Single month or yearly insurance for impounded cars

If your car has been taken to a police pound because you were suspected of driving it whilst uninsured you will need to insure it before you can drive it out, but a normal policy is almost certainly impossible to buy for a seized car. In that case you will need specialist impounded car insurance. Ring 0808 2640860 for a quote, and a chat with a friendly advisor, now.

Do the police have a legal right to impound an uninsured car?

Yes, the relevant law is Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This gives a police officer in uniform the right to seize any vehicle except an invalid carriage if there are reasonable grounds to assume that the driver is uninsured. If the driver fails to stop and so the car cannot be seized the police have 24 hours in which to do so.

Can you use one day car insurance to release a car from a pound?

Many people try to use a short term (1-28 days) insurance policy, but they are never very happy when they turn up at the pound only to be told that it is not acceptable, after they have paid out good money for it. There is, however, a perfectly legitimate way of only paying for insurance for a short time.

What is the minumum length of impounded car insurance?

The absolute minimum insurance period that the authorities will accept is a 30 day policy. If your car is locked in the pound these policies are available and they can cover you for third party risks only, which is the bare legal minimum. A policy like this could be the answer if money is tight and you just want to get your motor back so that you can sell it or store it for a while.

Can I buy a year's insurance even if my car is impounded?

The vast majority of insurers refuse to quote for a new policy for a driver whose vehicle has been impounded, so you will still need a specialist policy, which can be for 30 days or a year, to get your car released.

Once your car has been relesed you can insure it in the normal way but you will probably be facing a charge of driving without insurance and you must inform any prospective insurer of this so you may find that many insurers will quote high premiums. An experienced broker may be able to get you better prices than a price comparison site and you can talk to one on 0808 2640860 to find the right one for you.

Can you pay monthly for seized car insurance?

An advantage of having a yearly policy is that you may be able to pay for it monthly. Depending on your own insurance profile the initial payment may be cheaper than buying a 30 day policy; you need to get a quote to find out.