How to Check Car Insurance by Reg (UK Guide 2026)

If you want to confirm your car is insured, or check the insurance status of a vehicle involved in an accident, the official UK tool is Navigate (formerly known as askMID), run by the Motor Insurers' Bureau.

What is Navigate (askMID)?

Navigate is the public-facing service that queries the Motor Insurance Database (MID), the central record of every insured vehicle in the UK. The database is used by:

• The police for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras
• The DVLA to enforce continuous insurance rules
• Drivers to verify their own policy is on record
• Anyone in an accident to check the third party's cover

How to check your own vehicle (free)

1. Go to ownvehicle.askmid.com
2. Confirm you're the registered keeper
3. Enter your registration number
4. Complete the reCAPTCHA
5. Result appears immediately

The check is free. You can only check your own vehicle this way.

How to check another vehicle after an accident

A separate service exists for accident situations. The other party isn't notified that you've checked. There's a small fee (around £4).

Use it only if you've genuinely been in an accident. Misuse can result in penalties.

What if my insurance isn't showing?

Don't panic. Insurance policies can take 3 to 7 days to upload to the MID. Some insurers only update once a week. Steps:

1. Wait 7 days from when the policy started
2. Check the registration number is exactly right (zero vs letter O is a classic typo)
3. Call your insurer to confirm your details have been submitted to the MID
4. Keep your insurance certificate on you as proof of cover. You're still legally insured from the moment the policy started, even if MID hasn't updated yet

What Navigate cannot tell you

• Who the policy is held by - only that one exists for the vehicle
• The policy expiry date - check your own insurance documents
• What level of cover - third party, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive
• Named drivers - Navigate is vehicle-based, not driver-based

If you're driving someone else's car, the fact that the car is on Navigate doesn't mean you're covered to drive it. Always check the policy itself.

Continuous Insurance Enforcement

Since 2011, UK law requires every vehicle to be insured at all times unless it's declared SORN. If your vehicle is on the road and uninsured, you'll get:

• An automatic warning letter
• A £100 fixed penalty fine
• Possible court prosecution if the offence continues
• Possible vehicle seizure

What does Navigate show after a successful check?

One of three messages:

1. Your vehicle is currently insured on the Motor Insurance Database - all good
2. No record found - wait 7 days, then escalate to your insurer
3. Cannot complete check - usually a typo in the registration number

Free or paid check?

Checking your own vehicle is always free. Some third-party sites charge for the same lookup. There's no need to use them.

See everything else about your vehicle

MotifyMe pulls together MOT status, tax status, vehicle details and more from one free reg lookup. Insurance status remains via Navigate (askMID) for legal reasons.