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With just a few details, you can browse the best car insurance deals for you through the comparison service.

What car insurance do you need?

Clearly, there are cost implications, but the highest level of cover is not necessarily the most expensive. To find out more, keep reading.

Do I have to have car insurance?

What car insurance do you need to take out? By law, you must have at least a basic level of insurance in order to drive in the UK. This is third party insurance, and it protects you if someone else claims against you in the event you cause any damage while driving. 

Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)

The only exception to the above rule is if you have a vehicle that is not driven, nor kept on a public road. If this applies, you can make a SORN to the DVLA.

Types of insurance

Third party only

As mentioned above, the most basic level of insurance is third party. The law states that you must at least have this in place if the car is driven - or even if it is parked on a public highway. This kind of insurance only covers damage to third parties, not to your own vehicle or possessions. It also excludes cover for theft and fire. It may not even be the cheapest type of cover for you, so it’s best to check prices rather than make any assumptions. It can suit those who don’t have a no claims bonus, live in a very high-risk postcode, or have a car that is not worth very much and would therefore not be too costly to replace.

Third party, fire and theft

Third party, fire and theft covers the above and it also provides protection if your car is damaged by fire or stolen. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident that’s your fault however, you cannot make a claim on a third party, fire and theft policy. Once more, it’s advisable to check which type of insurance will actually be cheaper for you - as there is a chance that fully comprehensive insurance might prove to be your cheapest option.

Fully comprehensive

This is the highest level of car insurance cover you can get. It differs from third party only or third party, fire and theft policies because you can claim for damage to your car even if you are responsible. You can claim for repairs to or replacement of the car following a collision, as well as vandalism and accidental damage.

Extras

A range of optional extras can be added to most fully comprehensive car insurance policies - or may even be included as standard. These can include cover for windscreen repair, lost keys, personal injury, a car stereo, a courtesy car while yours is repaired, breakdown cover and legal expenses protection. What insurers include as standard and what they may charge more for varies enormously, so you must compare prices as well as exactly what kind of cover each insurer offers.

What level of cover suits you?

As the law only requires you to have third party insurance, you can opt for this if you so wish. If there is a high risk of fire damage or your car being stolen, you might want to add fire and theft cover too. This might be the case, for example, if you live in an inner city area with high levels of theft or arson.

It may be just as cost effective to take out a fully comprehensive policy, and this will also cover damage to your own car – even when it’s your fault (or if you cannot prove it’s not).

If you have not yet built up a no claims bonus or have a car that isn’t worth a lot of money, then fully comprehensive insurance may prove a more expensive option.

It is wise to get as many quotes as you can, and compare exactly what is covered, before taking out any car insurance policy.

Other related FAQs

Looking for more related content to this? We’ve picked a selection of related topics that you may find helpful

There are many factors that determine the price of car insurance, and some drivers find that the cost of their premiums starts to decrease once they hit a certain age.

Although it will be registered, getting car insurance quotes does not have an impact on your credit rating, so it won’t be taken into account if you apply for a loan or other form of credit in the future.

Although it’s perfectly legal to have two car insurance policies running at the same time, it can make claims unnecessarily complicated. As such, it’s worth making sure you only have one policy in place for your vehicle.

If you’re using your vehicle for anything related to the work you do, then you’ll need to let your insurer know and pay for the right level of cover. If you don’t – you may find you’re driving illegally.

Comparing car insurance quotes is quick and easy, especially if you use a broker or comparison website. Simply enter your details and you’ll be able to browse and compare quotes from different providers.

Your job can be a factor when an insurance company is working out how much to charge for your premium - and this can mean that there are certain good occupations for cheap car insurance.

All cars are assigned into a group based on how much they cost to insure, with group 1 being the cheapest to insure up to group 50 being the most expensive. Insurance groups are a rating of the car for insurance purposes.

Yes - a car insurance provider can find out if you have any penalty points on your driving licence, even if choose not to disclose them during the application process.

Many insurance companies will price match – especially if you’re renewing your insurance with them. It’s not uncommon for providers to offer exceptional prices if you’re a new customer – but not be quite as competitive when you get your auto-renew price. There’s no harm in asking for a price match – the worst they can say is no!

In general, the earliest you can get an insurance quote is around 30 days before you need the cover to start.