Many drivers first call their existing insurer when a car has been impounded, hoping to add short-term cover for the release. It sounds reasonable, but in practice most insurers won’t extend a current policy for this purpose. Vehicle seizure changes the legal and risk position, and very few standard policies include the wording a police pound needs to see before handing the car back.

Why most insurers refuse extensions

When a vehicle is impounded under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act, it’s classed as being held by the police because it was uninsured, driven unlawfully, or otherwise used outside the terms of its policy. From an insurer’s point of view, that makes it a higher-risk situation. Once a car has been seized, many underwriters automatically suspend or cancel the policy connected to it. Even if the insurer doesn’t cancel outright, they may decline to issue a new certificate covering “release from a police compound.”

That’s because impound release requires a specific legal statement confirming the vehicle is insured for immediate use on public roads. Normal certificates don’t include that wording. Without it, the pound can’t verify the policy and won’t release the car.

When an insurer might help

There are occasional exceptions. Some underwriters may agree to issue an updated certificate if:

• the vehicle was wrongly identified as uninsured;
• you can prove the policy was valid on the date of seizure; or
• the seizure was unrelated to the insurance itself (for instance, a paperwork error or unpaid fine).

Even then, it often takes several days for the insurer to confirm details with the police, reissue the certificate, and update the Motor Insurance Database (MID). During that time, storage charges continue to accrue, so relying on your current insurer can end up more expensive than arranging new impound cover.

Why specialist impound insurance is faster

Specialist impound-release policies are designed to meet the exact requirements for police pounds. They include the statutory wording and are uploaded to the MID within hours. That speed means drivers can usually collect the car the same day once payment is made and documents are printed. The cover lasts long enough to get the vehicle home and arrange longer-term insurance afterwards.

Contacting your insurer first

It’s still worth calling your existing insurer before buying new cover. Ask whether the policy is still valid, and whether they’ll provide a certificate that explicitly mentions release from a police pound. If they can’t confirm this in writing, a specialist policy is almost always the safer option. Never assume a verbal reassurance is enough; pound staff can only act on the exact certificate wording.

Final note

Most UK insurers won’t extend an existing policy to cover vehicle release from a police impound, because it requires special wording and re-verification through the MID. You can ask, but if they decline or can’t provide a compliant certificate quickly, arranging a short-term impound policy through a specialist provider may be the only practical solution to get your car released without delay.

Check here for more useful information about impounded cars!

Please note: impound rules, collection windows and fee structures are set locally and can change at any time. Details on this site offer a broad outline only and are not guaranteed to match the requirements of any individual pound or authority.