It’s a common and frustrating problem — your car was properly insured, yet police seized it because it didn’t show up on the Motor Insurance Database (MID). While the situation feels unfair, the law allows police to act if a vehicle appears uninsured at the time of the stop. Fortunately, if you can prove valid cover was in place, you may be able to recover your car without penalty, provided you act quickly and follow the correct procedure.

Why the car was seized

When police use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, they check each registration against the MID. If the car isn’t listed as insured, the system flags it as uninsured. Officers then have the power under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to seize it immediately, even if you insist you have a policy. They don’t have to wait for further checks because the database is considered the official record at that moment.

How the error happens

There are several reasons why a valid policy may not appear on the MID:

• The insurer hasn’t yet uploaded the data — it can take up to 72 hours after purchase.
• The registration number was entered incorrectly when the policy was created.
• The insurer’s system failed to synchronise with the MID on time.
• The policy had recently expired or been replaced, but the database hadn’t updated.

In these cases, the vehicle may appear uninsured even though you’ve paid for valid cover. Unfortunately, the police have no way to verify that instantly unless they contact your insurer directly.

What to do immediately

Once your car is impounded, gather the following as soon as possible:

• A copy of your insurance certificate showing the vehicle registration and start date,
• proof of payment or policy confirmation email, and
• contact details for your insurer or broker’s verification department.

Visit the pound during opening hours and bring this evidence. Pound staff can contact the insurer directly to confirm that valid cover was active at the time of seizure. If the insurer verifies it in writing or by phone, the vehicle should be released once standard storage and recovery fees are paid.

If the policy was valid at the time of seizure

If the insurer confirms that cover was active, ask them to send written confirmation to both you and the pound. This confirmation usually includes the exact start and end dates, the registration number, and a note that the vehicle was insured when seized. Keep a copy — it can be essential for reclaiming costs or appealing any related penalty.

Once verified, the pound may still require you to hold an active policy before driving the car away. If your insurer has since cancelled or expired the policy, you’ll need to arrange a new one that covers impounded vehicles before release.

If you were fined or charged

If you were issued a fixed penalty or charged with driving uninsured, and you can prove valid insurance existed, you can contest it. Write to the police force’s central ticket office with your evidence, or if charged, present it in court. The case may be withdrawn once the insurer’s confirmation is verified. Some drivers also pursue reimbursement for towing and storage fees through the force’s professional standards department, though refunds depend on the circumstances.

How to prevent it happening again

To avoid a repeat, check your registration on the AskMID website after buying or renewing insurance. If it doesn’t appear within three days, contact your insurer. Always double-check that the number plate and policy start date are correct. These small steps can prevent a costly and inconvenient seizure.

Final note

Even if your car was insured, police can legally impound it if it’s missing from the MID at the time. The key is proving valid cover existed. With written confirmation from your insurer, you should be able to recover the vehicle — though fees usually still apply. Keeping your policy details accurate and checking the database regularly can help ensure it never happens again.

Check here for more useful information about impounded cars!

Please note: impound rules, collection windows and fee structures are set locally and can change at any time. Details on this site offer a broad outline only and are not guaranteed to match the requirements of any individual pound or authority.