Impound Car Insurance

Release your car quickly and easily

  • The cover you legally need
  • 30 days cover (legal minimum length required)
  • Immediate cover. Save on impound storage fees

What is impound insurance?

When a car is seized by the police for having no insurance or another offence, it’s important to get the right insurance to release it. Ensure you have proof that you are the registered legal owner of the vehicle.

Standard insurance policies may not cover impound release but Tempcover’s 30-day compound release insurance has everything you need.

Having your vehicle impounded can be expensive. You have to prove it’s insured for at least 30 days in order to get it back – no matter what the offence.

Our impound insurance, also known as compound insurance, will help get your car back on the road quickly and legally.

How do I get my car back when it's been seized?

  • The registered keeper must go to a police station within the force area where the vehicle was seized, within seven days of receiving the seizure notice. The only exceptions are if you can provide evidence you are out of the country or have medical or compassionate circumstances that will stop you being able to retrieve.
  • Bring proof of identity (passport, driving licence, EU national identity card or immigration document), a valid driving licence, a valid certificate of motor insurance, proof of ownership (V5C logbook), an MOT test pass certificate and tax if needed.
  • After you've visited the police station and the vehicle has been released, you must take the following to the pound:
  1. The release notice
  2. Photo ID
  3. Payment

If you’re only collecting property and not the vehicle itself, you’ll need to provide proof of ownership or a V5C.

If you don’t want to reclaim the vehicle, do not respond and it will be disposed of after 14 days.

Source: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/vr/vehicle-recovery/seized-vehicles/

Benefits of impounded car insurance

How much is impound insurance?

There are many car impound charges to consider:

  • Storage fees from approx £20 per day (prices vary)
  • A release fee of £160 for cars and motorcycles and up to £700 for other vehicles (Gov.uk)
  • Compound insurance to drive the vehicle – average price around £507* (prices vary)
  • Price of impound insurance depends on factors including history, experience and type of vehicle

*Based on Tempcover data as of 24 September 2024.

Why was my car seized?

Cars can be seized, clamped or removed for many reasons, from drivers being caught without a valid licence to being parked illegally.

If you fail to reclaim your vehicle or show the correct documents within 14 days, your vehicle can be disposed of.

Tempcover works with a panel of insurers to provide you with compound car insurance cover. As such, full details of cover may differ depending on your insurer. 

Before buying, please double-check the policy wording.

Am I eligible for temporary impound car insurance?

We work directly with insurers to provide you with short-term insurance to suit your needs


You can pay for your short term insurance policy in several ways. Using our secure payment system, you can use the following payment methods:

After you’ve bought your policy, your documents will be emailed to you instantly so there’s no waiting around.

Customer Satisfaction

We also currently hold an "Excellent" rating on Trustpilot with over 30,000 reviews

Temporary impounded car insurance FAQs

Can't find what you're looking for?

Contact Us

Read the latest news