The Motor Insurance Database (MID)

If you have a motor insurance policy then the chances are you are familiar with the phrase the Motor Insurance Database, otherwise known as the MID, but how much do you know about it?

If you have any type of motor policy whether that be Motor Trade, Motor Fleet, Commercial Vehicle or your own Private Car insurance then you may be interested to know what your responsibilities are, how it works and how the Police know your vehicle is insured or not.

What is the MID?

The Motor Insurance Database (MID) is the central record of all insured vehicles in the UK, it is operated by the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) and is used by the Police and the DVLA to enforce motor insurance laws. This is an enormous undertaking and according to askmid.com the database is updated on average over 10,000 times an hour.

The Police use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras fitted to their vehicles and traffic cameras to reference information from the Motor Insurance Database (MID), this allows them to quickly identify vehicles showing as uninsured. According to the MID, more than 500 vehicles are seized every day for being driven without insurance.

The DVLA use the MID to cross-reference vehicles which, according to their records, are being used on the road. This means any vehicle that is not registered as off the road (SORN) should appear on the MID. The DVLA will send a warning letter, followed by a fine if you fail to take action to ensure your vehicle is either insured and on the database or registered as SORN.

The Motor Insurance Database offers a free check at https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/ where you can see if your vehicle is currently registered on the MID.

For most insurance policies you purchase, your insurer automatically adds your vehicle to the MID when you buy the policy (and likewise removes them when the policy is lapsed or cancelled) however for Motor Trade insurance policies the responsibility to update the MID lies with the policyholder.

Motor Trade and the MID

Motor Trade policies allow multiple vehicles owned by the policyholder to be insured on the same policy under one certificate. As the policy documents do not specify vehicle registrations, it is essential that the MID reflects the vehicles currently in your possession. The good news is that most insurers now offer online updates to track and change your vehicle list as needed.

The MIB recommends that all vehicles used on the road are added to the MID regardless of the length of time you expect to own the vehicle. This will minimise the risk of being stopped by the Police, which may lead to a vehicle seizure. In addition, if you fail to remove a vehicle once sold your insurer may be liable for any claim that may occur whilst the vehicle is in possession of the new owner – the insurer will add the claim to your policy, your no claims bonus may be affected meaning you may have to pay higher premiums!

The MIB state that MID updates should be submitted ‘immediately’ and they should therefore be done as soon as possible and ideally on the same day.

As with all insurance policies, the cover, exclusions, processes and procedures will vary depending on the policy you have so ensure you read your policy carefully and speak to your broker if you are unsure of anything.