Reducing uninsured drivers
Police Scotland is part of Operation Tutelage. This operation aims to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the UK’s roads.
You may have received a letter from Police Scotland about your vehicle.
The letter is not a notice of prosecution. It is for your information. You can check if there's valid insurance on your vehicle. You can then continue to use it on the road.
There are a number of reasons why a vehicle may show on the Motor Insurance Database as holding no insurance.
These include administrative errors, wrong registration numbers held on certificates and late payments. It can also include cancelled or voided policies or because there is no policy in force.
Another common reason is that you have just purchased new insurance. This may not yet have been entered into the Motor Insurance Database.
Each insurance company will have different service level agreements on how long it takes to update the database. You may of course check the Motor Insurance Database by going to askMID.
It is possible this is an administration error. We urge you to contact your insurance company as soon as possible to check they hold the correct details for you and your vehicle.
If a vehicle is stopped by the police on a road or public place without a valid policy of insurance it can be seized. This is under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act.
The vehicle would not be released until you have a valid policy of insurance. A release fee will need to be paid (this includes a recovery fee and storage charges). Vehicles not claimed after 14 days, are disposed of to recover costs.
The offence of not having valid insurance can carry between 6 and 8 penalty points if prosecuted at court.
You can be disqualified and fined £5000. If the offence is dealt with at the roadside with a fixed penalty, this carries a fine of £300 and six penalty points.
If a vehicle continually drives without a valid policy of insurance, it will be subject to further attention.
If you are no longer the registered keeper of this vehicle, ensure you have notified the DVLA in writing. They can then update their records.
Once you have clarified the position in relation to your insurance you do not need to make contact with us.
If you have any questions or concerns you can contact us via email at tutelage@scotland.pnn.police.uk. Include your vehicle registration mark.
For more information – see the Operation Tutelage FAQs.
