Test Drive Insurance
RAC Test Drive Insurance offers short term cover for you to test drive a vehicle, and to drive it away from a forecourt or seller if you choose to buy it. If you’re selling privately, a potential buyer could insure themselves to test drive your vehicle.
If you’ve purchased a car from a ‘click and collect’ website and have a warranty period to try it out before you decide to keep it, our policy will cover that too. So, you don’t have to take out an annual policy immediately.
Getting a quote is quick and easy. Provide us with a few details and buy your cover online, from 1 hour up to 30 days.
What is test drive insurance?
Test drive insurance is a short-term policy that covers you to take a car that you don't own out for a test drive. Alternatively, it can be used to insure people to test drive your car if you’re selling privately. It protects you in case of an accident or damage during the test drive. This insurance ensures any costs from accidents or damages are covered without affecting your personal insurance policy.
How does test drive insurance work?
All we need is a few details to give your test drive insurance quote, and you can be on the road within 15 minutes. Here’s how it works in 3 simple steps:
Enter your details
Enter a few details about yourself, such as your licence number, occupation and the vehicle you’re test driving.
Confirm your cover
Next, confirm you’re happy with the price and details of your policy.
You’re ready to go
Once you’ve paid, your documents, including the insurance certificate, are ready to download instantly via the confirmation email.
Flexible cover when you need it
Quick & easy
Buy online 24/7 and get cover in 15 minutes.
Refund for unused cover
We’ll refund any days you don’t use, and we don’t charge a cancellation fee either1.
Comprehensive cover
From 1 hour up to 30 days.
Why do I need test drive insurance?
Buying a car is a big financial decision, and a test drive could help you decide whether a car is right for you. RAC Test Drive Insurance can cover you in two instances:
Buying a new car privately – you will need to take out your own insurance
Test driving a car at a dealership – check to see if the dealership is providing car insurance
It’s a flexible, short-term policy that covers you for as little as an hour. Not only could it save you money, but any claim made won’t impact the owner’s no claims discount.
What's covered by test drive insurance?
Our short-term test drive insurance is fully comprehensive so you can have peace of mind when test driving a vehicle. Here’s what we cover:
What's covered
Read our full short-term policy requirements
What's optional
Read more about our optional cover.
+ RAC Breakdown Cover3 – RAC breakdown assistance with Onward Travel options
+ European car insurance cover – Comprehensive cover while you’re on the road in the EU
+ Excess Protection – So you're not out of pocket if you need to make a claim
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Frequently asked questions about test drive insurance
Please email [email protected] at any time and we will respond within 24 hours. Alternatively please call our helpdesk on 0333 005 0944. Lines are open Mon-Thurs 9am to 5pm, Fri 9am to 4pm, weekends - closed.
Yes, you can upgrade to cover a motorhome or campervan when you get a quote.
No, our policies are only available to buy online.
Prices depend on the make/model of vehicle, your address, age and occupation, policy duration and payment method. Please get a quote online – there’s no need to proceed if you don’t want to.
15 minutes after purchase or later if required.
Your documents, including the insurance certificate, are available to download instantly after payment and via the confirmation email sent after purchase.
We’re unable to insure vehicles worth £75,000 or above, and certain makes and models are also excluded, such as performance or exotic vehicles. When you enter the vehicle registration number to get a quote, you’ll be advised if we can provide cover or not.
No. You’ll only be covered to drive the vehicle you specified when you got your quote. You’ll need to buy a separate test drive insurance policy for each car you want to test drive.
Our minimum policy length is 1 hour. So if the second test drive falls within 1 hour of the policy inception you would still be covered. Outside of this you would need to purchase a second policy.
We guarantee to update the Motor Insurance Database (MID) every 7 days and in some cases more often, but we always recommend having a copy of your Insurance Certificate with you. You can drive the vehicle legally between the dates and times shown on the certificate of motor insurance.
You are entitled to cancel your policy at any time. Provided there have been no claims or incidents likely to give rise to a claim you will be entitled to a refund of unused premium.
If you choose to cancel this policy after cover has commenced, we will recalculate your insurance premium based upon the date your policy commenced until the date your policy cancelled and will refund you the difference between the recalculated insurance premium and the insurance premium you have already paid.
Please note the cost of a short term policy will be proportionally greater than a longer term policy and therefore you may receive a smaller refund than expected. Cover for days or part days which have already commenced will not be refundable.
When test driving a car, you must have insurance. Main dealers typically provide insurance for test drives, but it's important to check first.
Most of our RAC Test Drive Insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer. In some cases, your policy may be underwritten by Mulsanne.
All insurance is fully comprehensive.