Child car seat insurance

Car insurance can cover your child’s car seat or booster if it’s damaged in an accident. If you need it, we can help you find the right cover.

Amy Smith
Amy Smith
Updated 24 June 2021  | 2 min read

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Why you need child seat insurance  

If your car seat’s been involved in a road accident you need to replace it, even if it doesn’t have any obvious signs of damage. It might have become weakened by the impact of the accident, making it less effective in the future. 

If you have child seat cover, it’ll save you the cost of a new one if your vehicle's in a collision. 

But you shouldn't assume that it'll be automatically covered by your car insurance

Key points

  • Don’t assume a child seat is covered as standard on your car insurance - levels of protection vary
  • Make sure the seat will be replaced after an accident, even if it doesn’t show signs of damage 
  • Check whether theft of the seat is covered, and if it is, whether your no-claims bonus will be affected
  • You might need to add cover as an extra, or pay an additional excess if you claim  

Do all policies have child seat cover? 

According to Defaqto, 15% of 325 comprehensive car insurance policies wouldn’t cover the replacement cost of a child seat following an accident.
The level of cover wasn’t the same on all policies either. 30% of policies would pay out a fixed amount while 42% would fully reimburse the cost of a car seat.[1] 

If you’ve got a particularly expensive car seat, check your car insurance policy to make sure you have adequate cover for it. 

Also check whether you’re covered for your child seat being stolen from your locked vehicle.

Did you know...?

Some policies also cover extras like buggies and baby accessories, so check your policy details to find out exactly what yours will pay out for

How to get car seat insurance 

Although some car insurance policies automatically include car seat cover, you might need to pay to add it as an optional extra, or it might not be offered at all by your provider. 

A number of tailored women's car insurance policies offer child car seat cover, as well as other targeted benefits such as handbag insurance.  

It’s illegal to use gender to calculate car insurance premiums, but some insurers still target their advertising and products at women - which is perfectly legal. 

Don’t worry, dads and grandpas – these companies won’t stop men taking out a policy, even if it’s marketed towards women. 

Child car seat cover checklist 

Here’s a checklist for parents and carers to think about when choosing their motor insurance:

  • Does your policy cover child car seat replacement as standard? 
  • Does your insurer provide a replacement seat, or do you receive a cash sum? 
  • Is the cash sum enough to cover the cost of an equivalent seat? 
  • Will your insurer replace the seat following an accident even if there’s no visible damage? 
  • Does your policy cover the replacement of more than one seat? If so, is there a limit to how many? 

Consider excess levels, and how much your no-claims bonus will be affected after an incident, too. 

Car seat laws in the UK 

  • Child car seat laws in the UK state that children under the age of 12 and shorter than 135cm must use a child seat with integral harness, or a booster seat and an adult seat belt 
  • The responsibility for ensuring that children under 14 wear the correct restraint lies with the driver, whether the child is theirs or not 
  • Drivers could receive a fixed penalty of £100 if a child under 14 isn’t in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt. If the case goes to court, the driver can be fined up to £500  
  • For passengers over 14, it’s their own responsibility to make sure they’re safely strapped in  

Car insurance for child minders 

If you work as a child minder or in another job where you transport children in your vehicle, you'll need to tell your insurer - you may need business car insurance 

Find out how your job affects your car insurance and how to insure your car for work use so you know what to look out for when comparing policies

Insuring child car seats and other children's accessories could save you money in the long run, and you should be prepared to be asked about insurance by the parents of children in your care

Child seats and car hire 

If you need to hire a car, the fees charged by rental firms for including a car seat can be expensive.  

Think about taking your own seat, renting one from somewhere other than the car hire firm, or even buying a seat at your travel destination to use for the duration of your trip.

[1]Last checked 3 January 2023