Motor Insurance Database (MID)
The motor insurance database is (MID) is the central record of all vehicles insured in the UK and you can check that your own vehicle is registered on the MID by visiting www.askmid.com and entering your vehicle registration number.
Information is retained on the MID for 7 years. It is a legal requirement that the MID is kept up to date with details of all insured vehicles. In the event of an accident the information held on the MID can be used to identify the insurer and the policyholder of the vehicles involved, which helps to facilitate the claims process.
As a Motor Fleet policyholder, you are responsible for ensuring that Motor Insurance Database (MID) is accurate and upto date. The motor insurance database will be updated by your broker or by your insurance company or by you, the policyholder.
The Police make over 2 million checks for vehicles on the MID per month. According to Police figures, around 140,000 vehicles are seized for no insurance every year and approximately 30% are subsequently sold or destroyed.
Source: Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB)
If the police then have reason to believe the vehicle or driver may be uninsured, they can impound the vehicle and request adequate proof of insurance to release it. Even if adequate proof of insurance is subsequently provided, an automatic charge of around £120 is made for the release of the vehicle, plus an additional charge for each day that the vehicle has been impounded (up to 14 days – at which point the vehicle is destroyed)One person every 3 minutes is convicted for driving without insurance.
To comply with the 4th EU Motor Directive you are obliged to provide the Motor Insurance Database (MID) with the registration numbers of all vehicles that you own that will be driven, used or parked on a road or public place which are insured under your fleet insurance policy. This includes:-
- All permanent vehicles (i.e. vehicles registered to, owned by, or leased to you)
- Temporary vehicles held for more than 14 days (e.g. borrowed vehicles)
- Vehicles for which only contingency insurance is held if they are kept for more than 14 days
Important – vehicles must be owned and registered in the name of the policyholder. Unless specified, cover does not apply to vehicles owned by a spouse or an employee.In addition, when you sell or dispose of vehicles, you must remember to update the MID or inform us as soon as possible. Failure to do so may result in you being contacted about insurance claims that have nothing to do with you.
As part of Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) legislation, it is an offence to be the keeper of a vehicle without insurance unless you have notified the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) that your vehicles is being kept off the road using a Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN).
As well a the powers that the police have to seize an uninsured vehicle, as outlined above, if a vehicle is not declared as SORN and is being kept on a road, the owner of the vehicle will be issued with a Insurance Advisory Letter (IAL). If they fail to comply with the advice set out in the letter they will face:
- A fixed penalty fine of £100
- Their vehicle being clamped, seized and disposed of
- A court prosecution and a maximum fine of £1000
Please refer to the table below for examples of under what circumstances the MID has to be updated. If you are in any doubt, please call us immediately.
| Description of Vehicle | In possession for | Should details be sent to the MID? |
|---|---|---|
| UK Registered and Taxed | 14 days or less | No |
| More than 14 days | Yes | |
| UK Registered but Tax Exempt | 14 days or less | No |
| More than 14 days | Yes | |
| Unregistered | No Limit | No |
| Foreign Registered | No limit | No |
| Motor Trade Plate(s) | No Limit | Yes |
| UK Registered, but untaxed vehicle, NOT kept or used in a public place (*) | No limit | No |
(*) Since 2011 it has been an offence to own a motor vehicle (regardless of where it is kept) without adequate Motor Insurance unless the vehicle is declared as SORN.
