Essential documents
Must you always carry a paper insurance certificate in the car to prove that you are insured?
- No, the police can check insurance electronically on the Motor Insurance DatabaseCorrect
- Yes, it must be shown on the windscreen at all times
- Yes, or the car is seized straight away
- Yes, but only when driving on a motorway
Why?
You do not have to carry a paper insurance certificate. The police can check whether a car is insured electronically using the Motor Insurance Database (MID). If asked, you can still produce your insurance at a police station, usually within 7 days, as covered in Annex 3 of The Highway Code.
Highway Code rules Annex 3, DVLA