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If your car has been seized by the police, you need specific cover to get it back; a regular policy won’t work, and time is of the essence. Here are the quick facts on how our compound insurance can help you get your car back, fast:
Having your car seized by the police and held in a compound is a situation no driver wants to find themselves in. Whether it’s due to a parking mishap or a lapse in insurance, the priority now is getting your car back before the storage fees start to spiral, or your car is scrapped.
Standard insurance policies don’t cut it when it comes to getting a car out of a police compound. That’s where specialist impound insurance comes in. We provide the specific 30-day cover you need to satisfy the police and get your wheels back on the road as quickly and easily as possible.
Impound insurance, sometimes called compound release insurance, is a specialist type of temporary car insurance designed for one specific job: getting a seized car released.
If the police seize your car under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act (usually for driving without insurance or without a valid licence), or if it’s seized for any other reason, you can’t just use a standard policy to get it back. Compounds require a specialist impound specific policy that lasts for at least 30 days.
Keep in mind, as well as having the right insurance in place, you will also need other evidence to get your car out of a compound…
For a deeper dive into the paperwork, check our full guide on how to get a vehicle from an impound.
While having the correct insurance is a legal requirement for getting your car back, simply buying a policy doesn’t guarantee that the compound will release your vehicle.
The staff at the compound have the final say and will only release the car if you meet every part of their criteria, including providing all the necessary original documents. Because of the specialist nature of these policies, if you’re unable to get your car released due to missing paperwork, incorrect information or the compound’s discretion, you won’t be able to amend your policy. It’s vital to ensure you have everything ready and all your insurance details are correct before you buy.
We aim to help as many drivers as possible get back on the road. Our impound release insurance is available for:
You might be wondering whether you can just get 1-day impound insurance or use your existing annual policy to retrieve your car. But the reality is that most standard insurance providers include a specific clause that excludes cover for releasing impounded vehicles, so you will have to take out a specialist policy.
Police compounds have strict criteria. To release a car, they legally require:
Our specialist cover is built to meet these exact requirements, so you don’t face a wasted trip to the compound.
Impound insurance costs more than a standard temporary policy. A common question is why is impound insurance so expensive, because realistically, you are looking at paying upwards of £360 per policy.
This is because insurers view impounded vehicles as a higher risk. The policy has to be 30 days long, and it covers drivers who may have recently had issues with their licence, including penalty points, previous insurance issues or cancellations.
However, when you compare the cost of the insurance to the value of your car, or the cost of it being scrapped, specialist cover is a vital investment.
At GoShorty, we work with a panel of specialist insurers, including ERS and Granite, to find you the most competitive price for this specialist cover.
When your car goes into a compound, the costs start immediately. Most compounds charge a statutory removal fee (usually starting around £192 for a standard car) plus a daily storage fee. According to official government tariffs, these daily fees are usually around £26 per day. These fees quickly add up if you don’t act quickly to recover your vehicle.
If you don’t recover your car within 14 days, the police have the legal right to scrap it or sell it at auction. Getting your insurance sorted quickly isn’t just about convenience; it’s about saving your car and your wallet.
Cars are seized every day across the UK, and it isn’t always because of a deliberate attempt to break the law. If your car’s been taken, you can find out more about the specific legalities in our guide on car impound causes. Some of the most common reasons include:
What is covered:
Our specialist cover is built to meet these exact requirements, so you don’t face a wasted trip to the compound.
What isn’t covered:
We specialise in temporary cover, and our impound product is designed to be as stress-free as possible.
Phil Evans – Managing Director
“Many drivers don’t realise that their standard annual insurance often becomes void the moment the police seize the vehicle under Section 165. Buying a standard 1-day policy is a mistake we see often; it won’t be accepted at the compound and can lead to even more delays. Always ensure your policy is a dedicated 30-day impound product to avoid being turned away at the desk.”
No. It’s a legal requirement under the Road Traffic Act. The compound staff are legally obligated to see a valid certificate of insurance before they can let the vehicle leave.
No. Whilst you can get 1-day insurance for a standard policy, when it comes to getting a car out of an impound, the police require a minimum of 30 days of cover to release a seized vehicle.
Insurance criteria is assessed by insurers to provide an exact price. Prices vary based on your age, location, the vehicle and your driving history, but you should expect to pay more than for a standard policy for impound, due to the associated risks. Prices tend to start from £360; you can get a quote in under two minutes to see exactly how much it will cost you.
Yes, we can often cover drivers with existing points or convictions. Whether you’re worried about how long points stay on your licence or points on a provisional licence, we’ll do our best to find a policy that fits, so you can get your car back.
Yes, as long as your licence has not been suspended, we can still provide you with cover and will take into consideration that there may be a pending conviction for driving with no insurance.
Please refer to the relevant insurer’s policy wording for their terms around cancellations. Should a refund be available, this will be calculated in line with the short-term period rates as shown in the policy wording. Any refund provided by the insurer will not be inclusive of our fees which are non-refundable.
GoShorty will provide you with a valid insurance based on the information you provide us with to allow for the release of your vehicle from an impound, however valid insurance won’t guarantee your vehicle’s release. If the authority in possession of the insured vehicle is not willing to release the vehicle to you for any reason, you’ll need to resolve this with them directly. GoShorty are not responsible for the actions of any impound, nor do we have any authority over them and your policy cannot be amended once cover has been purchased, so please ensure you have read and understand all of the terms and conditions of your policy before you purchase.
For full licence holders policies must only be in the name of the vehicle owner, or the policyholder must hold a current lease in their name for the impounded vehicle. For provisional licence holders they will be required to have a named driver over the age of 30 on the policy.
Provisional licence holders aged 17-21 must have a named driver aged over 30 on their policy. The named driver will need to attend the release with the policy holder and will need to be the driver of the car, once released. The provisional licence holder will be excluded from driving in these circumstances, despite the policy needing to be in their name.
Vehicles fitted with manufacturer-specified optional extras that are fitted at the time of manufacture are acceptable. Vehicles modified to cater for a disabled driver, or a disabled passenger, are acceptable. All other modifications (cosmetic or performance-related) are not acceptable.
Don’t let the storage fees mount up. Get a quote for specialist 30-day impound release insurance and take the first step toward getting back on the road.
Reviewed by Chris Penfold, Director of Underwriting – February 2026
Want to learn more about compound insurance? Take a look at our guides to see if it’s right for you.
