If the person you’ve lost held RAC breakdown cover, you will need to notify RAC to cancel or transfer the membership and, if the premium was paid annually, arrange a refund of any unused amount. RAC may also have provided car insurance, home insurance, or motoring legal protection – each product is handled separately and may require its own notification.
The main bereavement contact number for RAC membership is 0330 159 0706, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For car insurance, RAC directs bereaved families to the Death Notification Service online at deathnotificationservice.co.uk.
This guide covers how to contact RAC, what you’ll need, what happens to each product, and the practical things to watch out for along the way. If you’re working through notifications to multiple organisations at the same time, our complete guide to notifying companies after a death covers banks, insurers, utilities, and government departments.
How to notify RAC
Breakdown cover and membership
The primary route for breakdown cover bereavement notifications is by phone. Call 0330 159 0706, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. This line is RAC’s dedicated bereavement contact for membership enquiries.
When you call, the RAC team will ask for:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and last known address
- Their RAC membership number (printed on their membership card or on any renewal letter)
- The date of death
- Your name, contact details, and relationship to the deceased
- If they held vehicle-based cover, the vehicle registration number
If you cannot find the membership number, RAC can search their records using the deceased’s name, date of birth, and address. Do not let a missing card delay the call.
RAC will freeze the account on notification and confirm the cancellation once any required documentation has been received.
Car insurance
RAC car insurance is a separate product from breakdown cover, administered through a different system. RAC’s contact page for motor insurance directs bereaved families to the Death Notification Service, an independent online service that allows you to notify multiple financial organisations at once. You can access it at deathnotificationservice.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact RAC’s motor insurance customer support directly. Relevant numbers from the RAC contact page:
- Motor insurance claims (24/7): 0330 159 1062
- General motor insurance customer support: 0330 159 1111 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm)
When notifying for car insurance, you’ll need the policy number (on insurance documents or renewal letters), the deceased’s date of birth, and your contact details and relationship to them.
Home insurance and other products
For RAC home insurance and motoring legal protection, use the same routes – the Death Notification Service online, or the main customer support number 0330 159 1111. There is no separate dedicated number for these products; the bereavement team will route your call appropriately.
Source: RAC – help and support, verified May 2026; RAC – contact us for motor insurance, verified May 2026.
What documents you’ll need
The death certificate is the core document for all RAC products. In England and Wales, death certificates are issued by the register office once the death is formally registered – it is worth ordering several certified copies at registration, as most organisations require either an original or a certified copy and will not accept a photocopy.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Required for all RAC products |
| RAC membership card or membership number | Helpful for breakdown cover, but not essential |
| Vehicle registration number | For vehicle-based breakdown cover |
| Insurance policy number | For car insurance, home insurance, or legal cover |
| Your proof of identity | If acting as executor or administrator |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Not required to cancel membership or insurance – may be asked for in specific circumstances |
Probate is not a prerequisite for cancelling RAC breakdown cover or insurance policies. RAC will advise if they need anything further once you have made initial contact.
What happens to the RAC breakdown membership
Personal cover
RAC personal breakdown cover travels with the member – it covers them as a driver or passenger in any vehicle. When a personal member dies, the membership cannot be transferred to anyone else. RAC will cancel it from the date of death.
If the membership was paid annually in advance, RAC will calculate a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of the year. If payment was made monthly by direct debit, the direct debit should be stopped – but only after RAC has confirmed cancellation, not before (see the tips section below).
Vehicle-based cover
Vehicle-based breakdown cover is attached to a specific vehicle rather than a person, and anyone driving the vehicle is covered. If the deceased’s car is being passed to a surviving family member, this type of cover can transfer with the vehicle to the new registered keeper. Contact RAC on 0330 159 0706 to discuss the transfer – the premium may be recalculated.
Joint and family memberships
RAC offers Joint membership (two people at the same address) and Family membership (up to five named people at the same address). If the deceased was one of several named members on a Joint or Family policy, cover for the surviving members does not automatically end on their death.
Contact RAC to restructure the membership in the surviving member’s name. If the deceased was the lead account holder, RAC will advise on transferring the primary account. Act promptly – leaving the account in the deceased’s name can create administrative complications and may affect renewal communications.
Source: RAC – breakdown cover personal, verified May 2026; RAC – vehicle breakdown cover, verified May 2026.
RAC insurance products
Car insurance
RAC car insurance is underwritten by a third-party insurer and sold under the RAC brand. If the deceased held a car insurance policy, the practical concern that often catches families out is this: do not assume the surviving partner or another named driver is automatically covered once the policyholder has died. Contact RAC promptly to confirm the position before anyone drives the car.
RAC has previously cancelled car insurance immediately on bereavement notification, leaving surviving drivers without cover. If this happens to you, challenge it – a surviving spouse or family member with an insurable interest in the vehicle has grounds to continue cover, and insurers are expected to show flexibility in bereavement circumstances. Raise a formal complaint if RAC cancels cover abruptly without discussion.
On cancellation, RAC will calculate any refund of unused annual premium from the date of death. Most insurers waive the standard cancellation fee in bereavement – ask RAC to confirm this when you notify them.
For a full guide to car insurance after a death – including DVLA registration and what to do with the vehicle – see what happens to car insurance when someone dies.
Home insurance
If the deceased held RAC home insurance, notify RAC via the Death Notification Service or by calling 0330 159 1111. The main risk to address quickly is the unoccupied property clause: standard home insurance typically restricts or removes cover once a property has been empty for a consecutive period, often 30 to 60 days.
If the deceased’s property will be empty during estate administration and probate – which in England and Wales typically takes several months – you need to act before that threshold is reached. Ask RAC whether the policy can be extended to cover an unoccupied property, or arrange specialist probate property insurance before the standard policy lapses.
For the full picture, see what happens to home insurance when someone dies.
Motoring legal protection
If the deceased held RAC Motoring Legal Protection as a standalone product or as an add-on to their breakdown cover or car insurance, notify RAC to cancel it. If there was an active legal case or claim in progress at the time of death, ask RAC to confirm what happens to that case – the estate may retain some benefit, depending on the policy terms.
| Product | How to notify | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Breakdown cover (personal or vehicle-based) | Phone | 0330 159 0706 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm) |
| Car insurance | Death Notification Service (online) or phone | deathnotificationservice.co.uk or 0330 159 1062 (claims, 24/7) / 0330 159 1111 (general, Mon–Fri 8am–8pm) |
| Home insurance | Death Notification Service (online) or phone | 0330 159 1111 |
| Motoring legal protection | Phone | 0330 159 1111 |
How long does it take?
| Task | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Initial account freeze | On notification by phone |
| Bereavement notification processed | 1–2 weeks after documentation received |
| Pro-rata refund for unused annual premium | Within the processing period, once documentation confirmed |
| Written confirmation of cancellation | Sent after processing is complete |
| Vehicle-based cover transfer | Discussed and confirmed during the call |
The main cause of delay is missing documentation – particularly if the membership or policy number cannot be found. If this happens, RAC can still search their records using the deceased’s name, date of birth, and last known address. Call rather than waiting.
Tips and things to watch out for
Check bank statements for every RAC product. Breakdown cover and insurance are billed separately and may appear under different merchant names. Search for “RAC”, “RAC Motoring Services”, or “RAC Insurance” in the deceased’s bank statements. Some people have two or three separate RAC direct debits running at once without realising it.
Do not cancel direct debits through the bank before RAC confirms cancellation. Cancelling the direct debit first can disrupt the refund process and – for insurance – may technically cause the policy to lapse before formal cancellation is recorded. Always let RAC close the account first, then cancel the direct debit through the bank afterward.
Watch the auto-renewal date. RAC breakdown cover and insurance renew automatically each year. If a death occurs close to a renewal date, notify RAC before the renewal processes – otherwise a new annual premium will be charged for a membership or policy that should have been cancelled.
If RAC cancels car insurance immediately, challenge it. Prompt cancellation of car insurance on bereavement notification has caught some families out in the past, leaving a surviving partner without cover and unable to drive. This is not a reasonable response to bereavement. If RAC cancels a policy without discussion, ask them to reinstate it temporarily while you arrange replacement cover. Raise a formal complaint through Financial Ombudsman Service if they refuse – insurers are expected to handle bereavement with care.
Probate is not required for breakdown cover or insurance cancellation. You can notify RAC and close accounts without needing a grant of probate. Probate may become relevant for complex estate matters, but it is not a gating document for standard bereavement notifications.
The Death Notification Service is free to use. RAC participates in the Death Notification Service for insurance products. This service allows you to submit one notification and reach multiple financial organisations at once. There is no fee to use the service at deathnotificationservice.co.uk.
Summary
For RAC breakdown cover, call 0330 159 0706 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). For car insurance and other RAC insurance products, use the Death Notification Service at deathnotificationservice.co.uk or call 0330 159 1111 during customer support hours.
Have the death certificate, membership or policy number, and date of death to hand. If you cannot find the membership number, RAC can locate the account using the deceased’s name, date of birth, and address. RAC typically processes bereavement notifications within 1–2 weeks of receiving documentation.
If the deceased held vehicle-based breakdown cover, this may transfer to the new registered keeper of the car rather than simply being cancelled – worth raising when you call.
For a broader overview of all the notifications after a death – banks, utilities, government departments, and other insurers – see our complete guide to notifying companies and organisations.
If the deceased also held AA breakdown cover, see our guide to notifying the AA after a bereavement. For car insurance notifications, see our guides to notifying Admiral, notifying Direct Line, and notifying Churchill.
Sources: RAC – help and support, verified May 2026; RAC – contact us for motor insurance, verified May 2026; RAC – breakdown cover explained, verified May 2026; withfarra.co.uk – cancel RAC breakdown cover after death, verified May 2026; Honest John – RAC cancelled car insurance after wife’s death, verified May 2026.