Having your car towed and impounded can be a real headache and a major inconvenience. How will you get to work? What about the school run? How much is it all going to cost? If it’s your first time facing this scenario, you may be completely unfamiliar with the whole process and the steps you need to take to release your vehicle from the pound. Whether you’re currently facing a towed car or want to be prepared, our impounded vehicle guide will shed light on the process and show you how to quickly and efficiently bring your car home.
Why would a car be impounded?
If you’re keen to avoid returning to your parking spot to find your car has been towed, familiarise yourself with the list of reasons why a car can end up impounded.
- Failure to insure the vehicle – It is a legal requirement that vehicles driven in the UK are insured. Police can enter a vehicle’s number plate into the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau) database and in seconds find out whether that vehicle has valid insurance. If it’s uninsured, the police are entitled to impound it immediately, if it hasn’t been SORN-ed. Even if it was an oversight, failure to renew your insurance or to add a new vehicle to your policy can still result in an impounding.
- Failure to tax the vehicle – Not only can the DVLA fine you an initial £80 for failing to tax your vehicle, but they can also then impound your car if you fail to pay that fine and tax the vehicle in a timely manner.
- Illegal parking – Urban areas can be subject to stringent parking rules. If you choose to flout them, you could find your car was impounded. The police and local council can tow your car to the pound if it’s parked illegally on a road or on public land, or if your vehicle is causing an obstruction in these settings. This will happen even if your car has broken down rather than being intentionally parked illegally.
- Being abandoned – Sometimes you are forced to abandon your vehicle when it has broken down or been in an accident. Even if it is not your fault, any abandoned vehicle could face impoundment.
- Being stolen or involved in a crime – The police may impound a vehicle that has been stolen, especially if it has been left illegally parked somewhere. Officers may need to carry out investigations on your car before it can be released if it is a significant part of a criminal investigation.
- Be driven carelessly – If the police receive complaints that your vehicle is being driven in a manner that distresses others, they can impound it while they make their inquiries.
- Being driven by someone uninsured or unlicensed – You must not allow someone who isn’t a named driver on your policy or who doesn’t hold “any car” cover on their own insurance to drive your vehicle. Even if your car is fully insured, it can still be impounded under these circumstances. Likewise, your car can be seized if you let an unlicensed driver behind the wheel.
- Unpaid debts – If you have accumulated debt against your vehicle, with unpaid penalty charge notices, your vehicle can be towed and impounded.
Who can impound my car?
Unlike other countries, in most public settings, private companies cannot tow your vehicle away and impound it. There is a small collection of agencies that are legally allowed to impound a vehicle, so if your car was impounded, it was carried out by one of the following:
- The police
- The DVLA
- The DVSA
- The local authorities (your council)
- Bailiffs and fine enforcement officers (when the vehicle owner has failed to pay their debts to the local council or has unpaid penalty notice charges)
What happens when a car is impounded?
If your vehicle was towed, the first thing you’d want to know is where it has been taken. If you haven’t received an impound notice, you can call 101 or NSL (which enforces local authority parking rules) on 0343 224 1999. In London, you can text the word TRACE followed by your vehicle registration number to 66663 to get immediate confirmation whether your vehicle has been towed.
It’s important that you locate the pound where your car is because you must visit it within seven days of your seizure notice. Fail to appear within 14 days and your vehicle could be destroyed or auctioned.
Required documentation
You’ll need to bring the following documentation with you when you attend the pound:
- Valid photo ID, such as your passport
- Valid driving license
- Valid certificate of motor insurance, with at least 30 days’ cover
- Proof of ownership
- Proof of vehicle tax
- MOT certificate or proof that an MOT has been booked
Fees
Having your car impounded can be a costly affair. The amount you’ll be asked to pay depends on who seized your vehicle and why.
If your vehicle was impounded by the police or your local authorities, you will be asked to pay a £192 release fee, any outstanding fines linked to the seizure, plus a daily £26 storage fee.
If unpaid car tax leads to a seizure, you’ll need to pay a £160 surety fee and tax your vehicle. If you tax it within 15 days, this surety fee will be refunded. If you come to reclaim your vehicle within 24 hours, a £100 release fee will be charged, moving up to £200 after 24 hours. You’ll also have to pay a daily £21 storage fee.
Can someone else release my vehicle?
The simplest way to get your car released from impound is to attend yourself – as the law dictates. But what if you can’t be there to release your vehicle and you’re worried that it will be destroyed or sold, leaving you without a car? There are extenuating circumstances where someone else may be allowed to retrieve your towed car for you. Such circumstances include:
- Being in hospital or certified too sick by a doctor
- Being in custody
- Being abroad and unable to return within the requisite timeframe
A third party may also be allowed to collect your vehicle or retrieve personal belongings from it if you first attend the pound in person to prove ownership and to supply all the required documentation. You can then nominate an individual to release the vehicle and they must attend with a signed letter of consent and your passport to verify your signature. If they’re going to drive your vehicle away, they must bring their valid driving license and valid car insurance.
Does standard car insurance cover impound release?
If your car was impounded, you may think you can drive out of a pound with your standard car insurance, but this is rarely the case. Most car insurance policies do not cover impound release as standard. Once seized and impounded, a car is deemed to be high risk by an insurer because it may have been involved in an accident or in some type of criminal activity.
The pound where your seized vehicle is being held will need to see an insurance policy that covers impound release and that is valid for at least 30 days. The best way to deal with this scenario is to take out a temporary impound release insurance policy.
If your car was impounded because you failed to insure it, you are likely to pay a premium if you try to take out standard car insurance. It is better to invest in a 30-day temporary impound insurance policy and then take out a new standard policy once your car is no longer impounded.
What is impound insurance?
Impound insurance is a specialist cover designed to allow you to release your towed car from the pound. This is a temporary cover, set at 30 days (as per the legal requirements for release) and it allows you to:
- Drive your vehicle out of the pound
- Take social, domestic, and pleasure journeys in your vehicle in the UK
- Be covered for third-party damages
Without this cover, you will not be able to take your vehicle home. Even if your car was impounded because it was uninsured and you then take out insurance, it will not be sufficient unless it is a specific impound insurance policy or a standard policy with added impound coverage (which is a more expensive route to take).
It’s important to note that impound insurance is not the same as temporary car insurance. Temporary car insurance simply will not work as a means of trying to get a car out of impound because it usually only covers your vehicle for 28 days and it does not reflect the high-risk nature of the scenario. A pound will not accept this as valid insurance if your car was impounded.
Though impound release insurance and temporary car insurance cover a similar timespan, unfortunately, you pay more for the former because an insurer is trying to mitigate the associated risks. The sum you’ll pay for impound insurance depends on the type of car you have, how old it is, your driving history, your age, where you live, and the type of license you hold. If you’ve never had a car seizure before, are an experienced driver with no points on their license and no insurance claims, your premium will be lower.
For many, impound insurance is new territory – something they have never had to consider before. By contacting a trusted insurer like Park Insurance, you’ll receive the support and guidance you need as you seek this specialist cover under stressful circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take out impound insurance for the day of the release?
No. You cannot take out a single day temporary impound release policy because by law, your car must hold 30 days of valid cover. Even if your standard insurance has a whole year of coverage, if there isn’t specific impound release coverage, it isn’t sufficient.
Do you have to be the registered owner to take out impound insurance?
Usually, an insurer will only provide this type of specialist cover to the owner of the car. You may be able to get cover if you’ve been nominated to collect the vehicle by an owner who is physically unable to carry out the impound release in person.
Can you sell an impounded vehicle?
Yes! You must keep in mind that the registered owner needs to attend the pound within seven days of the seizure and therefore you have a tight deadline for legally selling the vehicle. The new owner must attend the pound with all the correct paperwork, including proof of ownership in the form of the new owner slip from the logbook.
Do all impounded cars face the same fees?
No. Size and weight come into play, so you can expect to pay a lower release fee for a motorbike and a higher fee for a mobile home compared to a standard car. The value of the vehicle will not be considered when calculating the fee.
My vehicle was towed, will this affect my insurance?
Whether or not your standard car insurance will be impacted by an impound will depend on the individual circumstances of the seizure. Your insurer will also likely review your claims history when calculating your next premium.
Do all insurers offer temporary car impound insurance?
No. That’s why it’s most convenient to turn to a specialist provider such as Park Insurance. It doesn’t matter if your current standard car insurance is with another insurer, you can still obtain the temporary policy you need through Park Insurance.
With over 30 years of experience tailoring specialist policies to meet unique insurance needs, Park Insurance is perfectly placed to offer the coverage you need when you find yourself with a seized vehicle. Give our friendly team a call today and receive expert advice to navigate you through the insurance and release of an impounded car.