IN10 Insurance - Driving Without Insurance Convictions?

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Requirement for third party Insurance

It is an offence to drive a mechanically powered vehicle without compulsory third party insurance on a road or other public place.

Driving without insurance (IN10) Conviction penalties

Driving a car with no insurance is a criminal offence which is triable only summarily in a Magistrates Court.

The maximum penalty for this offence is 12 months disqualification and a level 5 fine

Penalties range from 6-8 penalty points and a band C fine. Magistrates do have the discretion to disqualify drivers for up to 12 months for driving without insurance.

DVLA Endorsement Conviction Code - IN10

DVLA offence code IN10 (using a vehicle uninsured) will be endorsed on the driving licence of anyone convicted of driving with no insurance. The endorsement must remain on a driving licence for a period of 4 years from the date of the offence and will be valid for totting-up procedure purposes for a period of 3 years.

Power to seize vehicles driven without insurance

Vehicle seizure for driving without insurance

The police have the power to seize a vehicle if there is no evidence that the vehicle is insured and it is or was being driven on a road or other public place.

Upon seizing a vehicle, a police officer must give the driver of the vehicle a seizure notice unless it is impracticable to do so. If the driver is not the owner or registered keeper of the vehicle, the police officer must take reasonable steps to give a seizure notice to the owner and registered keeper of the vehicle.

Claiming a vehicle that has been seized

The seizure notice will contain a requirement that the owner (or registered keeper) of the vehicle claims it within a specified period of time. The period of time will be not less than seven working days from the day that the seizure notice was issued.

In order for a vehicle to be released:

1. The owner (or registered keeper) of the vehicle must provide proof that they are indeed the owner (or registered keeper); and
2. All charges in respect to the seizure and retention of the vehicle must be paid in full; and
3. The seizure notice along with a valid certificate of insurance for the vehicle and a valid driving licence must be produced.

Disposal of vehicles that have been seized

If the vehicle is not claimed on or before the date given in the seizure notice, it may be disposed of. The vehicle cannot be disposed of until at least 14 days after the date on which the vehicle was seized.

If the vehicle has been sold then the net proceeds are payable to the owner (or registered keeper) of the vehicle if claimed within a year.

Reference

[1] The Road Traffic Act 1988