Driving without delivery insurance
Eamonn Turley
3 minute read
18 March 2025
In UK road safety and highway laws, it’s illegal to drive without insurance or with the incorrect insurance: which gives a fixed fine of £300 to offenders. You may also receive 6 penalties to your vehicle, and for repeated offenders, your case may even go to court. The police have the power to seize your vehicle and disqualify you from driving, therefore it’s within your best interest to make sure your vehicle is insured— at least with a third party insurance.
Many British people drive unaware that their insurance is invalid. For some, their insurance expired without their notice. It’s common for your insurance package to not renew automatically, so make sure to contact your providers about expiration dates and renewal options. If you have a pay monthly car insurance policy, and you miss one payment, the insurance company may cancel your insurance without you even becoming aware until it is too late. Another factor to consider is your insurance cover. If your car itself is insured for businesses, this insurance plan may not be covered for driving for other purposes, in particular if you are using your vehicle to provide a delivery service.
Providing a delivery service without the correct insurance
If you are using your car or van to provide a food delivery service, but you do not have fast food delivery insurance, you are effectively driving without insurance. Driving with the wrong insurance will be treated the same as driving without insurance, and you will likely be fined and awarded 6 penalty points and the vehicle could be impounded. Typical business insurance does not provide cover for delivering food and if caught you will be fined and given penalty points and possible have your vehicle impounded.
For those that only work part-time, you should consider a policy based on pay as you go or pay as use, check with your insurance provider if this can be added as an extra to your base package. If not, you may be able to purchase it separately from another provider, but your insurance company will need to approve this.
Key Takeaway ? Driving with the incorrect insurance is a serious offence that will result in fines and penalty points and your vehicle could be impounded, adding additional costs and a major headache to get released. Take note, under the 165 Road Traffic Act, police have the power to impound uninsured vehicles.
How to check if your car is insured
There are government websites and apps that not only inform your car’s insurance status, but also set reminders for insurance payments. To check your vehicle’s insurance status, you can enter your information in the Motor Insurance Database’s website. This government website is only available to cars inside the UK and is the only (reliable) site for checking your car’s status.
What can you expect if caught driving without delivery insurance?
Your Attractive Heading
What precautions you decide to take are entirely up to you, but please be aware of the consequences that follow with an uninsured vehicle. What you may be legally subjected to with an uninsured car are as follows:
Unlimited Fines
On top of a £300 fine and 6 penalty points, you may be subject to additional fines totaling up to £1,000. Even if you’re not actively driving, parking your uninsured vehicle in a public area is a violation. If your case goes to court, your fine may rise even higher.
Driving disqualification
If your case goes to court, you risk being disqualified from driving. In most cases, a driving ban would be temporary. The length of your ban would depend on the court’s decision, but repeat offenders may face up to a 56-day ban. It’s important to note that your driver’s licence would be revoked along with your disqualification. To drive again, you must retake your driving test.
Car seizure
You may receive a notice letter from the police informing you that they will be seizing your car. Your car may even be destroyed if you don’t provide proof or receipts of insurance within 7 business days of receiving the notice. If your car or van has been seized and impounded, you may need specialist impounded car or van insurance to release your vehicle from the pound, along with proof of ownership, proof of address, and payment of any outstanding fines.
Car seizure
You may receive a notice letter from the police informing you that they will be seizing your car. Your car may even be destroyed if you don’t provide proof or receipts of insurance within 7 business days of receiving the notice. If your car or van has been seized and impounded, you may need specialist impounded car or van insurance to release your vehicle from the pound, along with proof of ownership, proof of address, and payment of any outstanding fines.
Points added to your licence
The six penalty points you receive for having an uninsured car stay on your driving record for up to 4 years. Points added to your driving record may create burdens such as higher insurance rates and a higher chance that your driving licence will be revoked.