Motor Insurance Database (MID) - Check yours now!

[minicabrio]

UK Motorists

If you have recently taken out a new policy, or if you have ammended your policy (i.e. added a personal registration), you need to check online to make sure your insurance company has updated your details on the Motor Insurance Database (MID).

This is the database the police ANPR systems use, and also the Direct.gov car tax renewal site. If your details haven't been updated, you run the risk of being pulled over for not having insurance (a pain!) or not being able to renew car tax online (again, a pain!).

Check it

ASKMID

[Martin F]

I could not find my insurance certificate for my MCS even though I knew from my credit card statement that I had paid the renewal in full.

So I checked this database which said I was not insured. I then contacted my insurer who had failed to process the renewal properly by issuing the cover note and updating the database. They confirmed I had been covered all along but it could have been tedious if I had been stopped by an ANPR.

So it is worth checking your reg on this database to avoid problems.

[Rigsey]

Keep in mind that insurers have a period of time to supply MID data - I believe its between 7-14 days ...

If you are pulled over due to no entry on the MID DB the police can/will call your insurer and verify

[minicabrio]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rigsey (original)

Keep in mind that insurers have a period of time to supply MID data - I believe its between 7-14 days ...

If you are pulled over due to no entry on the MID DB the police can/will call your insurer and verify

That is very true.... however I've had my policy running since Sept 08 - and would have thought they'd have updated them in six months.

I wasn't aware of the MID, or the ability to check it until I was pulled over on Sunday for not having insurance Insurers call centre was closed so couldn't be verified

Fortunately I was not far from home (15 miles) and the police agreed to follow me so I could retrieve my documents

If I'd had known about this, it could have all been avoided

[Rigsey]

Quote: Originally Posted by minicabrio (original)

That is very true.... however I've had my policy running since Sept 08 - and would have thought they'd have updated them in six months.

I wasn't aware of the MID, or the ability to check it until I was pulled over on Sunday for not having insurance Insurers call centre was closed so couldn't be verified

Fortunately I was not far from home (15 miles) and the police agreed to follow me so I could retrieve my documents

If I'd had known about this, it could have all been avoided

Until fairly recently MID was mainly used by the insurance industry and occasionally by the police.

Things have now changed and Police are now using a lot more

I agree its good to check but just keep the 7-14 day info in mind; if your insurer has a decent admin system details should be added the same day

[Martin F]

In my case I had renewed 5 months previously but it was not on the database

[Harpo]

Thanks for the heads up Jon - very interesting - Mrs H's car is quite obviously (as interpreted by the local constabulary) uninsured!

[Harpo]

Shower me with rep if you will, but...

I've just saved the site to my favourites on my phone, so if Mr Careless gives me a shunt, I can check immediately in the hope that he becomes Mr Carless.

[minicabrio]

Certainly a useful tool in such a situation...