Impounded Car Insurance

Safely Insured are pleased to announce the launch of our new Impounded Car Insurance policy – the first and only Impound policy that offers instant online cover, meaning you can recover your vehicle quicker.

If you have been unfortunate enough to have a car impounded, there are a few things you need to know about releasing it. While it is important to move quickly in order to keep fees low and to avoid having your car sold or disposed of, it is also important that you have all the required documentation before you attempt to get your car released.

Why did my car get impounded?

There are a few reasons why your car may have been impounded. The most common reasons for a vehicle to be impounded are:

• Parking violations
• Having your vehicle on the road without valid insurance
• Failure to pay fines
• Failure to tax your vehicle
• Driving whilst SORN’d

Where did they take my impounded car?

Before you can get your vehicle out of a pound, you will need to find out which pound the vehicle has gone to. You should be able to contact the relevant local authority who impounded the vehicle to find out its location. If you are unsure you can call 101 to contact your local police station who should be able to identify your car’s location.

Do I need special Impounded Car Insurance?

Once you know where to go, you will need to make sure you have the appropriate level of insurance to release it.

The minimum length policy you need is 30 days. This insurance policy must also stipulate that it covers impounded vehicles. You will need to take a printed copy of the insurance certificate to prove your insurance meets these requirements.

There is more about the Impounded Car Insurance policy on this linked page, or you can get an Online Impounded Car Insurance Quote.

If you do not have impound cover on your annual policy, or do not have an annual policy, you can take out a specialised impounded car insurance policy through Safely Insured’s Insure4aDay product. The cover is for 30 days and meets the insurance necessities required by law to release an impounded vehicle.

What do I need to take with me?

In addition to a valid impounded car insurance policy, you will need to provide…

• Proof of identity (driving licence)
• Proof of vehicle ownership (V5 registration document)
• Proof of address (utility / council tax bill or a bank statement - please note that bills should be no more than 3 months old)
• A valid M.O.T 

Depending on the reasons behind your vehicle being impounded you may need to provide different information. You can check the .Gov website for tax or SORN related impounds and for other impounds you should check the local authority or county website for details.

What do I need to pay?

After providing all the necessary documentation you will need to settle any storage and removal costs. Make sure to act as soon as possible; impounded vehicles have to pay a storage charge every day they are impounded. You will also have to pay a removal fee, which can be dramatically decreased if released within 24 hours.

Make sure to enquire what methods of payment are accepted, as attempting to pay through unaccepted means may slow down the process and increase costs.

Ultimately, if the vehicle is not claimed between 7 -14 days it can legally be disposed of or sold off, so avoid any unnecessary extra costs or losses by knowing what to expect and acting fast.