Can you buy a car with a provisional licence?
Learning to drive in your own car can be a confidence boost, giving you continuity between lessons, private practice, and your driving test. But if you’re weighing up your options, what exactly are the rules around car ownership and learner driver insurance?
By Alan Boswell Group
In this article
To help give you a better idea of where you stand and your options, we look at whether or not you can buy a car with a provisional driving licence.
Buying a car with a provisional licence – what are the basics?
If you’ve got your provisional licence, you’ll know that you can’t usually drive a car until you’re 17 years old, and even then, it must be with supervision. But even though learners can’t drive alone, having a provisional licence means you can buy a car and use it for lessons and supervised practice.
Can you legally buy a car with a provisional licence?
Yes, you can buy a car with a provisional licence. You just won’t be able to drive it alone and must be supervised by a more experienced driver.
When you buy a car, you’ll notice that ‘registered keeper’ and ‘registered owner’ are listed in the paperwork. While these terms sound the same, they’re technically different and have different responsibilities.
What’s the difference between a registered keeper and registered owner?
The registered keeper is the person who uses the car most. The registered owner is the person who paid for the car. They can be the same or different.
For example, if your parents buy you a car which they won’t drive, they will be the registered owners, and you will be the registered keeper. Registered owners need to make sure the car’s paperwork is kept up to date. In contrast, registered keepers are responsible for the day-to-day essentials, including taxing the car, sorting out car insurance, and ensuring it has a valid MOT (if needed).
Can you test drive a car with a provisional licence?
In most cases, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old and have a full driving licence to test drive a car from a dealership. So, if you’re younger than this and only have a provisional licence, you’ll need to ask an adult you trust to test drive the car on your behalf.
If you’ve seen a car you like from a private seller, you may be able to test drive it, but it will be at the seller’s discretion. You’ll also need to be accompanied by an adult and have the correct insurance. Typically, this will mean you need temporary car insurance as learner car insurance is unlikely to cover you for test drives.
What are the insurance requirements for learner drivers who own a car?
To drive a car in the UK you must have suitable car insurance. As a learner, that means you’ll need to arrange learner driver insurance before you can use your car.
What is learner driver insurance and how does it work?
Learner driver insurance is specially designed for provisional licence holders. Policies are usually very flexible, and you can buy them on a monthly or annual basis.
Remember to double-check exactly what you’re covered for, as not all learner driver policies are the same. For example, although most will let you use the car for private practice, you might not be able to use it for lessons. That said, insurers will usually give you an option to insure the car for lessons and for your practical driving test.
The minimum level of cover available is third-party liability. This means your policy will cover any damage you cause in an accident. For your own peace of mind, you can choose comprehensive insurance that also covers the cost of repairs if your car is damaged.
Can learner drivers drive away from the car dealership?
If you’ve bought a car from a car dealership, you’ll need insurance before you can drive it home. As a provisional licence holder, you’ll also need to be supervised by a more experienced, qualified driver.
In this situation, learner car insurance might not be suitable, and you may need temporary car insurance instead.
If I have supervised private practice, does the supervising driver need insurance?
No, the supervising driver doesn’t need to have insurance.
The supervisor can be a friend or family member, but they must:
be over 21 years old;
be qualified to drive the car you’re using (so if you’re using a manual car, they must have a manual driving licence);
have held a full driving licence for at least three years (the licence must also be from the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein).
It’s important to know that even if you are being supervised, you cannot drive on the motorway with a provisional licence. You must be accompanied by an approved driving instructor (ADI).
Bear in mind that some policies also have a minimum age and will need supervising drivers to be at least 25 years old.
Can learner drivers get a no claims bonus?
A no claims bonus is a discount on your car insurance (it’s also called a no claims discount). You can only earn your bonus if you drive for 12 months without making a claim on your insurance policy.
The bonus is shown as a percentage and is taken off your premium at renewal. Generally, you can only earn a no claims bonus if you take out an annual learner driver policy. In other words, if you’re buying learner driver insurance on a monthly basis, you won’t qualify for a no claims bonus even if you end up buying 12 months’ worth of insurance.
Can you get car finance with a provisional licence?
If you’re under 18 years old, you won’t be able to enter a legally binding contract because in the eyes of the law, you’re technically still a minor.
If you’re 18 years old or over and have a provisional licence, you could be eligible for car financing deals. However, the amount you can borrow may be limited, and some lenders also limit who they will give finance to based on the number of years you’ve held a provisional licence. So, for example, if you’ve had a provisional licence for more than five years, you might not be eligible for car financing.
Other factors that can affect your car financing options include your income and credit history, so your choice of lender may be restricted simply because you haven’t built up a credit history.
Insurance requirements for car financing
When you buy a car on finance, you don’t technically own the car until you’ve paid off what you owe. With that in mind, lenders sometimes make comprehensive cover a condition of the loan. Having this high level of cover helps protect the car (their asset) if it’s damaged.
But while comprehensive insurance covers the cost of your car’s repairs, it might not cover the total cost of the car if it’s written off after an accident. This is because cars depreciate (lose value), so what you owe the lender might be more than the car’s current market value.
For example, if your car is written off, your insurer might value your car at £10,000, but you might still owe the lender £15,000, leaving you responsible for paying back the £5,000 shortfall.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on how old you are. Under 18s cannot enter legally binding contracts as they are still considered minors. If you’re over 18 years old, you could be eligible for car finance as long as you meet the conditions set out by the lender.
Yes, you can buy a car if you have a provisional licence.
Yes, you can own and insure a car with a provisional licence. If you’re the registered keeper, it’s your responsibility to insure and tax the car. You’ll also need to ensure it has a valid MOT (if needed).
No, you’ll usually need a full driving licence to test drive a car from a dealership. If you want to test drive a car from a private seller, it will be at their discretion. Provisional licence holders will also need to be supervised by a more experienced driver who meets supervision requirements.
Tailored learner driver car insurance to suit you
If you’re insuring a car for the first time, it can be tricky to work out what options are right for you, but that’s where we can help. Learner driver insurance from Alan Boswell Group can be tailored to suit you depending on how you use your car.