Is my van insured?
If you’ve forgotten your van insurance details or lost your policy documents, you can still find out if your van is insured. Let’s take a look…
If you’ve forgotten your van insurance details or lost your policy documents, you can still find out if your van is insured. Let’s take a look…
How can I check if my van is insured?
If you don’t know whether your van is insured, check your registration number against the Motor Insurer’s Database (MID). This is a national register of all vehicles insured in the UK and is free to search.
If you’ve forgotten who your insurance provider is, start by going through your past emails and check your bank statements to see if you can find any payments to a provider. Your policy documents may have been sent in the post, so it’s a good idea to check your personal documents.
What are the penalties for failing to have van insurance?
It’s an offence to drive on any public road without insurance and you could face severe penalties if you’re caught. The police can give you a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points.
The police can seize your van and have the power to destroy it, if it’s not reclaimed within 14 days. You may also have to pay a fee for your van being seized.
If you’re a repeat offender, the matter might be referred to the courts and you could be given an unlimited fine and banned from driving.
What if my van is never driven?
Even if you never use your van, you must have insurance unless you declare your van as Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Once a vehicle has been declared as SORN, it must not be driven or even parked on a public road. You’ll need to keep your van on your driveway, in a garage or on private land.
To apply for a SORN you need to contact the DVLA either:
- online via the DVLA website
- by phone on 0300 123 432 1 (24-hour service)
- by post using a V89 0 form and sending it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR.
Compare van insurance
We’ll compare some of the UK’s most trusted van insurance providers to help you get a great deal. Simply give us some details about yourself and your van, and we’ll provide you with a list of quotes. That way you can choose the one that’s most suitable for you.
