The Motor Insurance Database (MID)
When you buy car insurance, a record is added to the Motor Insurance Database (MID). You can use the MID to check if your car is insured.
How to check your car insurance using AskMID
To check your car insurance, search for your car's number plate on AskMID, the Motor Insurance Database (MID) website. The MID will tell you if your car is insured.
The police also use the MID to check if a vehicle is insured. It can take a while for your policy to show up in the search. But don't worry. If this happens, your policy is still valid. More on that in a mo 👇
Checking your car insurance is free. Just go to AskMID, and type in your car's registration number.
Your insurance is still legal, even if it doesn't show up on the MID
It can sometimes take a little while for your details to show up on the MID.
The police's Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) database can also sometimes be slow to update. Sometimes new policies are only added once per week (and unfortunately there's nothing we can do to speed it up!).
If you're buying short-term car insurance, there's a chance your policy won't be added to the MID in time.
Because of this, we send your policy details to the MID as quickly as we can. But the MID can be slow to update, whoever you buy your insurance with.
Some of our customers have been pulled over by the police because of this - but don’t worry, as long as you are insured and can provide your policy docs, you have nothing to worry about.
What to do if you're pulled over
If you're pulled over, and your insurance isn't listed on the MID, don't panic. From the moment you buy your Cuvva policy, your insurance is valid. Your policy documents are your proof of cover - so just show them to the police officer.
You can find your policy documents in the app. Tap on the "Profile" button in the top left and then tap on your vehicle. You'll see a list of all the policies you've bought.
You'll also get an email copy of your policy documents as soon as you buy it.
Only look up your car
There are strict rules about which cars you can look up on MID. You are only allowed to look up the details if:
- You own the car yourself
- You are the registered keeper or driver of the car
- You or your employer insure the car
- You are an insurance agent and working on behalf of your client
- So don’t just enter any old reg plate!
However, if you’ve been in an accident with another car resulting in an injury, you can request their information from the MID. Just check the Other Vehicle Look Up Service. It costs £10 per enquiry.
You only need to show your policy docs to prove you're insured
Get insurance
You need to be insured before you hit the road - and Cuvva's policies from 1 hour to 28 days might be able to help, with cover starting from just £11.90.
- Temporary car insurance for borrowing or lending a car in minutes.
- Learner driver cover for driving lessons, getting practice in with a supervisor, or taking the driving test.
- Drive away insurance for getting your new car home from the dealership.
- Temporary van insurance for moving home, dropping things to the recycling centre, or carrying a heavy load.
And it only takes a few minutes to get a quote.