No one likes to imagine breaking down or being in an accident, but if it does happen, you don’t want to be wondering, “Who is my car insured with?” Having this information on hand straight away means you have one less thing to worry about, and will help get back on the road quicker.
If you’re wondering how you can find out who your car is insured with, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are several options available to you.
Let’s take a look.
How can I find out who my vehicle insurance is with?
Can’t remember who your car insurance is with? Here are six options to help you get the answer you need.
1. Search through your email
When you agree to a policy with an insurance company, they’ll usually send you a copy of all the relevant documents electronically. Unless you’ve deleted them, these documents should still be in your email.
Try searching your inbox for words like “certificate of insurance”, “insurance”, “car insurance”, “policy”, or “premium”. If you’re specifically looking for insurance relating to your van or fleet, you might try “van insurance” or “fleet insurance”. You could also try searching for your vehicle registration number, as this might be quoted in the email. Don’t forget to search your spam or junk folder, or any other folders you might have put it in.
If you’ve got a few different insurers in mind, and are pretty sure one of them is right, try searching for the company names in your inbox, too.
2. Check your paperwork
Do you remember receiving hard copies of your policy, or are you in the habit of printing out some of your paperwork? If so, it’s possible that your policy could be filed away among other important documents.
Search through your files and paperwork. It’s likely that your policy is there somewhere. This isn’t the sort of thing you’re likely to throw away.
3. Review your bank statements or call your bank
If these options don’t work, consider how you pay your monthly premiums. While it’s sometimes possible to pay for insurance using a credit card or over the phone, many insurance companies prefer for their customers to pay via debit order. Either way, there’ll be a paper trail.
Take a look at your bank statements to see where your monthly transactions are going. Credit card payments, phone payments, and debit orders might come from different accounts, but they’ll all be listed on your statements.
If your insurer’s name isn’t immediately obvious on your statement, but you can see the same amount coming off every month, call your bank and ask them where the money is going.
4. Speak to your broker
You might remember the name of your broker, but not your insurance company. In this case, give your broker a call to see if they can help you.
5. Log into quote comparison sites
Did you source your insurer via a comparison website? Try logging onto the comparison site you used to see if you can find the quote you received.
6. Request your information from the MIB
The MIB stands for the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. It’s the body that provides compensation for victims of accidents caused by uninsured and untraced drivers.
Requesting your insurance history from the MIB will help you determine which provider you’ve taken out your policy with. Be aware that this method of checking may charge you a fee, however, while the other options above are free.
Can I check where my car is insured online?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a dedicated online portal that will tell you where your car is insured.
You can use the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to confirm that your car is insured in the first place, however. The website is called askMID — it’s a national database that holds information on all insured vehicles in the UK.
The askMID service is available to all registered insurance companies and car owners, who are invited to use it to check insurance information. It’s also used by the police and the DVLA to enforce vehicle insurance laws.
Simply enter your vehicle registration number into askMID and it’ll let you know if your vehicle has a valid insurance policy. Even if you still don’t know the name of your insurer, at least you can be sure that you’re covered.
Note: The link we’ve provided above is only to check the status of your own car. If you want to check the insurance status of another car, you’ll have to use askMID’s Other Vehicle Look-up Service. This service should only be used in the event of an accident, and only on an hoc, rather than regular, basis.
What does a car insurance policy look like?
Your car insurance policy isn’t especially noteworthy in any way. It’s usually just a plain white A4 document. It will have the name of your insurance company (which is the most important question at this point), and a few other details.
Your insurance policy will provide your name, the start date of your insurance, your registration number, and what kind of insurance you have. This could be:
- Third-party-only insurance
- Third-party, fire, and theft insurance
- Comprehensive insurance
Read more: The 3 types of car insurance explained
Why hasn’t my car insurance come out of my account?
If you notice that your regular car insurance payment hasn’t been debited from your account as it normally is, it’s important that you look into this. Failing to pay for your insurance (even if it’s not your fault) could have serious consequences.
- Your insurance might be cancelled: If your insurer doesn’t receive your premium, they might cancel your insurance. Driving an uninsured car is illegal in the UK, and there are serious penalties for doing so.
- You could be charged additional fees: Your insurer might charge your late or failed payment fees if your debit order bounces.
- Your credit score could be negatively affected: Missed or late payments can impact your credit score — in some cases, for up to six years. This might affect your ability to get a credit card, a loan, or a mortgage.
If you notice anything suspicious in terms of your monthly payments, take a look at the following potential causes:
- You haven’t given your insurer the correct banking details (this is only likely to be an issue if this is your first payment)
- Your banking details have changed
- You don’t have enough money in your bank account
- Your bank has imposed a daily spending limit, which has been exceeded
- Your bank has encountered a problem
Speak to your insurer if you have any concerns that a payment didn’t go through. They’ll be able to confirm that it’s in their account or, if not, will work with you to come up with a solution.
How do I find out if I’m insured to drive someone else’s car?
Driving someone else’s car, or having someone else drive your car, isn’t a straightforward process in the UK. In either instance, you need to look at the relevant insurance policy.
This will tell you whether the driving other cars (DOC) benefit has been included. This no longer comes standard with comprehensive car insurance, so it’s best to double-check your (or the other party’s) policy. It also usually only applies in emergencies, and only includes third-party cover.
If you want to drive someone else’s car long term, you’ll have to be listed as a named driver. Again, ask them to check their policy, and to contact their insurance provider to make this change if you’re not listed.
Read more: Can I drive someone else’s car? Am I insured?
Quickfire summary
It can be easy to forget who your car is insured with. To find out, try one of the following options:
- Search through your email
- Check your paperwork
- Review your bank statements or call your bank
- Speak to your broker
- Log into quote comparison sites
- Request your information from the MIB
It’s illegal to drive without insurance in the UK, so always make sure your insurance is valid. You can do this by using the askMID portal.
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