If your car has been seized by the police, it’s important you act fast to get it insured, get the car back on the road and get yourself sorted before accruing any further costs.
You have two main options when it comes to impounded car insurance, the first of which is a 30 day short-term policy. This form of policy is more restrictive, intended to get the car straight back on the road with only one driver allowed on the policy and offered as third party only. The single policy holder must also be the registered keeper and legal owner of the impounded vehicle.
Your second option with insurance for seized cars is an annual policy, which will allow you to keep drive the vehicle for 12 months as well as have it released from the compound. Annual impounded car insurance policies are the most cost effective form of insurance as you can split the cost into a deposit and follow up with monthly payments. You’ll get a full year of cover and the ability to add further named drivers to the policy, you should be offered fully comprehensive on most vehicles with this type of impounded car insurance.
There are numerous reasons why your car may have been impounded, including the vehicle being driven without a valid driver’s licence, driven by somebody with no insurance or a situation in which the car has refused to stop for the police and the police believe the car has not been insured. Once the car has been seized, the appropriate officers are forced to take reasonable steps to keep it safe by law; the garage where it is taken and stored will be approved by the police. By law, the registered keeper and owner of the vehicle is responsible for picking up the vehicle, while also paying for any costs incurred during storage. The registered owner and keeper of the vehicle is sometimes the only person that can be insured on an impounded car insurance policy, so in some cases a change of owner may be required before the vehicle can be released. See our FAQ page at https://www.impoundedcarinsurance.com/faq/.
The police will have designated certain stations to deal with returning your seized vehicle, which means you should visit the station that is on the seizure notice you’ll receive. If you’re applying for new insurance cover you must declare the seizure of your car and the impending prosecution of either an insurance offence or driving without a valid licence. Many people will be turned away for attending to the wrong station or not being able to provide the relevant documentation, which will just delay you even further and could even cost you more money.
It’s required of the registered keeper and owner of the vehicle to visit the correct police station within 14 days with your driving licence, a certificate of seized car insurance allowing you to drive the vehicle along with evidence of ownership. Photocopies will not be accepted.
