askMID – How It Works.

Motor insurance database check.

Is a car safe and legal to buy after an MIB search?

CarVeto's Free Car Check services include a search return option via askMID and the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau).

The askMID service helps injured parties from a road traffic accident or their representatives instantly check for valid car insurance and obtain insurance details due to road traffic incident collisions.

It’s also useful when buying. See our notes for reporting uninsured cars being sold privately.

Running some checks

For those looking for further information about a car on the road:

askMID insurance database checks
Insurance category
Road tax status
MOT status
Insurance write-off
Theft/stolen
Plate transfer history
Registered near data*

*For vehicles registered in the UK from new since 1998. Excludes private plates and imported vehicles.

What is SORN Status?

By law, all UK vehicles not registered with DVLA SORN Statutory Off-Road Notification must be insured and current on askMID. Otherwise, the registered keeper on the V5C Registration Document (informally known as the vehicle log book) will be issued a fixed penalty and possible penalty points on their driver’s license.

Get a full Vehicle Check report via the CarVeto database, including a detailed car history search.

Insurance company involvement

Every UK company that provides motor insurance products and services must be a registered member of MIB and supply up-to-date data to the MID (Motor Insurance Database).

CarVeto leverages askMID database services via a valuable partnership that helps motorists understand vehicle status and history.

As part of our free VRM investigation (Vehicle Registration Mark), we support the askMID function and encourage website users and customers to see if a vehicle is insured before they buy it.

Can I buy an uninsured car?

Act with caution. The best practice is to investigate further why the vehicle checked is uninsured.

Why might a vehicle be classed as uninsured with askMID and MIB if not registered as DVLA SORN?

Car may be stolen
Car may be cloned
Car may have a hidden history
The registered keeper is forgetful
Registered keeper acts irresponsibly

CarVeto is a safety measure. We veto vehicles that have not passed all background history checks.

What are the UK's central motor insurance policies?

Valid insurance is mandatory when driving on the roads. The three main policy types are Third-Party, Third-Party Fire and Theft and Comprehensive.

Short-Term Car Insurance (or temporary) is another option for motorists who need instant coverage.

How does a vehicle fail our online insurance checking protocols?

Theft/stolen – click and Check if a Car is Stolen using the Police National Computer and Insurance Database
Outstanding finance – read about Buying a Car on Finance
Mileage inconsistencies – learn about a Free Mileage Check
Write-off status – read about Car Write-Offs resulting from insurance category loss

askMID queries that result in a vehicle being uninsured is another signal of problems ahead.

If you find a car for sale that is uninsured or not classed as SORN, contact the Police and report it immediately via this link: https://www.police.uk/crime-prevention-advice/vehicle-crime/

A failed askMID query is a further alert to why a car should not be purchased before further investigation.

We recommend reporting an untaxed or uninsured car to the DVLA or Police:
https://www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle
https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/vehicles-without-mot-tax/

Run a car check for any UK-registered vehicle.

Questions and comments are welcome; we are constantly improving our information and services.

Contact CarVeto and let us know what you think.

The team at CarVeto