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Whether an automatic licence changes the process
Having an automatic-only licence does not create a separate category of impound-release insurance. The release rules stay the same. The pound simply checks that the person driving the vehicle out holds the correct entitlement for the vehicle they plan to drive. If your car is automatic, an automatic licence is normally fine. If it is manual, you cannot legally drive it away.
What insurance you actually need
Pounds expect to see a UK-issued insurance certificate that is valid for impound release. Ordinary policies are usually rejected because they do not include the necessary wording for a seized vehicle. Short-term policies lasting one to twenty-eight days are also excluded. The insurance type normally accepted is a specialist thirty-day impound-ready policy matched to your name and the vehicle.
Your licence type is not a barrier to buying this insurance. The insurer just needs to be satisfied that you hold the correct entitlement for the car you will be driving.
If your car is manual
You cannot drive a manual car with an automatic-only licence. A pound will not release the vehicle for road use to someone who is not licensed for that transmission type. If the car is manual, you have two options:
- Ask a driver with a full manual licence to collect it, provided they have their own thirty-day impound-valid policy.
- Arrange a specialist vehicle recovery company to collect it on a transporter.
A permission letter alone is not enough. The pound needs to see proper ID and suitable insurance for whoever will actually drive or transport the vehicle.
What insurers check
When you arrange impound-release cover, the insurer normally asks whether your licence is full, automatic-only, or has any restrictions. They also check the usual eligibility points such as age, convictions and the circumstances of the seizure. As long as the car is automatic and you hold an automatic licence, this is usually straightforward.
What the pound checks at the desk
Pound staff confirm three things:
- Your identity matches the insurance certificate.
- Your licence entitlement matches the vehicle being released.
- The insurance certificate clearly covers impound release and starts at the correct time.
If any part does not align, release by road is refused, regardless of the licence type.
If someone else is collecting the car
The person driving the car out must hold the correct licence for the transmission and vehicle category, have strong photo ID and hold their own impound-valid thirty-day policy. Being a named driver on your normal insurance does not meet impound release rules.
A clear way to think about it
An automatic-only licence does not require a special kind of impound-release insurance. The key is simple: your licence must match the car, and your insurance must be impound-valid. If your vehicle is automatic, you can collect it yourself with the right thirty-day policy. If it is manual, you need a properly licensed driver or a transporter instead.
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.