Classic car insurance

If you plan to use your car for paid work - for example, if you’ll be paid to use it at weddings - you’ll need to let your insurer know.

You may either be able to extend your classic car insurance to cover this, or you may need to take out a separate business car insurance policy. 

Before you use your car for any business reason, it’s best to check your policy terms and conditions or contact your insurer.

You might be keeping your classic car off the road during winter or because it’s being restored. But whether you need insurance partly depends on if you’ve got a statutory off-road notice (SORN).  

A SORN car doesn’t legally have to be insured as long as it’s kept off the road.  

However, if you don’t have any cover while it’s SORN, your car won’t be protected against risks like fire, theft, and vandalism. 

A safer option is a laid-up policy. This will cover your classic car if it’s kept in a garage, on a private drive, or in a secure building while it’s off the road. 

Laid-up policies don’t usually cover you for driving anywhere though, so if you enjoy spontaneous outings, a year-round policy might be better.

This depends on your insurer. Many classic car policies have an annual mileage cap that you’ll need to agree to when you take out the policy. 

You’re likely to be offered different mileage options, but the standard is usually 5,000 miles. Your premiums will typically be cheaper the lower mileage cap you choose. 

If you think you’re going to exceed your mileage limit, you’ll need to contact your insurer to see if you can get an extension. If you don’t, you may invalidate your policy.

You won’t have to pay road tax if your car’s more than 40 years old and has had no substantial changes made to it in the last 30 years - for example, replacing the chassis or changing the way the car works. 

If you SORN your classic car, you won’t need to pay road tax while it’s off the road.

As with any car, you’ll need to tell your insurer if you’ve made modifications to it. This will often increase your premium if you’ve got standard car insurance. 

However, as classic cars tend to need modifications and repairs to keep them roadworthy, insurers take this into consideration and likely won’t charge much extra for them.

Your classic car won’t need an MOT if it’s more than 40 years old and hasn’t had any major changes made to it in the last 30 years. 

However, for it to be legal to drive, your car still needs to be roadworthy so it’s a good idea to have it regularly checked by a professional mechanic. 

Regular servicing will also help to preserve your car and allow you to enjoy it for many more years to come.

Yes, many insurers look favourably on drivers who are members of a classic car club. This is partly because it shows you’re an enthusiast and interested in taking care of your car.

If you’re a member of a car club, insurers will often see you as a safer and more responsible driver and lower your premiums as a result.

No, you can’t usually get a no-claims discount. This is mainly because most insurers require your classic car to be your second vehicle.  

An exception can be if you have multi-car cover, where a modern and classic car are on the same policy. If this is the case, you can still build up a no-claims bonus on the modern car. 

With classic car insurance, insurers will often give you a discount based on other factors instead, like limiting your mileage. 

And sometimes they’ll take into account the number of years you’ve been claim-free and reduce your premium. Check the policy details before you buy.

No typically, you won’t see the same increases in premiums for classic car insurance that you would with standard car insurance.

This is because most classic cars are stored securely and driven less than regular cars, so there’s less risk to the insurer.

Yes, although most classic car insurers have a minimum age limit, there are a few that will provide cover if you’re a younger driver.  

However, there may be restrictions on the type of car you can drive and the insurance will likely be more expensive.