What is impounded car insurance?
If your car is being driven or even just parked on a public road, you must have sufficient car insurance and road tax; if you are caught driving without these, your car or van is at risk of being seized and impounded by the Police or the DVSA. You will need to provide proof of insurance, as well as various other documents to get your car back.
If your car or van has been seized by the Police and towed away for no tax or no insurance, you will require specialist impounded car insurance in order to get your seized car released from the Police car pound. Not all insurers will offer you cover for your seized vehicle, but certain, specialist brokers are able to provide insurance cover sufficient to recover your impounded car.
Why use impounded car insurance?
Unfortunately, many standard car insurance providers will not include cover for police impounded cars. If your car is seized, you must add sufficient cover to your existing policy or seek specialist impounded car insurance. Some providers might also offer cover with proof-of-insurance documents sent to you straight away so you can get your vehicle back.
Why are cars and vans impounded?
The DVSA, Police and local authorities all have the power to impound your vehicle for various reasons, such as:
- Your car is not insured
- Your car is not taxed
- Your car is parked illegally on public roads
- Your car is not taxed on private land and without a SORN
- The police consider you are using your car dangerously
- Someone else is driving your car without a licence or the proper insurance
How do I recover my impounded car?
If your car has been seized by the Police, it will be taken to one of the Car Tax Enforcement DVLA Pounds*. To get it released, you will need to follow these various steps:
- The Police will provide you with a form 3708 seizure notice when they take your car at the roadside
- You should attend a Police station (within the Police force area in which your car was seized) within 7 working days to provide the required documentation
- You will need to show your driving licence and/or other forms of ID
- If relevant, you will need to show the vehicle's MOT status
- You will need to show the vehicle's V5C log book
- Evidence of current road tax on the vehicle
- You will also need to show proof of current, valid car or van insurance
- If you took out this insurance policy after the vehicle was seized then you must also declare to the insurer any relevant pending convictions.
- Once the Police have checked your documents are in order, they will give you a release notice, enabling you to collect your seized car from the relevant pound.
- It is likely that only the registered keeper of the vehicle will be allowed to retrieve it, other than in exceptional circumstances
- There will be a release fee - up to £200 - and a daily storage fee to be paid
- If not collected within 14 days, the car might be scrapped, crushed or auctioned
Annual or Short-term Impounded Car Insurance?
You need access to specialist impound insurance cover if you have just had your car seized by the Police, to enable you to get the car released from the compound. If your car has been towed away by the Police, perhaps following a stop for 'no insurance' or 'no tax', immediate insurance cover is available for the car - even after it has been impounded. Before you can reclaim your car back, you will need to show insurance cover is in force for your impounded car for a minimum of 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
How much is impounded car insurance?
Not all insurance policies are suitable for recovering an impounded car and cheap impounded car insurance might not always work out to be the cheapest in the long run. Many insurance companies will not provide the insurance cover required to release your impounded car or van and the Police are likely to check that the policy you have is suitable for recovery of your car.
What if my car has been clamped?
Another penalty you might suffer for non-payment of road tax is car clamping. If this happens, you need to call the number on the back of the INF32 leaflet that will be left on your car.
How can we help?
QuoteRack works with expert insurance brokers who specialise in providing immediate short-term impounded car and van insurance, enabling you to get the cover you need to get your car back. To get a quote, simply complete the online proposal form and your details will be sent immediately to a specialist insurance broker who will contact you to discuss your impounded car insurance quote.
Impounded car insurance - resources
HM Government - how to get your impounded car released
Find out what you need to pay and where to get your impounded car released. See details of the National Wheelclamping Contractor, operating on behalf of the DVLA *A searchable map of local DVLA Pounds where your seized car or van has been taken is available online.