All cars in the UK must be insured in order to be able to legally drive them unless you have formally declared your vehicle as off the road (SORN).
Most car insurance policies are valid for a year, with the option to renew or to get another policy.
However, the onus is on owners to make sure that their vehicle still has valid insurance coverage.
Most insurance companies send out reminders just before your policy is expected to expire, but if you are worried that you might somehow miss any of these, there are a number of ways to check your car insurance expiry date.
These important steps are outlined in this step-by-step guide.
Contents
Steps on How to Check Car Insurance Expiry Date
1. Search your inbox
The first and most obvious step to check the car insurance expiry date is to search your email account for any correspondence with your insurance provider, making sure to go through your spam folders as well.
A simple search using the name of the car insurance company should bring up the last emails, and you can check if they have sent you any reminders about renewing your policy.
Pro tips; if you forget your Car Insurance Company, refer to our guide to Who Am I Insured With.
You can also use this to collect important information about your policy contract and car details to use later on if you cannot find any reminder emails.
2. Look for hard-copy documents
Another option would be to track down your hard copy of ‘Certificate of Insurance’.
This is a document that should have all the details and dates that you need to know about the car insurance expiry date.
3. Talk to Customer Care Support
If these methods do not prove fruitful, you could always give the car insurance company a call to find out more information about your policy.
Most companies have customer service lines that are open 24/7 and they will be more than willing to help you know the car insurance expiry date.
4. Search your bank statements
If you have a running debit payment in place, then you can take a look at your bank statements to get a better idea about when your policy was paid and put in place.
If your car insurance policy is valid for one year, then you can easily count the remaining months to know the estimated day when it will expire. It is also one of the methods by that you can find out the name of your Car Insurance Company.
5. Search the Motor Insurance Database
If all else fails, you can always visit the Motor Insurance Database (MID). Most people use MID to search whether a car is insured or not by simply typing the vehicle registration number through Check askMID.
However, this method only shows a YES or NO answer if the car is insured but will not show any further details regarding the car insurance expiry date.
To get more details about your car insurance expiry date, you have to fill out a request for information form at the Requesting information page from MIB.
The form is not a requirement but it serves as a guide on what information you need to include in your request form.
Keep in mind this may not be for free and you may be asked for a small fee as payment to request information.
You can submit a request for information through letter or email and send it to the following:
Address: DSAR Department, Service Support Team MIB, Linford Wood House, 6 – 12 Capital Drive, Milton Keynes, MK14 6XT
OR
Email: DSAR@mib.org.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an MID search free?
Yes, a simple insurance check for your vehicle is completely free. However, you may have to pay a small fee for an advanced search for additional information about your vehicle’s insurance such as your policy details and the name of your insurance company.
What should I do if my car insurance has expired?
You need to call your car insurance provider to renew your old policy right away. If you are not able to renew, you can always get a new policy with your former car insurance company or find a new policy provider as soon as possible.
Is car insurance mandatory for all vehicles?
In order to drive in the UK, it is mandatory to have car insurance. It ensures drivers are capable of handling the financial responsibility associated with driving.
It is a legal requirement that protects drivers from financial costs of damages and accidents.
What are the consequences if my car insurance expires and I did not renew it?
If your vehicle is uninsured for any reason other than being declared as SORN, then you should expect to receive a warning letter in the mail a few days after your search.
Failing to insure your car can run the risk of having your vehicle seized by the police.
You will also have six penalty points added to your licence, face the threat of higher insurance premiums, and pay a fine of about £300.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, you have realised that driving an uninsured vehicle is troublesome. Not only is it irresponsible, but it can also cost you a lot financially and be faced with legal issues as well.
You should try to store all of your insurance-related documents in a safe place and set reminders close to the date of your policy’s expiration date.
Did you find this article helpful to you? Do you have any tips or recommendations as well?
Share your thoughts below by writing a comment in the comments section. Safe driving!
Further Reading for Driving in the UK.
- Driving in London is one of the best options if you plan to have a road trip within London.
- Pay attention to the Congestion Charge when driving in London.
- Want to drive in the UK legally? You need a driving licence first. Follow these Steps to Get a Driving Licence in the UK.
- Before you decide to get a driving licence, you may want to know how much you are going to spend before applying for one. Check out our guide to how much for a driving licence.
- Choose one of the Best Driving Schools in London if you decide to learn to drive and get a full driving licence.
- You may want to know How Many Driving Lessons You Need to Pass the Driving Test.
- How much time should I spend on learning to drive? Read our guide to How Long Does It Take To Learn to Drive.
- Applying for the driving licence, but don’t know how to fill in the form? Download INF1D Booklet and read our guide to solve the problem.
- After applying for your driving licence, you may want to track your driving licence and know whether it is legal to drive if your Driving Licence Has Not Arrived.
- After getting your driving licence, you may be happy to learn more about it. Check out our guide to UK Driving Licence Explained.
- Want to check your driving licence online? Check out our guide to How To Check Status Of Driving Licence.
- If you are unlucky Losing your driving licence, it is not the world’s end, follow our detailed guide to Lost Driving licence UK | How To Replace And Apply.
- Can’t find out your Driving Licence Number? Don’t worry about it, here is a step-by-step guide to How to Get Driving Licence Number if Lost.
- Unfortunately, you get a Private Parking Ticket, but you don’t know how to deal with it. Should you pay for it? Check out our guide to Do You Have To Pay Private Parking Tickets.
- You may want to buy Car Insurance but don’t know how to buy it. Check out our guide to A Comprehensive Guide on Car Insurance in the UK.
- Can’t Remember your Car Insurance Company? Check out our guide to Who Am I Insured With.
