Most car owners are aware that you must have any vehicles registered in your name insured at all times. In 2011, the Continuous Insurance Enforcement law was introduced to tackle the high number of uninsured cars on the road.
If you have a vehicle registered in your name that is not insured you are liable to penalties for not being in the possession of valid insurance. Policies are listed on the Motor Insurance Database (MID) and failure to appear on this list will first result in a warning letter, followed by a fixed penalty fine.
The exception to this is is an instance where a car has been declared ‘off-road’, also referred to as a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). To register your vehicle as off the road, you are required to contact the DVLA and make the request.
Driving or owning a vehicle without insurance is illegal, so it is essential to find out whether you have a valid insurance policy. This is where the askMID service is very helpful.
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How do I know if I have a valid insurance policy?
Whether you’ve recently purchased a car or have had it for years, you might find you are unsure about the insurance status of your vehicle. Finding out whether you are in possession of an insurance policy for any vehicles that are registered to you is simple.
Using the same method to check for valid insurance policies that the DVLA uses, you can check your own vehicle against the Motor Insurance Database with askMID. A free to use service, all you need to do is enter your vehicle details (vehicle registration number) to check whether vehicles registered in your name have valid insurance.
How does askMID work?
There is only one central database that holds information about insured vehicles in the UK: the motor insurance database. With more than 10,000 updates an hour, it is a valuable tool to reference. The MID is used by the DVLA as well as the police to ensure only insured vehicles are being used on roads across the UK. The police use the mid database for their automatic number plate recognition to identify uninsured vehicles and the DVLA uses it to verify whether there is a valid insurance policy linked to a vehicle.
What if my insurance details aren't showing on askMID?
If you’ve only recently taken out an insurance policy, then don’t worry if your insurance information isn’t showing up straight away. It can sometimes take a little bit of time to show up in the database.
The first thing to do is to check the policy you’ve taken out and make sure you haven’t made any errors or typos when filling it in. If the details all appear to look correct then get in touch with your insurance provider to make sure there are no issues with the policy. Your provider will also be able to confirm if it has been submitted to askMID.
What else should I know about my vehicle?
Driving or owning a vehicle without valid insurance is illegal, but now you’ve discovered how the askMID service can help you, what else should you know about your vehicle? Depending on whether you’re looking to purchase a used car or have already invested, there are a few key pieces of information you should know.
To help you find out everything you need to know before you buy or once you’ve already purchased, Car Guide can offer a range of vehicle checks to give you the full picture. From understanding the history of a used vehicle or MOT history and checks to finding out whether your car is an ex-taxi or has any outstanding finances, we can help you.
Giving you a clearer picture of where your next vehicle investment has been, its history but also future, you can make informed purchasing decisions. Discover our full range of car checks available from Car Guide. The only car checking website that also shows you a car’s future, not just its past.
