Free car insurance guide
Here's how to check for free on the official Motor Insurance Database, and what to do if your car isn't showing as insured.
Free check on the official database
What to do if it's not showing
The rules on staying insured
To check if your car is insured, use the free Check Your Vehicle service on askMID. It searches the Motor Insurance Database (MID), now called Navigate, which is run by the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) and holds a record of insured vehicles in the UK.
A record on the database is not proof of insurance. Your certificate of motor insurance is your proof, so keep it to hand.
Most cars on the road also need a valid MOT and to be taxed. You can check both for free with Brumble.
If you're insured but the database says otherwise, it could be because:
If you think the record is wrong, contact your insurer so they can update it.
If you're not sure who your insurer is, check your certificate of motor insurance, your policy emails, or your bank statements for the payment. Your broker or comparison site account may also show it.
You can also ask the Motor Insurers' Bureau for the information it holds about you by making a subject access request.
Yes, unless you've declared it off the road. Under continuous insurance enforcement rules, a vehicle registered to you must be insured at all times, unless you've made a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) with the DVLA.
The DVLA regularly checks its records against the insurance database. If your car appears to be uninsured, you could be sent an insurance advisory letter. If it isn't sorted, you could be fined £100, have the vehicle clamped, impounded or destroyed, or be taken to court and fined up to £1,000.
Rules in Northern Ireland are different.
It's illegal to drive on a road or in a public place without at least third party insurance. If you're caught, the police could give you a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points. If it goes to court, you could get an unlimited fine and be banned from driving. The police can also seize, and in some cases destroy, the vehicle.
Even if the car is insured, you could still be driving without insurance if your policy doesn't cover you to drive it.
If you're hit by a driver who isn't insured, the Motor Insurers' Bureau may be able to help with a claim. Speak to your own insurer first.
Not automatically. Your certificate of insurance shows who can drive the car and what it can be used for. Some policies may include limited cover to drive other cars, but many don't, so check your own policy before you drive. This is true even if you have fully comprehensive cover. It usually only applies to the car named on your policy.
Using the car for work? Check your policy includes business use.
Buying a car? You'll usually need insurance in place before you drive it away. If you only need cover for a short time, temporary car insurance could help.
Only in certain cases. If you've been in an accident, you can use askMID's other vehicle check to see if the other vehicle was insured. There's a small charge for this.
The insurance database only shows whether a car is insured now. To check its past, such as whether it's been written off, stolen or has finance owing, you'd need a vehicle history check.
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Common questions about checking your car insurance.
Sources: GOV.UK vehicle insurance guidance, Motor Insurers' Bureau (askMID and Navigate), DVLA. Checked October 2026.
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