Car insurance
Impound Release Insurance
the specialist cover a pound will accept, and why an ordinary policy usually is not enough
A specialist short policy bought to satisfy the requirements for releasing a seized vehicle from a pound. It usually runs for about a month as a minimum, and it sits separately from the release and storage charges the pound itself will want.
- Written for a release
- Storage charges build daily
- Not the same as an annual policy
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerImpound release insurance is bought for one purpose: getting a seized vehicle out of a pound. It is a specialist product because an ordinary annual policy is frequently not accepted for a release, and because the pound has its own requirements to satisfy. Storage charges build every day the vehicle sits there, so speed matters more here than on any other cover. Tell us the vehicle and UK providers can come back with quotes.
Convictions on the licence? Our convicted drivers insurance page covers the cover you need afterwards.
At a glance
Getting a Vehicle Released, in Brief
Six things that decide how impound release insurance behaves, before any of the detail.
- The charges build every day
- Speed matters more than price here
- An ordinary policy is often refused
- Pounds have their own requirements
- A minimum period usually applies
- Commonly around a month
- Insurance is only part of the bill
- Release and storage fees are separate
- Paperwork matters
- Identity, ownership and a valid licence
- You still need cover afterwards
- The release policy is not a long-term answer
The basics
What Is Impound Release Insurance?
It is an ordinary motor policy in what it covers and an unusual one in why it exists. Insurers write it knowing it will be presented at a pound, which is precisely the reason it is accepted where other policies are not.
Cover the pound will accept
The whole reason for the product.
The vehicle being released
Named on the certificate.
The person collecting it
Who must be able to drive it away.
A minimum cover period
Usually around a month.
Separate from the fees
Release and storage are paid to the pound.
Proof of ownership
Which the pound will also ask for.
How it works
How Does Impound Release Insurance Work?
You describe the vehicle and the driver, buy the cover, and take the certificate to the pound along with everything else they ask for.
You describe the vehicle
Registration, make, model and whose it is.
You describe the driver
Age, licence history, claims and convictions.
You buy the cover
Usually for a minimum period set by the insurer.
You collect the vehicle
With the certificate, the fees and your paperwork.
What it covers
What Does Impound Release Insurance Cover?
Enough motor cover to satisfy a release, for a period the insurer sets. What it is not is a cheap way to insure a vehicle for a month.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Injury and damage to others | Core | The part that makes a release possible |
| Fire and theft | Where offered | Not on every impound policy |
| Accidental damage | Sometimes available | Many are written third party only |
| A minimum period | Set by the insurer | Commonly around a month |
| Refunds | Rarely available | These policies are usually non-cancellable |
| Release and storage fees | Not insurance at all | Paid to the pound direct |
| Ongoing cover | A separate arrangement | Needed once the vehicle is back |
The insurance is not the whole bill. The pound charges a release fee and a storage charge for every day the vehicle has been there, and neither is covered by any policy. That is why acting quickly saves more than shopping around does.
Exclusions
What Impound Release Insurance Does Not Include
These policies are narrowly drawn, and several of the limits catch people out at exactly the wrong moment.
The release and storage charges
Those are the pound’s fees, not an insured loss.
Refunds if you change your mind
These policies are usually non-refundable.
Anything not declared
Convictions and previous seizures are asked about.
Vehicles outside the value or age limits
Eligibility is tighter than on an annual policy.
Drivers who cannot lawfully drive
A disqualified driver cannot collect the vehicle.
Driving while unfit
Under the influence of drink or drugs.
How vehicles end up there
The Reasons a Vehicle Gets Taken
Seizures happen for a handful of reasons, and knowing which applies tells you what the pound will want before it hands the vehicle back.
Driving without insurance
The commonest reason by a distance.
Driving without a valid licence
Or outside the terms of one.
An untaxed vehicle
Seized by the licensing authority rather than the police.
Abandoned or obstructing
Removed by a council or a landowner.
A vehicle used antisocially
Where the power to seize has been used.
A borrowed car seized
Where somebody else was driving it uninsured.
Need cover once it is back? See our car insurance page.
Who it suits
Who Impound Release Insurance Suits
It is bought under pressure, usually by the registered keeper, and often by somebody whose vehicle was taken while another person was driving it.
Registered keepers
Whose vehicle has been seized.
Owners of a borrowed vehicle
Taken while a friend or relative drove it.
Drivers caught without cover
Who now need a policy to get the vehicle back.
Drivers with convictions
Where the ordinary market has narrowed.
Families sharing a car
Where the insured driver was not the one driving.
Owners weighing the cost
Against simply letting the vehicle go.
Disqualified rather than uninsured? See our disqualified drivers insurance.
Impound cover or an annual policy
Impound Release Cover vs Buying an Ordinary Policy
People usually try the second of these first, and it is the commonest reason a release fails at the counter.
| Impound policy | Annual policy | |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted for a release | Written for it | Frequently refused |
| How long it runs | A short set period | A year |
| What it costs | More for the period covered | Less per month, if you qualify |
| What it is for | Getting the vehicle out | Using the vehicle from then on |
Looking for cover afterwards? See our convicted drivers insurance page.
Cost
What Impound Release Insurance Is Priced On
The vehicle, the driver, the reason for the seizure and the claims and conviction history. We do not print average premiums.
Why it costs more than ordinary cover
An insurer writing an impound policy knows the vehicle has already been seized, usually because somebody was driving it without cover. That is a heavier risk than an ordinary one, and the price reflects it rather than the length of the policy.
Why waiting is the expensive option
Storage is charged for every day the vehicle stays in the pound, and those charges do not stop while you compare. On a vehicle of modest value the storage can overtake what the vehicle is worth surprisingly quickly.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- The driverAge, licence history and convictionsBase
- The vehicleGroup, value and ageRate
- Why it was seizedAsked about directlyRate
- Cover periodUsually a set minimumRate
- Claims historyRecent yearsAdjust
Move quickly
Storage is the cost you can control.
Gather the paperwork first
A wasted trip costs another day.
Declare the seizure
It will be asked about at renewal too.
The details
What the Pound Will Want Before It Releases Anything
Insurance is one of several things you have to turn up with. Arriving without the rest means coming back another day, and another day of storage.
A certificate the pound accepts
Written for a release, covering the vehicle and whoever is driving it away.
Proof that the vehicle is yours
The registration document, or other evidence of ownership.
Proof of who you are
Photographic identity and usually something showing your address.
The release and storage charges
Paid to the pound direct, and rising for every day you wait.
Quote checklist
What You Will Be Asked for an Impound Release Quote
Six things shape the quote: the vehicle, the driver, why it was seized, how long you need the cover, where it will be kept, and anything on the record.
The car
Registration, make, model and whose vehicle it is.
The drivers
Everyone who will drive, and their licences.
Claims and convictions
Recent claims and any motoring convictions.
How it is used
Social, commuting or business, and mileage.
Where it is kept
Postcode and overnight parking.
The seizure
Why it was taken and which pound holds it.
Comparing
Checking Impound Release Quotes Side by Side
Four areas decide whether a policy is any use: the cover, the excess, whether it will be accepted and how long it runs. Acceptance matters more than price.
The cover
- Level of cover and courtesy car
- Windscreen cover
- Driving other cars
The excess
- Compulsory excess
- Voluntary excess
- Windscreen excess
Whether it works
- That the policy is written for a release
- The minimum period you have to buy
- Whether it can be cancelled at all
Terms
- No claims bonus protection
- European driving
- Paying monthly or upfront
Ask whether the policy is written for a release. A certificate the pound refuses is worth nothing. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.
Cutting costs
How to Reduce the Cost of Impound Release Insurance
The levers here are speed and paperwork rather than shopping around. We publish no savings figures.
Collect it promptly
Storage is the largest avoidable cost.
Take everything first time
A second trip costs another day.
Check the policy will be accepted
Before you pay for it.
Arrange ongoing cover early
You will need it the moment you drive away.
Be honest about the seizure
An undeclared one surfaces later.
Weigh the value of the vehicle
Sometimes the sums do not work.
Glossary
Impound Release Terms Explained
The words that come up most on an impound release insurance certificate.
- Impound
- The pound or compound where a seized vehicle is held.
- Seizure
- The removal of a vehicle by the police, the licensing authority or a council.
- Release fee
- A fixed charge the pound makes to hand the vehicle back.
- Storage charge
- A daily charge for every day the vehicle remains there.
- Impound release policy
- Short specialist cover written to satisfy a release.
- Registered keeper
- The person recorded as responsible for the vehicle.
- Main driver
- The person who drives the car most.
- Named driver
- Someone else allowed to drive the car under the policy.
- No claims bonus
- A discount built up through claim-free years.
- Compulsory excess
- The part of a claim the insurer sets that you pay.
- Voluntary excess
- An extra amount you choose to pay on a claim.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Compare Impound Release Insurance with MyMoneyComparison.com?
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces drivers to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one vehicle
Describe the vehicle once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
Impound Release Insurance FAQs
Answers on why an ordinary policy will not do, what the pound wants, and what it costs to wait.
What is impound release insurance?
A short specialist policy bought to satisfy the insurance requirement for getting a seized vehicle out of a pound. It is written knowing it will be presented at a release, which is why it is accepted where other cover often is not.
Why will my normal insurance not do?
Frequently it is simply not accepted for a release, and some annual insurers will not support one at all. Rather than argue at the counter, it is usually quicker to buy cover written for the purpose.
How much does the whole thing cost?
The insurance is only part of it. The pound charges a release fee and a storage charge for every day the vehicle has been held, and neither is covered by any policy. Those charges are the reason to move quickly.
How long does the cover last?
There is usually a minimum period, commonly around a month, and it is rarely refundable if you no longer need it. Buying a day of cover for a release is generally not an option.
Can somebody else collect the vehicle for me?
Only if the policy covers them to drive it and the pound accepts their identity and your authority. Turning up with the wrong person named on the certificate wastes the trip and another day of storage.
What do I need to take with me?
A certificate the pound will accept, proof that the vehicle is yours, photographic identity, and the means to pay the release and storage charges. Ring ahead and check the list, because pounds differ.
What happens if I leave it there?
Charges continue to build, and after a period an unclaimed vehicle can be disposed of. On an older or lower-value vehicle the storage can overtake what it is worth, which is a calculation worth doing early.
Will this fix the underlying problem?
No. The policy gets the vehicle back; it does not deal with why it was taken. If it was seized because somebody was driving without cover, that matter follows its own course separately.
Do I need insurance afterwards as well?
Yes. The release policy runs for its set period and then stops. You need ordinary cover in place for using the vehicle from then on, and it is worth arranging before you collect it.
Will the seizure affect future quotes?
It can, and it will be asked about. Declare it, along with any conviction that came with it, because an undeclared seizure or conviction is a straightforward route to a refused claim later.
My car was seized while a friend was driving. What now?
As the registered keeper you would usually be the one arranging the release. The cover has to name whoever will actually drive it away, and the reason it was taken still has to be declared.
Can I get this cover with convictions?
Often, because specialist insurers in this part of the market price convictions rather than refusing them. Expect fewer options and a higher price, and declare everything from the outset.
Is it third party only or comprehensive?
Many impound policies are written third party only, because their purpose is satisfying the release rather than protecting the vehicle. Check which you are buying if the vehicle has real value.
Can I cancel it once the car is out?
Usually not, or not for anything back. These policies are generally sold on the basis that the premium is committed once cover starts, so treat it as a cost of the release rather than a month of motoring.
What if the vehicle is not worth the fees?
That is a real decision and worth making quickly rather than slowly, because waiting only raises the bill. Weigh the release fee, the accrued storage and the insurance against what the vehicle would fetch.
How do I compare impound quotes?
Start with whether the policy will actually be accepted for a release, then the minimum period, then the excess. A cheaper certificate the pound turns down is not a saving.
Ready when you are
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About this page
This page explains UK impound Release Insurance: what it covers, what it leaves out, and how the release requirements and the storage charges decide a claim. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
Our partnership with GoShorty. Short term and temporary cover through this page is arranged by GoShorty, who we work with in partnership and who provide the service. You will be taken to their site to complete the quote, and their terms apply to any policy you buy there.
How we approached this page
- Published UK impound release policy summaries
- Release requirements, minimum cover periods and daily storage charges
- Financial Ombudsman material on motor insurance complaints
Legal & Regulatory Information:
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