Courier insurance UK: what cover you need, and why quotes vary

TL;DR: A self-employed courier usually carries motor insurance that covers carrying other people's goods for payment (often called hire and reward), plus goods in transit and public liability. Tell your insurer you carry goods for payment; GOV.UK's vehicle insurance page has the basics. Taking on a driver? Check GOV.UK's employers' liability page first. We don't quote prices here because we couldn't find a dated, citable UK figure for this trade.

1. Courier (hire and reward) motor insurance. Standard social or commuting cover usually won't cover delivering goods for payment, so tell your insurer you carry goods for payment and exactly how the vehicle is used. GOV.UK's vehicle insurance page has the basics.

2. Goods in transit. Covers the parcels you carry if they're lost, stolen or damaged. Check the per-item and per-load limits, and any exclusions like high-value goods or unattended vehicles.

3. Public liability. Covers injury or damage to other people or property while you work, such as scuffing a customer's door frame with a parcel trolley.

Employers' liability. Covers staff if they're hurt or made ill by their work. Before a driver or loader starts, read GOV.UK's employers' liability insurance page and ask your broker what you need.

Other covers to ask about:

• Breakdown and vehicle replacement: a day off the road is a day without income.
• Personal accident or income protection.
• Cover a platform or contractor asks for: some delivery companies set their own minimums; read your contract.

Insurers price a courier on:

• the vehicle, how many miles you do and where you park overnight
• what you carry and its value (goods in transit limits)
• whether you drive for one contractor or your own customers
• your driving and claims history
• the limits and excess you choose

Compare quotes on the same limits and goods, and read the security conditions as well as the price.

1. List what you carry. Parcels, documents, food, medical or high-value goods, and for whom.
2. Say how you work. Same-day local, multi-drop or long distance; your own customers or a contractor's app.
3. Check what others will ask for. Contractors and business customers often ask for proof of goods in transit and public liability.
4. Compare like with like. Same limits, same goods, same excess.
5. Keep the records a claim relies on. Proof of delivery, a damage and incident record, and dated vehicle checks.

• A parcel is stolen from the van. That's goods in transit, subject to its security conditions.
• You reverse into a gatepost on a delivery. That's your motor policy.
• A customer trips over a parcel you left on a step. Ask whether that's public liability on your policy.

The Courier Delivery Business Documents — Premium (£19.99) has 16 templates for courier businesses: fillable PDF, editable DOCX, or fill in online. They're business records, not legal or insurance advice. The Courier Delivery Startup Guide (£4.99) covers registration and insurance as part of setting up.

Browse everything for your trade on the Courier hub. For setting your rates, read How to price your courier work.

Contractors and business customers often ask for goods in transit and public liability, and some delivery platforms set their own minimums in the contract. Tell your motor insurer you carry goods for payment, and if you take anyone on, check GOV.UK's employers' liability page.

Usually not for carrying goods for payment. Tell your insurer exactly how you use the vehicle.

Vehicle, mileage, goods and history all change the quote. Get like-for-like quotes; we couldn't find a dated, citable UK figure to quote.

All accessed 16 October 2026.

• GOV.UK, "Employers' liability insurance"
• GOV.UK, "Vehicle insurance"
• LaunchKit product pages linked above (checked live, HTTP 200, 16 Oct 2026; prices as shown on the page).

This article is general information, not insurance advice. We don't recommend any insurer. Check the policy wording before you buy.