Can I be fined for not having car insurance? The penalties for those uninsured

It is illegal to drive a vehicle without car insurance and if caught there are a number of penalties you could face.

It's not just the driver that needs to be insured, but the car too.

From fines to being disqualified from driving here's the penalties you face of caught driving without car insurance.

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Can I be fined for not having car insurance?

It is illegal to drive a vehicle on a road or in a public place without insurance, the UK Government says.

"Even if the vehicle itself is insured, if you’re not correctly insured to drive it you could get penalised," the government adds.

If you are caught driving without car insurance the police could give you a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points on your licence.

The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy the vehicle that’s being driven uninsured, according to the government website.

If the case goes to court you could face even more severe penalties including:

• An unlimited fine

• Disqualified from driving

Uninsured vehicles

Not only must you, as the driver, be insured to drive the vehicle, but the vehicle itself must also be insured if you are using it on roads and in public places.

If you’re the registered owner of an uninsured vehicle, according to the Government, you could:

• Be fined £100

• Have your vehicle wheel-clamped, impounded or destroyed

• Be taken to court where you could get a maximum fine of £1,000

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If your vehicle is kept off the road you can have it declared as such (SORN).

You may also be exempt from insuring a vehicle if it is between registered owners or registered as ‘in trade’ with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

If you're unsure if your vehicle is insured, you can check by visiting askMID.