Takeaway delivery driver insurance in the UK: who needs what
Updated 20 October 2026
Every takeaway delivery driver needs motor insurance that covers paid food delivery, and ordinary car insurance usually doesn't. UK law requires at least third-party insurance for anyone driving on a road, and GOV.UK warns that a driver who isn't correctly insured to drive the vehicle can be penalised even if the vehicle is insured. Insurers treat delivering food for payment as a separate use from social, domestic and commuting cover. As the takeaway, you also need employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million from your first employee, and you should check every driver's licence, insurance and MOT before their first shift.
This is a plain-English guide, not insurance or legal advice. Check the policy wording with the insurer or a broker. Rules checked on GOV.UK and HSE on 20 October 2026.
What the law says
- Motor insurance is compulsory. You must have motor insurance to drive on UK roads, and third-party cover is the legal minimum (GOV.UK).
- The cover must fit what the driver is doing. GOV.UK says that even if the vehicle is insured, a driver who isn't correctly insured to drive it can be penalised.
- Penalties: the police can issue a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points. In court it can be an unlimited fine and a driving ban, and the police can seize the vehicle.
- Employers' liability: employers must hold at least £5 million of cover from an authorised insurer from the day they take on staff. It's £2,500 for every day without it, and £1,000 for not displaying the certificate or not showing it to an inspector. You don't need it if you only employ close family members.
- Health and safety: HSE says health and safety law applies to driving for work, including staff driving their own cars ("grey fleet"), gig workers and self-employed people working for you. Its guidance lists making sure licences, insurance and MOTs are legal and up to date.
Why ordinary car insurance doesn't cover takeaway delivery
Most personal car policies are "social, domestic and pleasure" (often with commuting). Insurers sell food delivery as a separate cover. Zego, an insurer that sells it, says a standard social, domestic and pleasure policy will not cover takeaway driving, and that delivering food needs a "hire and reward" policy. If a driver delivers on a personal policy and has an accident, the insurer may refuse the claim, and the driver may not be correctly insured at all.
Two things to take from that:
- Don't assume. Ask each driver for their certificate and check it names food delivery, or business use that the insurer confirms includes it.
- Check whether a delivery fee changes anything with your insurer, not with a forum. Some owners believe free delivery avoids "hire and reward". Get the insurer's answer in writing.
Who arranges the insurance?
| Set-up | Motor insurance | Employers' liability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employed driver, their own car | The driver needs cover for food delivery on their own policy, unless you arrange a business policy that covers them | You, from the first employee | HSE treats their car as part of your grey fleet: check licence, insurance and MOT |
| Employed driver, your car or van | You insure the vehicle for food delivery and name the drivers allowed | You | A business or fleet policy is the usual route; ask the broker who can drive it |
| Self-employed driver | The driver arranges their own food delivery cover | Depends on employment status, which depends on the facts, not the contract's label | GOV.UK: someone who works personally for you under an arrangement is often a "worker", with minimum wage rights |
| Family member helping out | They need food delivery cover too | Not needed if you only employ close family | Being family doesn't change the motor insurance rule |
| Marketplace couriers (Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber) | The courier and the platform handle it | Not yours | Deliveroo says it supports eligible riders with accident, injury and third-party liability cover while they work |
Cover by vehicle
| Vehicle | Licence and insurance | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Car or van | Driving licence; motor insurance that covers food delivery | Certificate names the driver and the use; MOT from the third anniversary of registration |
| Moped or motorbike | Licence and motor insurance that covers food delivery | Certificate and use; helmet that meets British safety standards |
| E-bike (EAPC) | None needed by law, if it is an "electrically assisted pedal cycle": pedals that work, motor of 250 watts or less, no motor help above 15.5mph. Riders must be 14 or over | Check it is really an EAPC: the bike must show the power output and the manufacturer |
| E-bike that isn't an EAPC (twist-and-go, over 250W or over 15.5mph) | Classed as a motorcycle or moped: registered, taxed, insured, driving licence and helmet | Unregistered "e-bikes" used for delivery can be seized |
| Pedal bike | None by law | Many owners still ask riders to hold public liability cover |
Optional covers insurers sell alongside: public liability (if a driver injures a member of the public or damages property), personal accident, and goods in transit. Zego says goods in transit is usually not needed for food delivery because takeaway orders are low value.
Before a driver's first shift: your checklist
- See their driving licence and check it's valid for the vehicle. Drivers with a licence from England, Wales or Scotland can create a "check code" on GOV.UK so you can view their record, including penalty points; it lasts 21 days.
- See their insurance certificate and check it covers food delivery for that vehicle and that driver.
- Check the MOT. Cars need one by the third anniversary of registration, then every year (Northern Ireland has its own system).
- Hold employers' liability insurance (at least £5 million) and display the certificate.
- Agree pay in writing: at least the National Living Wage (£12.71 an hour for 21+ from 1 April 2026) for working time, plus any mileage. HMRC's approved mileage rate for cars is 55p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles from 6 April 2026.
- Do a simple risk assessment of the journey, the driver and the vehicle, as HSE expects: radius, night driving, weather, phone use while driving.
- Keep a record. Diary the insurance renewal and MOT dates, and keep a copy of each certificate.
How Menuthere fits in
Menuthere doesn't sell insurance. What it gives you, on the Pro plan (US$39 a month), is a record of who delivered what:
- Each driver has their own login to the Menuthere Delivery App (iPhone and Android), so every delivery is assigned to a named driver.
- Rider analytics show each driver's deliveries, order value, delivery charges and distance for any period. That helps you pay mileage and spot drivers going beyond your radius.
- Customers see a live map and can call the driver, which cuts "where's my order?" calls while they're on the road.
You assign each order with one tap. There's no auto-assignment or route planning. For the full cost of running drivers, read own delivery drivers for UK takeaways. For own riders on a marketplace, see Deliveroo Marketplace+ with your own riders.
Take delivery orders on your own page at 0% commission.
FAQs
Do takeaway delivery drivers need special insurance?
Yes. They need motor insurance that covers delivering food for payment. Insurers sell this separately from social, domestic and pleasure cover, which usually excludes takeaway delivery.
Is my employee covered by their own car insurance when they deliver for me?
Usually not, unless their policy covers food delivery. Ask to see the certificate and check the use. If they aren't correctly insured, GOV.UK says they can get a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points.
Who pays for a delivery driver's insurance?
The law doesn't say who pays, only that the driver must be correctly insured. Employed drivers in their own car usually add food delivery cover to their own policy; if they drive your vehicle, you insure it. Agree it in writing before the first shift.
Do I need employers' liability insurance for delivery drivers?
Yes, if they're employees. You need at least £5 million of cover from the day you take on staff, and the fine is £2,500 for every day without it. You don't need it if you only employ close family members.
Do e-bike delivery riders need insurance?
Not by law, if the bike is an electrically assisted pedal cycle: working pedals, a motor of 250 watts or less and no motor help above 15.5mph. A faster or twist-and-go e-bike counts as a moped and must be registered, taxed and insured.
Does free delivery mean my drivers don't need delivery cover?
Don't rely on it. Ask your insurer in writing how it treats free delivery for a business. Insurers that sell food delivery cover say personal policies don't cover takeaway driving.
Does Menuthere include driver insurance?
No. Menuthere is ordering and delivery software. On Pro, each driver has their own login and you can see each driver's deliveries and distance, which helps with mileage pay and records.
Sources (14)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle insurance: overview (third-party insurance is the legal minimum): https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle insurance: driving without insurance (correctly insured; £300 fixed penalty and 6 points; unlimited fine, disqualification, seizure): https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-without-insurance (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Employers' liability insurance (at least £5 million; £2,500 a day; £1,000 certificate; close family exemption): https://www.gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Riding an electric bike: the rules (EAPC: 14+, 250W, 15.5mph, no licence, tax or insurance; otherwise a motorcycle or moped): https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Employment status: worker: https://www.gov.uk/employment-status/worker (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, "National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour", 1 April 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-living-wage-increases-to-1271-per-hour (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Business travel mileage for employees' own vehicles: rules for tax (55p from 6 April 2026): https://www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-business-travel-mileage/rules-for-tax (accessed 20 October 2026)
- HSE, Driving and riding safely for work: overview (grey fleet, gig workers, self-employed): https://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/employer/index.htm (accessed 20 October 2026)
- HSE, Make sure drivers and riders are safe (licences, insurance and MOTs legal and up to date): https://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/employer/make-sure-drivers-riders-are-safe.htm (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Zego, "What insurance is needed to deliver food?", 22 December 2022 (hire and reward; SDP doesn't cover takeaway driving; goods in transit usually not needed): https://www.zego.com/blog/what-insurance-is-needed-to-deliver-food (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Deliveroo partner FAQs ("Are Deliveroo riders insured?"): https://merchants.deliveroo.com/en-gb/faqs (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Getting an MOT (third anniversary of registration): https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, View or share your driving licence information (check code valid 21 days): https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Menuthere help centre: Your own delivery riders; The rider app; Customers track the rider live (read 20 October 2026)