Name on car insurance different to driving licence

spg1

Hi

This is perhaps a question someone who works in the insurance industry is best placed to provide advice on.

I have two forenames but have always been known by the shortened version of my middle name  (eg Terry when my birth certificate name is Steven Terence Jones). Although official documents such my driving licence carry my full name, I’ve always (for over 40 years) just tended to use ‘Terry Jones’ for everything else including car and house insurance for simplicity’s sake.

When I was applying for quotes for car insurance recently I noticed one of the insurers said that cover is dependent on an identity check (and presumably this will be increasingly common). It’s occurred to me that having a different name on my driver’s licence to my insurance could be problematic (eg if I’m in an accident) so would make sense to in future use my full name on insurance. However, if I start to use my full name when I next renew the proof of no claims bonus which is usually asked for (and which I’ve had for 20+ years) will be in my shortened name so I guess an insurer may not accept it.

Any ideas on what I should do?

Thanks in advance

 

Mark_d

I can understand you liking to use a shortened version of your middle name but you really should be using your legal name, as on your passport/driving licence on all official documents because they do get cross referenced.  Whilst you may be able to explain the difference, it's so much easier if you don't have to.
As a motorist the police might want to check your driving licence against your insurance, MOT and vehicle registration documents.

Goudy

I am desperately trying to work in a reply about you being a "very naughty boy!"

You could try explaining, I'm sure lots of people use middle names.
My ex Mrs mainly used her middle and I seem to remember her having to explain a lot.

wongataa

Mark_d said:

I can understand you liking to use a shortened version of your middle name but you really should be using your legal name, as on your passport/driving licence on all official documents because they do get cross referenced.  Whilst you may be able to explain the difference, it's so much easier if you don't have to.
As a motorist the police might want to check your driving licence against your insurance, MOT and vehicle registration documents.

I would just like to point out in the UK there is no such thing as a legal name.  But, yes having the same name on things like insurance as the one on your official government documents is a sensible idea.

Aretnap

Unlikely to cause you any trouble. If they do query it, just explain that you use both names. Unless you have a brother also called Terry, who lives at the same address and has the same date of birth as you, it's not as if there's any doubt about who the document refers to.

(Is proof of no claims usually asked for? Fairly sure I've been asked at most once in the last decade or so. Maybe I just sound honest...)

Grey_Critic

My middle name is William after my Uncle Bill who was called Harold. He was in the army during the war and his documentation said his name was Bill - The Bill was actually a nickname given to him when he was a little lad and it stuck

Bonniepurple

I think it was more common years ago-I’ve certainly known a lot of people who used their second names and regarded their first names as official, including both my late father and grandfather.  They had an old family surname as a first name, but only used it on really formal occasions.  I’m glad that my parents didn’t keep up the tradition, especially as the surname nowadays is associated with rather a dodgy character who liked to “fix” things.