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When is my car insurance due?
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In the UK, you must have appropriate car insurance at all times. This is known as continuous insurance enforcement (CIE) and the penalties for uninsured driving can be severe. So, while you might not give much thought to when your policy runs out, it’s vital that you do.
When does my car insurance need renewing?
Most car insurance policies last for 12 months. Your policy documents should set out the expiry date and time—this is usually 23.59 on the last day of your policy. Any new policy you choose, should start at 00.00 so that you have continuous cover. You can renew your policy with your existing insurer or switch to another one, it’s entirely up to you.
How can I check if my car is insured?
There’s a nationwide motor insurance database which lists all insured cars in the UK. The quickest and easiest way to see if your car is insured, is to check on here by going to askMID.com.
It’s free to check your car—you’ll just need to know your car’s number plate and confirm you’re either the registered keeper or owner (or your employer is). When you’ve done this, within a few seconds you’ll know whether or not your car is insured.
The askMID site is updated regularly but there is a delay between buying a policy and it registering on the system, so just bear this in mind.
What should I do if I can’t remember who my car insurance policy is with?
Running a search on askMID won’t tell you who your insurer is (only that the car is insured). If you can’t remember who your policy is with, you could try:
- Checking your emails for confirmation of a policy. this should be from your provider and have all the details you need such as expiry date.
- Reviewing bank statements or credit card transactions. so you can see if you’ve paid for a policy (or are paying for one in monthly instalments).
- Checking your own paper records. for instance, old calendar entries to see if you’ve made a note of it or if you keep documents in a file.
You can also look through our lists of the largest car insurance companies or the best cheap car insurers to see if any names listed their spark your memory.
If I’ve been in an accident, can I check if the other driver is insured?
Yes, if you’ve been involved in an accident, you can check if the other driver has insurance. You can also do this at the askMID website but you’ll need to pay a small fee to access this information (currently £4.50).
What happens if my car insurance has expired?
If you realise your car insurance has expired, you must stop driving until it has been renewed. In the UK, it’s illegal to drive unless you have third party insurance at the very least. You also need to remember that your car needs to be insured correctly. For example:
- Only people named on the policy can drive the car.
- The car has to be insured for the way you drive it, if you use it for business, you must have business car insurance.
- You’ll need to ensure the policy accurately reflects the car it describes, including the correct make, model and registration. If your car’s been modified, you’ll also need to make sure your insurer knows this.
What are the penalties for driving without insurance?
There are serious consequences for driving without insurance. You can be given a fixed penalty fine of £300 and have six points added to your licence.
If you’re taken to court and prosecuted, you could face an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. It’s also important to know that the police have the right to seize and even destroy your uninsured car.
Do I need car insurance even if I don’t drive my car all the time?
Yes, all cars driven or kept on public roads must be insured because of CIE. So, even if you only drive occasionally—for instance, if you’ve got a sports car or classic car that you only drive in the summer, you must still have insurance.
If you don’t want to insure your car for the whole 12 months, you could take out a short-term policy just to cover the months you do drive it. For the months you’re not insured for, your car must be declared ‘off the road’—you can do this by making a SORN (statutory off-road notification). You should also know that if you SORN your car, it will need to be kept on private land such as in a garage or on a private driveway.
Arranging a SORN is free at GOV.UK, by post or by phone. You should have your V5C handy when you do this as you’ll need the information printed on there. When your SORN is confirmed, you’ll automatically get a car tax refund for any remaining (full) months.
Does car insurance renew automatically?
Some car insurance policies do renew automatically but this will depend on the insurer and what you agreed when you arranged your policy in the first place.
If you do have auto-renew, your insurer should send you a letter letting you know that your policy is about to expire. They’ll usually also give you a renewal price and show you what you paid for your current policy so you can compare.
If you’re happy with the renewal price and don’t want to switch car insurer, you won’t need to do anything (always double check of course). Your policy will then automatically renew, and payment taken from your credit or debit card.
You can use this notice period (or ‘switching window’ as it’s sometimes called) to shop around for other policies. Even if you think you’re happy with the deal you’ve got, it’s always worth comparing as there’s usually a chance of finding a better one elsewhere.
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Quickly compare over 100 UK insurance providers. Powered by QuoteZone.