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Rules for Wedding Car Hire
Last modified:If you are lucky enough to own any kind of unusual vehicle, whether it’s a classic car, sports car, kit car, American import or even a classic campervan – if it’s unusual and in good condition, chances are high that someone will ask if it could be used as a wedding car.
If you are thinking of using your car as a wedding car, what are the rules? Do you need additional insurance? A license from the local authority? Public liability insurance? Here’s what you need to know.
UK regulations concerning the use of private vehicles as wedding and funeral cars are under consideration and may be tightened in the future.
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Setting up a wedding car business?
If you’re just using your car as a wedding car as a one-off favour for family or friends, then that’s absolutely fine, especially if you’re not receiving any money for it. You still need to inform your insurer of this and some insurers will grant wedding car extensions for little or no increase in premium.
If you own a classic car with classic car insurance, speak to your insurer about a possible wedding hire option – this doesn’t mean you can run a full wedding car hire service, but you could undertake a limited number of weddings with suitable cover in place.
REMEMBER: If your car is your hobby, passion and pride and joy, think carefully about whether you really want to hire it out for weddings and risk damage to it.
Private Hire Licensing and Hire and Reward Insurance
Weddings and Funerals – Not Proms
Currently you can use your car for weddings and funerals without the requirement for a private hire license from your local authority, however this ONLY applies to weddings and funerals and vehicles that carry 8 or less people. So for example, if you plan on making money from hiring out your American import car or performance car for proms, then you will need to apply to your local authority for a private hire license.
Hire and Reward Policies for Wedding Cars
If you are serious about using your car as a wedding car business, you will need more than a standard insurance policy. If you are transporting people and money will be exchanging hands you will require a hire and reward policy.
Top Tips for Wedding Car Hire and Reward
Confirm with your insurer that your hire and reward policy includes public liability cover, as this is often an additional extra and not provided as standard.
Don’t forget to have comprehensive breakdown recovery in place (and possibly a back-up plan).
Remember that you don’t require a private hire license for weddings or funerals, but will need one if you are hiring out your car for any other special event such as proms.
Self-drive hire for wedding cars
Self drive hire for wedding cars is becoming an increasingly popular option for many classic, replica and kit car owners. It is also a great option for larger vehicles such as campervans or people carriers.
Self drive hire means that someone in the wedding party drives the vehicle, which means that technically you are not chauffeuring or providing a hire and reward service, you are simply hiring out your vehicle. Although you are not providing a driving service, it is customary for you to deliver the vehicle to the venue and collect it later.
Depending on the insurer, self hire policies cover the vehicle and driver during the hire period and are available on a temporary or annual basis. For example, if you were just hiring out your campervan a few times a year, it may be worth taking out self hire insurance as and when you need it, whereas if you advertise and hire it out regularly, an annual policy that also lets you and others drive it when it’s not on hire, could be a cost effective, hassle-free option.
It is your responsibility to ensure that whoever will be driving the vehicle fits any criteria specified by your insurers, for example they have a clean driving license, are within a certain age range and have the correct license to drive the type of vehicle they are hiring.
Also read about chauffeur insurance.
