What is impounded van insurance?
If your van 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 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 van back.
If your van has been seized by the Police and towed away for no tax or no insurance, you will require specialist impounded van insurance in order to get your seized van 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 van.
Why use impounded van insurance?
Unfortunately, many standard van insurance providers will not include cover for police impounded vans. If your van is seized, you must add sufficient cover to your existing policy or seek specialist impounded van 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 van is not insured
- Your van is not taxed
- Your van is parked illegally on public roads
- Your van is not taxed on private land and without a SORN
- The police consider you are using your van dangerously
- Someone else is driving your van without a licence or the proper insurance
How do I recover my impounded van?
If your van 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 or van at the roadside
- You should attend a Police station (within the Police force area in which your van 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 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 van 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 van might be scrapped, crushed or auctioned
Annual or Short-term Impounded Van Insurance?
You need access to specialist impound insurance cover if you have just had your van seized by the Police, to enable you to get the van released from the compound. If your van has been towed away by the Police, perhaps following a stop for 'no insurance' or 'no tax', immediate insurance cover is available for the van - even after it has been impounded. Before you can reclaim your van back, you will need to show insurance cover is in force for your impounded van for a minimum of 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
How much is impounded van insurance?
Not all insurance policies are suitable for recovering an impounded van and cheap impounded van 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 van and the Police are likely to check that the policy you have is suitable for recovery of your van.
What if my van has been clamped?
Another penalty you might suffer for non-payment of road tax is clamping. If this happens, you need to call the number on the back of the INF32 leaflet that will be left on your van.
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 van 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 van insurance quote.
Impounded van insurance - resources
HM Government - how to get your impounded car or van released
Find out what you need to pay and where to get your impounded van 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.