Or ring ☎ 0161 388 2552 (office hours)
Why you can’t always drive straight out of the pound
Once the fees are paid and the paperwork is checked, it’s natural to expect to drive your car home straight away. But a pound will only allow a vehicle to leave the site in a way that fully complies with road law. Whether you can drive it depends on a mix of insurance, MOT status, tax, and the condition of the vehicle. Pounds normally explain their local rules, but the responsibility for staying within the law sits with the person taking the car away.
The insurance requirement
To drive your car home, you must show a valid insurance certificate that the pound accepts. A policy must be active, correctly issued for the vehicle, and suitable for impound release. If your previous insurance was cancelled or suspended, or if the pound considers the certificate invalid for release, you’ll need to arrange suitable cover before leaving. Many drivers use impound-specific temporary insurance for this purpose. Once the car is released, that insurance keeps you legal for the journey home, but it usually lasts only a short time, so you’ll need to arrange long-term cover once you’re back.
MOT and tax checks before you drive away
If the car has a valid MOT and is already taxed, you can normally drive it home in the usual way. Problems arise when the MOT has expired. Driving without an MOT is only permitted in one specific situation: a direct journey to a pre-booked MOT test. If you plan to take the car home instead of straight to the test centre, you’ll need to arrange recovery rather than driving it.
Where a car is untaxed because the MOT has expired, some pounds may ask for a temporary tax deposit before releasing it for a MOT-exempt journey. This acts as proof that you intend to follow the exemption rules properly. Ask the pound in advance so you know what to expect at the counter.
Roadworthiness is just as important as paperwork
Even if the paperwork is in order, the car must be safe to drive. Pounds will not allow a vehicle with clearly dangerous defects to be driven away, and the law does not allow it either. If the tyres are worn to the cords, if the brakes or steering show signs of serious failure, or if the car was seized because of a mechanical danger, it must leave on a recovery truck. The restriction applies even if you intend to take it straight to a repair garage or MOT test.
Storage can also affect roadworthiness. Cars left standing may develop flat batteries, low tyre pressures or corrosion on brakes. A brief check is sensible even when no faults were recorded at seizure.
If the car was seized for no insurance
Where a vehicle was impounded because it was being driven uninsured, you will need a valid policy before the pound allows the car onto the road. If the keeper is not present, or if the situation involves additional police checks, a pound may require the registered keeper to attend in person before authorising release. Once proper cover is in place, you can usually drive the car home if it meets the other legal conditions.
When recovery is the only lawful option
There are situations where you must use a transporter or recovery truck:
- The vehicle has dangerous mechanical defects.
- Insurance is not valid for release or driving.
- There is no MOT and no pre-booked MOT test to justify a direct journey.
- The car is untaxed and no tax deposit has been made where required.
- The pound has flagged safety concerns that prevent road use.
A recovery company has its own insurance, so this avoids the complications of trying to meet release conditions when the car can’t legally be driven.
Practical checks before making the decision
Before leaving the counter, confirm that your insurance certificate is active from the time you exit the pound. Check the MOT or MOT appointment details, ensure tax status lines up with the rules for the journey you intend to make, and walk around the car to look for tyre problems, damage or leaks. If anything makes you doubtful about the safety of driving it, recovery is the safer option.
Staying compliant once you're back on the road
After getting the car home, bring the paperwork fully up to date. If you used a temporary policy, arrange your long-term insurance straight away. If the car still needs an MOT or repairs, book them promptly. Keeping tax, insurance and MOT aligned avoids repeat problems and keeps the car within the conditions required for lawful use.
Impound processes, time limits and costs vary widely across the UK, and authorities can amend their rules at any time. Information on this site is intended as a general overview and should not be relied on as definitive for any specific impound location.