App drivers
Uber driver insurance: the cover the app checks
Uber driver insurance is private hire cover in your name, or on a fleet policy, that Uber accepts before you can go online. Here is what the app looks for on your documents.
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Private hire cover for app workWhat insurance do Uber drivers need?
Uber drivers in the UK need private hire insurance that covers carrying passengers for hire and reward. Uber does not provide the main motor policy for your car; you upload your own certificate, or a fleet certificate with a permission letter.
Uber's own guidance says it does not accept policies that only cover public hire, hackney carriage or business use[2]. CoverMyTaxi is independent and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any app named on this page.
Uber driving in the UK
Sources: TaxiPoint (1 October 2023) · Uber (11 November 2026) · Department for Transport (13 August 2026). Full list at the bottom of this page.
What Uber checks on your insurance certificate
Uber reviews every document you upload. Its UK guidance sets out what the insurance certificate needs to show:
- cover for private hire and/or carriage of passengers for hire and reward[2]
- the policyholder's name matching your DVLA driving licence
- the registration, make and model matching the logbook and your Uber profile
- all four corners of the document visible in the upload
Some certificates need supporting documents. If the policy covers drivers 'with the policyholder's permission', Uber asks for a hire agreement or permission letter. If you are on a taxi fleet policy, it asks for a fleet permission letter. If the policy refers to a schedule of vehicles or drivers, it asks for that schedule.
Your licence, your car and Uber
Before the insurance, you need a private hire driver licence from your council or TfL, and the car needs a private hire vehicle licence. Uber also asks for an MOT or compliance certificate, the logbook and a DVLA check code. In London, the vehicle has to meet TfL's zero emission rules for PCO cars.
Many Uber drivers rent a car with insurance included. If you do, check that the policy names you, allows app work and covers every app you use. If you use more than one app, multi-app driver insurance explains how one policy can cover them all.
Uber Eats is a different policy
Delivering food with Uber Eats is carrying goods, not passengers. It needs courier or food delivery cover, not taxi insurance. If you do both, tell the broker so each use is covered. Our sister site Courier Insure has guides for delivery drivers.
What insurers look at
What affects the price of Uber driver insurance
Every insurer weighs these differently, which is why quotes for the same driver and car can vary.
- Where you driveCity-centre app work carries different risks from suburban work.
- Hours and mileageFull-time drivers cover far more miles.
- VehicleHybrid or electric, value and repair costs.
- ExperienceYears licensed and taxi no claims bonus.
- Other appsBolt, FREENOW or local operators alongside Uber.
- OwnershipOwned, financed or rented with insurance.
FAQs
Uber driver insurance questions
What insurance do I need to drive for Uber?
Private hire insurance that covers carrying passengers for hire and reward, in your name or on a fleet policy with a permission letter.
Does Uber insure my car?
No. Uber asks drivers to upload their own private hire insurance certificate before they can take trips.
Will Uber accept a public hire policy?
Uber says it does not accept policies that only cover public hire or hackney carriage use[2]. The certificate needs private hire or hire and reward cover.
Can I use one policy for Uber and Bolt?
Usually yes. Tell the broker every app you work for so the policy reflects all of them.
Do I need different insurance for Uber Eats?
Yes. Food delivery is carrying goods, which needs delivery cover rather than taxi insurance.
Sources
Figures on this page come from the sources below. Each was checked on 11 November 2026; figures may change when a source is updated.
- TaxiPoint, Uber reveals 100,000 drivers now working in the UK, 1 October 2023.
- Uber, Uploading your documents, accessed 11 November 2026.
- Department for Transport, Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics, England: 2026, published 13 August 2026.
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CoverMyTaxi is a trading style of Mymoneycomparison.com Ltd. It is an information website and is not an insurer or an insurance broker. Quotes are provided through MyMoneyComparison.com and the brokers it works with, subject to insurers' acceptance criteria.