Glossary

Pleasure use

A vehicle-use rating class for cars driven for errands and recreation, not for a regular commute to work or school or for business.

Also called: personal use, pleasure driving

Pleasure use is one of the vehicle-use categories insurers ask about when you buy a policy. A car rated for pleasure use is driven for personal errands, social trips and recreation, but not to commute regularly to work or school and not for business. The other usual categories are commute use and business use, and some insurers add farm use.

Use is one of the rating factors because it predicts how many miles a car is driven and how often it is in rush-hour traffic. Pleasure use is generally the least expensive class. Insurers define it differently: some allow a short commute or one that happens only a day or two a week, while others treat any regular commute as commute use. Example: a retiree whose car is rated for pleasure use typically pays less than a neighbor with the same car who drives 20 miles each way to work, all else being equal (hypothetical).

Classify the car honestly and tell your insurer when its use changes, such as a new job with a daily commute. Understating use is misrepresentation and can lead to a claim dispute, a premium adjustment or cancellation. See how car insurance rates are calculated.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

In the index now

Related terms

Commute use A vehicle-use rating for a car driven to and from work or school, typically priced between pleasure use and business use. Business use A personal policy rating for a car driven as part of your job, such as visiting clients or job sites, which costs more than commute or pleasure use. Annual mileage How many miles a car is driven in a year, a rating factor because more time on the road means more chances of a claim. Rating factors The characteristics insurers use to price a policy, such as driving record, location, vehicle, mileage and, where allowed, age and credit. Garaging address The address where a car is mainly parked overnight, which insurers use to price a policy and which must be reported accurately.

Related guides

Car insurance for seniors How age affects car insurance after 60, which discounts suit older drivers, and how to adjust coverage in retirement without leaving gaps. Classic and collector car insurance How classic car policies differ from regular auto insurance, what agreed value means, who qualifies, and the usage and storage rules to expect. Low-mileage discounts: how insurers reward driving less How insurers price low annual mileage, the difference between a mileage discount, telematics and pay-per-mile, how mileage is verified, and who saves most. Personal vs commercial auto insurance When a personal auto policy covers driving for work and when you need commercial auto insurance, with a comparison table and the middle-ground options. Using your personal car for work When a personal auto policy covers work driving, when you need business-use or commercial coverage, and why your employer's policy rarely covers you.