where it’s kept and how long you need cover. Getting a quote takes around three minutes.
Yes. Temporary car insurance is a genuine type of motor cover, and a Covrly policy is recorded on the Motor Insurance Database just like an annual one. Our guide on whether temporary car insurance is legit explains what to look for in any provider.
Learners need cover designed for a provisional licence and must be properly supervised. Take a look at our learner driver insurance page to see what’s available rather than buying standard temporary cover.
Your cover ends at the time on your certificate, and any driving after that is uninsured. If you think you’ll need longer, buy a new policy before the current one ends.
Yes, that’s a common reason people buy short cover. A car without a valid MOT may only be driven to a test that’s already booked, and you still need to be insured for that journey.