The Independent’s journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?
You must have car insurance to drive on public roads in the UK. But what happens if you need to take your car out before your certificate of motor insurance has arrived? That’s where a cover note for car insurance comes in, allowing you to legally drive before you have your official documentation.
Below we delve into what exactly cover note insurance is, when you might need to use it, and how it does (and does not) differ from your full policy.
When you take out a new car insurance policy, you may not immediately be issued your certificate of motor insurance. Instead, you may be sent a cover note, confirming that you have taken out a policy, while you wait for the certificate to arrive. Importantly, this cover note can temporarily act as your insurance documentation if needed, meaning you are still covered even if your official certificate takes a bit longer to arrive.
In theory, a cover note would be issued when you take out a car insurance policy, but before the policy has been fully processed and the certificate authorised. In practice, processing and supplying certificates of insurance is much faster now than it used to be, meaning cover notes aren’t as common as they once were.
You’re more likely to immediately receive your certificate of motor insurance via email, or at least be sent it within 24 hours of payment. The paperless nature of most policies these days therefore means you may never need a cover note.
However, there are still times when you may still receive a cover note, including:
Cover note insurance essentially works in the same way as your standard car insurance policy. If you were to get into an accident before receiving your full certificate of motor insurance, then you would still be able to make a claim thanks to your cover note. Similarly, were you to be pulled over by the police – for example, if they notice you haven’t yet been registered on the Motor Insurance Database (MID) – your cover note would act as proof that you had car insurance.
Importantly, a cover note is only temporary. Most of the time it will expire after 30 days, though in certain circumstances you may be able to request that the cover note be reissued.
When you receive your cover note, you should always make sure all the details are correct; if not, your policy may be invalid.
If for any reason you are not in possession of your certificate of motor insurance, you should request that your insurance provider send you a cover note.
Typically, the information on your cover note is the same as on your car insurance certificate. This means it would include:
The biggest benefit of cover note insurance is that it means you can start to drive, legally, without needing to wait for your full car insurance certificate to arrive.
In Northern Ireland, if you do not have your certificate of motor insurance, you can also use your cover note when taxing your car – another legal requirement before taking your car on the road. A cover note isn’t needed to tax your car in England, Scotland or Wales, however, as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will check the official Motor Insurance Database (MID) instead.
There aren’t that many differences between a cover note, and your full certificate of motor insurance – the former is simply a temporary placeholder while you wait for the latter. However, there are a few things to bear in mind:
| Cover note | Certificate of motor insurance |
|---|---|
| Temporary document | Fully underwritten certificate of insurance |
| Typically expires after 30 days, or when you receive your certificate, whichever is earlier | Lasts as long as your insurance policy |
| Used as proof of a policy, with basic details | Contains the full details of your car insurance policy |
Nowadays, given the speed of processing certificates of motor insurance, you may not end up encountering a cover note.
However, a cover note becomes vital when there’s a delay between you taking out a policy, and you receiving your certificate. With cover note in hand, you can legally drive on public roads in the UK, safe in the knowledge that you both have proof of your policy, and cover if anything were to happen.
It may be possible to obtain a cover note for other types of insurance policies besides car insurance. The principle should be the same: the cover note will act as proof of your policy where anything to happen, until you receive your full documentation.
While the exact duration of the cover note is down to your insurance provider, normally it will expire after 30 days, or be voided once you receive your certificate of motor insurance, whichever is earlier.
If you lose your cover note, you should contact your insurance provider or broker in order to obtain a new one. You should refrain from driving until you have your replacement cover note.
As long as you have car tax and a valid MOT certificate (if needed), you will be able to drive your car immediately once you have received your car insurance cover note.
