To check whether your car is insured in the UK, use the official Motor Insurance Database (MID) lookup. It provides a free yes/no answer about whether a vehicle currently has a valid insurance policy, without showing personal insurance details. If you’ve recently bought a policy or renewed, the MID may take a short time to update, so if you get a “no” result but recently insured, try again after a few days. How to check

• Go to the official MID check site (often branded as askMID or navigate via GOV/DVLA guidance).
• Enter your vehicle registration number. You’ll be asked to confirm you’re authorized to check the vehicle (you’re the registered keeper or have a legitimate interest).
• You’ll receive a simple yes or no regarding insurance status; no policy details are shown.

If you don’t find insurance

• Double-check that the vehicle is declared on the MID and that it hasn’t been declared off the road (SORN) without insurance.
• If you recently bought a policy, contact your insurer to confirm the policy is active and ensure DVLA/MID records have updated.
• If you think there’s an error, you can request a data subject access or contact the MID administration to verify the applicable insurer information.

Alternative checks and related considerations

• Vehicle tax and MOT status can be checked alongside insurance in some free car-check services, but these do not replace the MID insurance lookup. Always verify the insurance status directly through the MID when in doubt.