Car Insurance for Students

If you're at university and take your car with you, it's important to update your address to your term-time accommodation, even if it's cheaper to put down your parents' address. It's also easy to declare you keep your car in a locked garage overnight, which would also decrease your premium, but if it's actually parked on a public street, you could face severe issues later down the line if you're not completely honest.

Being a student often means you're confronted with little to no money to spare, which is extremely difficult to manage when you have to factor in car insurance. Like standard car insurance, it's essential that you have at least Third Party Only cover, irrespective of age, job status, or licence type.

Do I really need to get car insurance?

Yes - it's illegal not to. You need insurance to safeguard yourself against serious penalties like fines, points, or even driving bans. Students looking for car insurance might choose to be a named driver on someone else's policy. If you're only driving the vehicle sometimes, this is all ok, but if you're actually the one using the car more than the main driver then you'd be committing a fraudulent act called 'fronting'.

To keep it all above board, you need to change your address and occupation should you take your car to uni. If you're not and your car is going to remain unused for a while, you'll need to secure a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). It's the legal way to keep it uninsured without facing penalties, but remember, driving without reinstating insurance and vehicle tax is illegal and carries substantial fines.

Is car insurance for students expensive?

Student car insurance tends to be pricier because it's usually those under 25 who need it. Insurers consider young drivers to be inexperienced, and so the risk of an accident is increased. Beyond age and experience, location plays a significant role - areas with higher rates of theft, vandalism, or traffic incidents can elevate premiums. The type of car you insure is also going to affect your premium. Cars are categorised into group based on performance and repair costs, so lower groups = lower premiums. Look at our quick guide on Car Insurance Groups to get an idea.

Can I use my student discount?

Unfortunately, it's unlikely you'll be able to find a comparison site or direct car insurance provider which will accept some form of student discount. However, short-term or temporary insurance might be the way to go. If you only need a car every now and then, you can opt for insurance which only covers you for a few months, weeks, or days. For more savings, go for a black box, or a less flashy car.

Visit our Car Insurance: Help and Young Drivers pages for more tips and tricks on how to decrease your policy premium. In the meantime we can help you compare over 90 insurers within minutes, to help you stretch your student budget to run your motor. Click here to begin!

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