Once you have your car insurance policy in place, you might assume you only need to speak to your insurer when you make a claim. However, changes to your circumstances, your car or how you use it can affect your cover or premium.
So, what do you need to tell your car insurer, and what can you leave until renewal?
The answer can depend on your insurer and the terms of your policy. Some policies require you to report certain changes during the policy term, while others may deal with them when you renew. Always check your policy documents if you're unsure.
As a general rule, you should take reasonable care to provide accurate information when you buy, renew or change your car insurance. Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, consumers have a duty to take reasonable care not to misrepresent information to an insurer. The Financial Ombudsman Service also considers how clear and specific the insurer's questions were when assessing whether a customer took reasonable care.
What Do You Need to Tell Your Car Insurer?
There isn't one universal list covering every car insurance policy. However, there are several changes that can be particularly important.
You Have an Accident
You should tell your insurer about an accident, even if you don't intend to make a claim.
This applies whether the accident was your fault or not. The other driver may make a claim against your policy, so your insurer may need to know what happened and have your version of events.
GOV.UK specifically says you must report an accident to your insurance company even if you aren't planning to make a claim.
Your policy may also require you to report incidents such as theft, attempted theft or other losses, so check the terms of your cover.
You Change Your Address
Moving home can affect your car insurance because your address can form part of an insurer's assessment of risk.
For example, factors such as where your car is normally kept and the type of area in which you live may be relevant to your premium.
If you move, update your insurer with your new address. You should also check whether your policy asks you to provide information about where the car is normally kept overnight.
A change of address can amount to a significant change in risk, according to Financial Ombudsman Service guidance on motor insurance.
You Change Where Your Car Is Normally Parked
If your usual parking arrangements change, your insurer may need to know.
For example, you might have originally told your insurer that you normally park your car on a private driveway but later start parking it on the road overnight.
Don't assume this will automatically change your premium, but check your policy and tell your insurer if it requires you to report a change in parking arrangements.
Your Annual Mileage Changes
Your estimated annual mileage is information an insurer may use when calculating your premium.
If you expect to drive substantially more or less than the mileage you originally provided, check your policy to see whether you need to update your insurer during the policy term.
You should always provide an accurate mileage estimate when buying or renewing your insurance. If your insurer specifically asks you to confirm or amend your mileage, make sure the information you provide is accurate.
Your Occupation or Other Personal Details Change
Your occupation can be used by insurers when calculating risk and premiums, so you should check whether your policy requires you to report a change.
You should also tell your insurer if other important information they've asked you for changes, such as your name or address.
However, not every change in your circumstances will necessarily require an immediate mid-term adjustment. The Financial Ombudsman Service says the terms of the policy are important when deciding what information needs to be provided during the policy term.
Your Driving Licence Status Changes
If you or a named driver receives a driving ban, has a licence revoked or has another significant change to your licence status, check your policy and contact your insurer.
You should also disclose driving convictions, penalty points or fixed penalty offences when your insurer asks about them.
Don't assume that because points are no longer active on your licence, you can automatically ignore the underlying offence. The important question is what your insurer has asked you to disclose and the period covered by that question.
GOV.UK explains that endorsements can remain on a driving record for different periods depending on the offence.
The Registered Keeper Changes
If you sell your car or the registered keeper changes, your insurer needs accurate information about the vehicle and the person responsible for it.
The registered keeper is the person named on the V5C registration certificate. They are not necessarily the legal owner of the vehicle.
If you sell your car, contact your insurer and follow its process for cancelling or transferring your policy. Don't assume that the policy automatically transfers to the new owner.
You Buy or Change a Car
If you're changing your car, speak to your insurer before driving the replacement vehicle.
A different vehicle can have different insurance costs and eligibility requirements. Your existing policy may allow you to change vehicles, but this depends on its terms.
Don't assume that your existing insurance automatically covers every replacement car.
Changes You Should Check With Your Insurer Before Making
Some changes can have a significant effect on whether your existing policy provides the cover you expect.
You Modify Your Car
Always check with your insurer before modifying your car.
Modifications can include more obvious changes such as:
- Engine tuning or ECU remapping
- Performance exhausts
- Body kits
- Alloy wheels
- Lowered suspension
- Tinted windows
- Changes to paintwork or appearance
Even modifications that seem minor can be relevant to an insurer.
The Financial Ombudsman Service has highlighted cases involving undeclared modifications, including changes to alloy wheels, exhausts and engine tuning. It recommends checking your policy and contacting your insurer if you're unsure whether a change counts as a modification.
This can also apply to a car you've bought second-hand. If you're unsure whether a previous owner modified the vehicle, check its history and paperwork and ask the insurer if necessary.
You Change How You Use Your Car
The way you use your car can affect your insurance.
For example, you might originally insure your car for social, domestic and pleasure use but later start using it for work-related journeys.
Business use can mean different things depending on the policy. Occasional travel between workplaces, visiting customers or using your car for other work purposes may require different cover from simply commuting to a permanent workplace.
If your use of the car changes, check your policy before relying on your existing cover.
You Add or Change a Named Driver
If another person is going to drive your car, make sure they're covered under your policy before they do so.
Whether they need to be added as a named driver depends on the terms of your policy and the circumstances in which they will drive.
It's important to give your insurer accurate information about who the main driver is. The person who uses the car most should generally be declared as the main driver.
Putting someone else down as the main driver because it makes the policy cheaper, when another person is actually the main driver, is known as fronting. It can result in serious insurance problems because the policy was based on inaccurate information.
If a named driver starts using the car significantly more often, check with your insurer rather than assuming the existing arrangement is still appropriate.
You Change the Registration Number
If your vehicle gets a new registration number, update your insurer so that the details on your policy match the vehicle.
This can happen if you buy a personalised registration or transfer a registration number between vehicles.
Make sure the change is reflected across your insurance documents and other relevant vehicle records.
What Do You Need to Tell Your Insurer at Renewal?
Renewal is an important opportunity to check that the information your insurer holds about you and your vehicle is still accurate.
Penalty Points and Driving Convictions
If you've received penalty points, a fixed penalty or a driving conviction, answer your insurer's renewal questions accurately.
Don't simply assume that every offence has to be declared for the same amount of time. Insurers can ask about convictions or motoring offences within a particular period, so follow the wording of the question you're asked.
Penalty points and convictions are not necessarily the same thing, and the length of time information remains relevant can vary.
For example, GOV.UK says driving endorsements can remain on a driving record for different periods depending on the offence, while driving convictions can become spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 after the relevant rehabilitation period.
Previous Claims and Incidents
Your insurer may ask about claims or incidents when you renew or take out a new policy.
Answer these questions accurately and include incidents from other insurers if the question covers them.
Don't assume that a claim only counts if you were at fault. An insurer may ask about both fault and non-fault claims, or about accidents and incidents more generally.
The exact period you need to provide information for will depend on the question your insurer asks.
Changes to Your Policy Details
Before accepting a renewal, check the information on your renewal documents.
This could include:
- Your address
- Your occupation
- Your annual mileage
- Your vehicle
- Your parking arrangements
- Your main driver
- Named drivers
- Your vehicle's use
- Claims or convictions
- Modifications to your car
If something has changed, don't assume your insurer already knows about it.
Do You Need to Tell Your Insurer About Spent Convictions?
Generally, spent convictions do not need to be disclosed to insurers under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
GOV.UK guidance states that people do not have to disclose spent convictions to insurers.
However, you should still answer your insurer's questions carefully.
If an insurer asks about convictions within a particular period, make sure you understand what the question covers. If you're unsure whether a conviction is spent, GOV.UK provides a tool for checking.
Driving endorsements can also have different time periods on your driving record, so don't confuse the date that points stop being active with the date that a conviction becomes spent.
What Don't You Usually Need to Tell Your Insurer?
It's difficult to provide a definitive list because policy terms differ.
Instead of assuming that something doesn't need to be reported, check your policy if you're unsure.
Minor Repairs You Pay for Yourself
If you've repaired a small scratch or dent yourself or paid for a repair without making an insurance claim, you may not need to tell your insurer.
However, check your policy first.
Some policies may require you to report incidents or losses even when you don't make a claim. The Financial Ombudsman Service has highlighted cases where policy terms required information about certain losses to be reported.
Changes That Don't Affect the Information Your Insurer Has Asked For
Not every change in your day-to-day life will require you to contact your insurer.
For example, you don't normally need to tell your insurer every time you make a minor change to your routine.
The important thing is whether the change affects information you provided to the insurer, falls within a condition of your policy or is something your insurer specifically requires you to report.
Expired Penalty Points
Don't rely on a simple rule that says "expired points don't need to be declared".
Instead, check what your insurer asks.
An insurer may ask about driving convictions or motoring offences within a specific period. If the question includes the period during which your offence is relevant, you need to answer it accurately.
If you're unsure, ask your insurer rather than guessing.
What Happens If You Give Your Insurer the Wrong Information?
Giving incorrect information doesn't automatically mean your insurance will be cancelled or a claim rejected.
The circumstances matter.
Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, consumers have a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation when entering into or varying a consumer insurance contract. The insurer also needs to establish that the information would have affected whether it offered cover or the terms on which it did so.
The Financial Ombudsman Service considers factors including:
- How clear and specific the insurer's question was
- Whether the information provided was incorrect or incomplete
- Whether the customer took reasonable care
- Whether the insurer would have done anything differently if the correct information had been provided
- Whether the insurer acted fairly
Depending on the circumstances, a qualifying misrepresentation can have serious consequences, including different policy terms, a higher premium or, in some cases, the policy being avoided.
That's why it's important to answer questions honestly and accurately rather than trying to guess which information might make your insurance cheaper.
What Should You Do If You're Unsure?
If you're unsure whether a change could affect your car insurance, check your policy documents or contact your insurer before making the change or driving the car.
This is particularly important if you're:
- Moving house
- Changing your main parking location
- Changing your annual mileage significantly
- Changing how you use your car
- Adding or changing a named driver
- Modifying your vehicle
- Changing your car
- Receiving a driving ban or conviction
- Changing your registered keeper details
- Involved in an accident
Keeping your insurer's information accurate can help avoid problems if you need to make a claim.
Final Thoughts: What Do You Need to Tell Your Car Insurer?
There isn't a single list of changes that every UK car insurer requires you to report immediately.
Your policy terms matter, as do the questions your insurer asks when you take out or renew your cover.
As a general rule, provide accurate information when you buy, renew or change your policy, and check your policy before making changes that could affect your car, your driving, your circumstances or how the vehicle is used.
If you're unsure whether something needs to be reported, contact your insurer. It's better to clarify than to make an assumption that could cause problems later.
This article is intended as general information and does not replace the terms and conditions of your car insurance policy. Requirements can vary between insurers, so check your policy or speak to your insurer if you're unsure.