If your car is sitting idle, perhaps because you aren’t able to drive at the moment, or it needs repairs and you haven’t got round to fixing it, you might think that you don’t need to insure it whilst it’s not in use.
However, it’s illegal to own a car without insurance, unless you’ve officially declared it ‘off road’ because you won’t be driving it for some time.
Here, we explain the rules surrounding when you do and don’t need car insurance, and the potential consequences of not having cover in place.
Car insurance renewal premiums have a habit of increasing every year, even if you haven’t made a claim. Compare car insurance quotes from more than 110 UK providers.
When don’t I need car insurance?
If you have a car you have to insure it unless you’ve declared it off road. If you have several cars and use one – or more – infrequently, you still need to insure it.
If you’re in any doubt as to whether your car is insured or not, you can check the Motor Insurance Database free of charge.
It’s free if you check your own car and £10 if you want to do a search of another vehicle (such as one you’re planning to buy).
If your car isn’t insured you’ll be sent an ‘insurance advisory letter’. This will tell you that your car isn’t insured and that you should insure it if you want to avoid a fine. If you receive a letter but you know your car is insured: get in touch with your insurance company and ask them to check that your up to date details are on the Motor Insurance Database.
Be aware that new policies could take a few days to show up on the Database. You can also check with the DVLA to find out what information it holds about your car.
What happens if I don’t insure my car?
If you don’t insure your car you could be fined £100. If you still don’t insure your car it could be clamped, seized and destroyed – if it’s on public land. Otherwise, you could be taken to court and face a fine of £1,000.
If your vehicle is seized you’ll only get it back if you can provide evidence that you’ve insured it. You’re likely to be charged more for your insurance if you’ve not insured it in the past – certainly for the first year – and some insurers may even refuse to cover you at all.
If your employer provides you with a company car then they will receive a letter if it’s not insured and they are listed as the owner.
Compare cheap car insurance quotes
Car insurance renewal premiums have a habit of increasing every year, even if you haven’t made a claim. Compare car insurance quotes from over 110 UK providers – you could save up to £530* per year.
*51% of consumers could save £529.95 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next five cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from February 2024 data. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.
How do I declare my car as off road?
You can notify the DVLA you’re taking your vehicle off the road, for example if you’re keeping it in a garage, by obtaining what’s known as a ‘Statutory Off Road Notification’ (SORN).
You can register your vehicle as off the road here. To do so, you’ll need the 11-digit number in your vehicle log book (V5C) and the 16-digit reference number on your vehicle tax reminder.
Once you’ve registered your vehicle as off the road, you should get a refund for any full months of remaining road tax. You won’t be able to drive your car again until you’ve re-taxed it.
What happens when I sell my car?
If you’ve sold your car you must tell the DVLA by sending off part of the V5 registration form. If you’ve done that you shouldn’t receive a letter saying that your car is uninsured.
You can notify the DVLA you’ve sold your car or transferred it to a new registered owner at GOV.UK.
What if I own a caravan, motorbike or vintage car?
If you own a caravan, vintage car or motorbike, or other vehicle that you only drive for part of the year, you’ll still need to insure it unless you declare it off road through a SORN.
Vintage cars will be exempt from road tax provided they’ve been built before January 1984 and registered with the DVLA under historic status. However, you’ll still need to insure your vehicle to comply with the law.
Car insurance renewal premiums have a habit of increasing every year, even if you haven’t made a claim. Compare car insurance quotes from more than 110 UK providers.
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Compare cheap car insurance quotes
Car insurance renewal premiums have a habit of increasing every year, even if you haven’t made a claim. Compare car insurance quotes from over 110 UK providers – you could save up to £530* per year.
*51% of consumers could save £529.95 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next five cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from February 2024 data. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.