What's car insurance?
Car insurance is there to protect you if your car is stolen, damaged or in an accident.
You can choose from Third party only, Third party fire and theft, and four levels of comprehensive car insurance.
Depending on the type of cover you have, you could also benefit from a 24-hour emergency helpline and a courtesy car if yours is in a crash or stolen.
Do I need car insurance?
Yes - it's illegal to not have car insurance.
At the very least, your car insurance needs to cover you in case you damage someone's property or injure them.
But if you want extra protection, you can choose comprehensive cover. That comes in four levels of cover, with our Platinum cover being the highest.
It includes more benefits and higher cover limits, so you can have extra peace of mind on the road.
What type of cover do I need?
We offer a few different types of car insurance. Check out what works best for you below.
Third party only
This is the most basic level of cover that you legally need to have.
If you're in an accident, we'll pay out to the other people involved but you won't be able to claim for damage to your car.
Third party, fire and theft
As well as paying out to a third party if you're involved in an incident, this level of cover protects your car from damage caused by fire or theft.
But it doesn't cover the cost if your car's damaged in another way, like a crash.
Comprehensive car insurance
This includes cover for fire, theft and damage to someone else's car if you're in an accident.
But unlike our other levels of cover, it also covers the cost of repairing or replacing your car if it's in an accident or someone damages it on purpose.
We have four levels of comprehensive cover:
- Admiral Essential
- Admiral
- Admiral Gold
- Admiral Platinum
Apart from Essential tier, our comprehensive cover comes with extra benefits like windscreen cover and extended cover for driving outside the UK.
What level of cover do I need?
Compare our car insurance options below, so you can see what works best for you and your needs.
Comprehensive cover
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Courtesy car |
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Uninsured driver promise |
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Personal Injury cover (up to £5,000) |
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24-hour emergency helpline |
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Replacement lock (up to £500) |
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Child car seat |
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Windscreen cover |
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New car replacement (if you're eligible) |
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European cover up to 90 days |
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Aftermarket audio gear |
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Personal Belongings |
Up to £300 |
Up to £300 |
Up to £200 |
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Personal belongings (campervans) |
Up to £500 |
Up to £500 |
Up to £500 |
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Onward travel (up to £150) |
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Motor Legal Protection |
Optional | Optional | ||
Roadside Breakdown |
Optional | Optional | Optional |
Third party cover
Third party, Fire
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Third Party
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Driving other cars (conditional) |
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24-hour emergency helpline |
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Courtesy Car |
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Replacement lock (up to £500) |
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European cover up to 90 days |
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Aftermarket audio gear |
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Motor Legal Protection |
Optional | Optional |
Roadside Breakdown cover |
Optional | Optional |
Windscreen cover |
Optional | Optional |
Uninsured driver promise |
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Personal Injury cover (up to £5,000) |
||
Child car seat |
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Personal belongings cover |
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New replacement (if you're eligible) |
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Onward travel (up to £150) |
If you're not sure what some of our car insurance terms mean, check out our car insurance jargon buster.
What optional extras can I choose?
Want to upgrade your cover? We've got you.
Find out more about our range of optional add-ons, so you can tailor your cover to suit you.
Car Insurance Optional Add-onsLooking for something else?
Check out the other types of car insurance we offer.
MultiCar Insurance
Insure multiple cars on one policy and save yourself time, hassle and money!
MultiCar Insurance
Electric and hybrid car insurance
Supercharge your insurance for your electric car or hybrid.
Electric car insurance
Black Box Insurance
The smart way for safe drivers to get a discount on their car insurance
LittleBox InsuranceWhat you need to get a car insurance quote
We need to know a few things so we can give you the right quote.
About your car
- Registration number
- When you bought it
- How much it's worth
- Any modifications
A bit about you
- Your name
- Age
- Where you live
- Your occupation
- Driver's licence and contact information for you and named drivers
What cover you need
- How you use your car
- Mileage
- What level of cover you need (comprehensive, third-party or third-party fire and theft policy)
What the experts say
Stephen Willmett-Lewis, Senior Motor Product Manager
When it's time to buy car insuance, think about how you use your car every day. Choose the cover that feels right for you - it's all about getting the protection you need!
How we work out the cost of your car insurance
There are lots of factors we use to work out how much your car insurance is going to cost. We're always checking our prices to make sure you get the best one possible.
How to make a claim on your car insurance
Check your cover
Read your policy documents to see what you're covered for and your excess
Prepare your information
Have your policy number and details of what happened ready
Contact us
Visit our Make a claim page for our contact details or log in to MyAccount
If you have any questions about the claims process, head to our claims FAQ page.
Read more about our customer's experiences
We care what our customers have to say about us.
Useful guides
Still got questions?
Still got questions about car insurance, and how it all works? Don't worry, we've answered some of them here for you.
Am I insured to drive other cars?
It depends on what type of cover you have. It's included with our Admiral, Admiral Gold and Admiral Platinum comprehensive cover.
But it also depends on a few other factors, like your age, what you do, and some other things. Check your Certificate of Motor Insurance to see if you're eligible, as not everyone is.
You can also only get cover if you have the owner's permission. And just as a reminder, it's only Third party only cover - that means you'll only be covered for the damage you do to someone else's car, not the one you're driving.
Check out some common myths around driving other cars.
Can I insure more than one car at the same time?
Yes! MultiCar Insurance lets you cover multiple cars on one policy.
You can insure up to seven cars together, so you can keep the whole family covered.
Do I need car insurance if my car is off the road?
If you own a car you don't want to drive, you'll need to legally declare it 'off road'. You can do this with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
Once that's done, you don't need car insurance for it! If you want to drive it again, you'll need to let the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) know and insure it again.
Check out our more in-depth guide on SORN and what it means.
Does mileage affect the price of my car insurance?
Yes, it can do.
The more you drive, the more likely it is you could be involved in an accident. That means the cost of your insurance could be higher.
What does no claims bonus mean?
A no claims bonus is a type of discount you get on your car insurance. You get it when you haven't made any claims on your insurance for multiple years.
Read our handy guide to no claims bonus for more information on how it works.
I've just had an operation or surgery - can I legally drive?
It depends on the operation. Always ask your doctor's advice, as they'll be able to let you know when you can safely drive.
If you get behind the wheel while it isn't safe, you could invalidate your insurance. This means if you had an accident, we could reject your claim.
Check out our guide on how to make sure you're healthy enough to drive.
I've put the wrong fuel in my car, am I still covered?
You'll be covered for putting the wrong fuel in your car if you have our Breakdown cover. We'll send someone out to drain your fuel and get your car to the nearest garage.
If you have a garage you'd prefer to use, that's fine! We'll get your car, you and your passengers over there.
Read our handy guide on misfuelling your car.
Other motor insurance options
Our data
"We accept 98.9% of claims"
This data shows Admiral single car claims between January 1st and November 30th 2025.
“Over 5 million vehicles covered”
Number of cars and vans insured by Admiral as of 1st December 2025.