What happens if your car is impounded by the police?

At Release my vehicle, you can find out how to retrieve a vehicle if your car impounded by the police under the Road Traffic Law. it means the police officer has valid reasons to believe that the driver was not insured or was not driving according to the Road Traffic Rules. If your vehicle has been impounded, for this reason, the driver should have receive an impound notice.

How to reclaim your impounded car?

You are legally needed to go to the police pound within 7 working days of the impound date on the impound notice to reclaim your car. To reclaim your car, you should go to the right police pound and bring the right documents.

The right documents you need to reclaim your car

Proof of identity, valid photo ID such as:

Driver’s passport
Driving license
National identity card
Immigration document

(student’s or employer’s ID will not be consider)

Valid driving license

Your driving license includes:
Driving license:

If you have an old paper license, you are require to bring your passport or another valid photo ID
Photo card driving license along with a passport or identity card (EU)
Driving license together with an international driving ticket or a real translation, in addition, to a passport or other proof of immigration status and date of arrival in the UK

If you have already given your driving license to use, we will require proof of this together with another type of valid photo ID. If you have not been qualified in another EU member state or country that disqualification applies all over the UK too.
A valid certificate of insurance
You will be required to generate a valid certificate of insurance that allows the release of the impounded vehicle by a government authority before your car will be released, even if you don’t want to drive it on a public road.
We will accept:

Electronic copies of the insurance certificate on your mobile
Certificate sent by email if they have come directly from your insurance broker

Please ensure you have declared all the relevant facts to your insurance provider, including:

Correct registered owner details
Any driving convictions in the previous five years
Any relevant medical disability or various situations
Valid address
The correct date of birth
Right occupation

If you took out the insurance policy before the vehicle was impound, then you should also declare relevant pending convictions.
It is a severe criminal offense to fail to show the correct facts or to give incorrect information when getting insurance. This can cause your impounded car insurance invalid. We may share information with your insurance provider or the insurance provider Bureau if we guess an offense. Short-term insurance may not be valid to reclaim an impounded vehicle. Kindly check the wording on the cover note or certificate.
If you are in doubt, call your insurance provider before you attend the police pound. If we are not satisfy that your insurance is right for the release of an impound car, we may ask you to provide confirmation from your insurance broker.
A motor trader cannot release an impounded car on your behalf. A motor trade policy will only allow the release of a car that was:

The property of the motor trader
In their custody at the time of impound

Proof of ownership

The full car registration document in your name together with evidence of a valid address to match the registered address If a car is ‘in trade’ and has been drive on the road without a proper trade license showed it should be register to the owner quickly. The pound staff will send the relevant documents to authorities on your behalf.
A valid MOT certificate
If your car is over three years old and does not have an existing MOT test pass certificate, you should:
Bring proof from a garage of pre-hired MOT appointment, or arrange cover at your own cost
If someone is retrieving the car on your behalf
If you are not able to attend the pound in person

As the registered owner of an impounded vehicle, you are legally responsible for it and you should attend the police pound in person to prove ownership and pay fees.
This legal requirement will only be abandon if you can provide proof that:
If You are currently not in the UK
You are in hospital or in prison
You cannot attend the police pound due to injury or disability
There are clear understanding conditions that stop you from being able to attend the police pound in person

If any of the above conditions apply to you, the third party collecting the vehicle on your behalf should attend the police pound with:

Proof of a valid reason why you cannot attend in person
An authority letter signed by you authorizing the third party to collect the car on your behalf
A copy of your driving license or passport as evidence of your identity and signature

If you are not able to drive the vehicle yourself

If you can attend the police pound in person to establish your ownership you cannot drive the car yourself, you may nominate someone else to collect the car on your behalf.
You do not want to retrieve your car, you don’t need to take any action. The police will throw them away or auction them.