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Couriers and delivery
A self-employed delivery driver usually needs their own motor policy covering paid delivery, whatever a platform provides. Platform schemes tend to be limited extras, and they generally do not replace the motor insurance the law requires.
Part of: Commercial vehicle insurance
In short
If you deliver food or parcels through an app or as an independent courier, the vehicle must be insured for that use. Social, domestic and pleasure cover usually excludes it, so you need hire and reward, fast food delivery or carriage of goods cover as the platform requires. Some platforms provide public liability or personal accident cover while you work, but these are usually limited to the job in hand and do not replace motor insurance. Parcel couriers should also consider goods in transit, and anyone who takes on help should check employers' liability.
The starting point is motor insurance for the use. Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 requires a policy in force for the use of the vehicle by the person driving it, as the CPS guidance explains, and paid delivery is usually outside a private policy. Depending on the work, you may need:
If you use a van rather than a car, the same principle applies; our commercial vehicle insurance guide explains how van policies describe use. For a quick reference, see our hire and reward definition.
It is also worth thinking about your own income. A platform's personal accident cover, where it exists, usually applies only during a delivery and pays defined benefits. If you rely on delivery work and could not drive after an accident or illness away from work, that gap is yours to consider. Some drivers also need cover for their own vehicle against accidental damage and theft, which third-party-only motor cover does not give.
Platform terms vary and change, so always read the current version for each app you use. As one example, Deliveroo's rider support pages say that riders using cars and motorised scooters need both social, domestic and pleasure and hire and reward cover, and that fast food delivery or carriage of goods cover can also be acceptable (Deliveroo: What insurance do I need?).
The same platform says it provides public liability and personal accident cover for riders, with personal accident running from accepting a delivery request until it is completed or cancelled, plus 15 minutes, and that this cover does not replace any vehicle insurance you are legally required to hold (Deliveroo: What is covered). That pattern is common: platform cover is usually an add-on for the job, not your motor policy.
Insurers commonly treat food delivery and parcel work as separate uses because the journeys, times of day and vehicles differ. A fast food delivery policy may not cover parcel drops for a courier network, and a parcel courier policy may not cover takeaway work. If you work across more than one app, or mix food and parcels, make sure your certificate covers every type of work you do.
Cyclists are in a different position because bicycles do not need motor insurance, but riders on motorised scooters, mopeds and cars do. For an overview of the covers, see our courier insurance hub.
Most app-based drivers are engaged as self-employed. In IWGB v Central Arbitration Committee [2023] UKSC 43, decided on 21 November 2023, the Supreme Court held that Deliveroo riders were not in an employment relationship for the purposes of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, relying heavily on their broad right to send a substitute. That case was about trade union rights, and status in other contexts depends on the facts.
For insurance, the practical point is simpler: as a self-employed driver you buy your own cover. If you take on someone to help, HSE guidance says they may count as an employee whatever you call them, and employers' liability cover of at least £5 million is usually compulsory; see our employers' liability guide. Our guide on which policies the self-employed buy first may also help.
GOV.UK says that driving a vehicle you are not insured to drive can mean a £300 fixed penalty and 6 points, or an unlimited fine and disqualification in court, and the vehicle can be seized. An insurer that has to pay a third party may also seek to recover the cost from the driver. A conviction can make insurance harder to obtain for years, which matters if driving is your income.
Accuracy matters too. When you apply, tell the insurer every app or network you work for, whether you deliver food, parcels or both, and any convictions or claims. A policy bought with an incomplete description can leave you arguing about cover at the worst moment. If a customer or business you deliver for asks for proof of public liability, our note on when a contract requires public liability insurance explains what they usually look for.
Illustrative. A driver holds fast food delivery cover for one app and starts taking parcel jobs on a second app at weekends. A parcel is lost and a parked car is scratched on a weekend job.
Our guide to multi-drop courier insurance covers parcel work in more detail.
Apex arranges courier and delivery cover, including goods in transit, for sole traders, multi-drop operators and small fleets. A broker reads each enquiry and comes back with options, and there is no fee for a quote. Cover is always subject to the insurer's acceptance and the policy terms. To quote we need your business activities, turnover, location and claims history, plus your vehicle, driving history, the apps or networks you work for, whether the work is food, parcels or both, and roughly how many hours a week you deliver.
Almost always, for the vehicle. Platforms commonly require you to hold motor cover that includes paid delivery, such as hire and reward or fast food delivery. Any cover the platform provides is usually public liability or personal accident for the job, and platforms tend to say it does not replace motor insurance.
Not always. Many insurers treat food delivery and parcel courier work as separate classes of use. A fast food delivery policy may not cover parcel work and the reverse, so if you do both, check that your certificate includes each type of work.
There is no legal requirement for motor insurance on a pedal bicycle. Some platforms provide public liability cover for cyclists; Deliveroo, for example, says its public liability cover applies to cyclists while they are working. Riders on motorised scooters, mopeds and cars need motor insurance for the delivery use.
Usually they are engaged as self-employed, but status depends on the facts. In IWGB v CAC [2023] UKSC 43 the Supreme Court held that Deliveroo riders were not in an employment relationship for Article 11 purposes, largely because of their right to send a substitute.
Your insurer may refuse to pay for your own vehicle and may recover from you what it pays a third party. You could also be prosecuted for driving without insurance for that use, which GOV.UK says can mean a £300 fixed penalty and 6 points, or more in court.
Tell us what your business does, your turnover and any claims. A broker reads every enquiry and comes back with options. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start a commercial enquiry Request a callbackApex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information, not advice on your individual circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
