Looking for Tractor Insurance?
Whether you own a vintage or classic tractor used for shows and rallies, keep a tractor at your small holding for domestic and own agricultural use, or operate a fleet of heavy and commercial use tractors, this guide explores all your options when it comes to tractor insurance.
In certain circumstances, there is no legal requirement to insure, MOT or even tax a tractor that is purely used for agricultural purposes on your own land. However, given how important your tractor is to your livelihood and the damage it could do to someone else’s property, tractor insurance is still a very good idea. If you have taken out a loan for your tractor or any form of finance, insurance could also be mandatory.
Single Tractor or Fleet Insurance?
It is possible to insure tractors separately or as part of a farm vehicle or fleet policy, however all farm vehicles will need be covered in addition to agricultural insurance. This type of policy is typically designed to insure against loss or damage to buildings, crops or livestock, but does not extend to vehicles.
Is Single Tractor Insurance Cheaper?
Clearly insuring one vehicle is cheaper than insuring many, however insuring all your vehicles with the one insurer or combining them under a farm insurance or agricultural vehicle insurance policy, could not only save you money, but also make the management and renewal of those policies easier as well.
The reduced admin of multi vehicle and fleet policies not only benefits you, insurers may offer reductions in premiums as an incentive to win all of your vehicle insurance business.
Vintage Tractor Insurance
If you own a classic tractor which you take to agricultural shows, rallies or road runs, then you might consider vintage tractor insurance.
Designed specifically for agricultural vehicles over 25 years old, these are specialist policies which depending on your level of cover, can insure your tractor whilst travelling to and from shows, as well as belongings, accessories or spare parts kept in the vehicle.
How to Save Money on Tractor Insurance
When it comes to comparing online quotes and finding the best price, tractor insurance is very similar to any vehicle insurance in that there are both personal and vehicle related factors which can lower quotes:
Clearly your tractor is going to be kept on private land, but installing good security, GPS tracking or even telematics could all help protect your investment and lower premiums.
The cleaner your driving license and fewer your claims, the better for your back pocket.
Commercial Tractor Insurance
Some insurers only insure tractors belonging to small holdings and used for ‘social, domestic, pleasure and own agricultural use’ such as garden mowers.
If you use your tractor for heavy commercial use some insurers will assume you are looking to insure a whole fleet and so require an agricultural vehicle policy. Similarly if you are looking to insure more than one tractor or heavy duty vehicle, but all for domestic and own agricultural use, it’s important to be mindful of this distinction when using comparison sites.
Do Tractors Need Road Tax?
Technically no, you do not need to tax a tractor in the UK, depending on what it’s used for. However, under continuous insurance enforcement rules, you do need to declare it SORN and obtain a Statutory Off Road Notification through the DVLA.
Declaring a tractor as SORN doesn’t mean that you can’t drive it. An off road notification means that it can be used on private land and only on public roads for specific uses:
- Agriculture, forestry or horticulture
- Cutting verges bordering public roads
- Cutting trees or hedges bordering public roads
- Passing between different areas of land or fields owned by the same person – no further than 1.5 kilometres.
Tractor Insurance – Useful FAQs
Depending on your policy and insurer, tractor insurance can cover your tractor, trailers whilst attached and accessories.
Yes
You will require a standard driving license to drive a tractor on UK roads.
If you are only driving the tractor off-road then there’s no need to have a driving licence at all.
Typically, agricultural insurance covers your wider agricultural concern, such as loss or damage to buildings, livestock or crops, but does not extend to agricultural vehicles such as tractors. For this you will need a farm or agricultural fleet policy.
From 13 – 16 you can legally drive a tractor fitted with an enclosed, approved safety cab, during agricultural, horticultural or forestry field operations. *
From 18 you can drive a vehicle weighing between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes
From 21 you can drive a vehicle over 7.5 tonnes.
*If you’re 16 you can only drive tractors less than 2.45 metres wide and tow trailers less than 2.45 metres wide with 2 wheels, or 4 wheels close-coupled.
Note: No person under 16 years of age may drive a vehicle on the road.
No
Not if used solely for agricultural, horticultural or forestry purposes. However there remains a duty of care to ensure that a tractor is roadworthy before taking it on UK roads.