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When a borrowed car is seized while you were driving
It is a jolt when you are stopped in a car that is not yours and the officer decides the vehicle has to be taken to a pound. Even though you are not the registered keeper, the police record you as the person in control of the vehicle at the time, and that shapes much of what follows. The pound then deals with the custody side, while any penalties go through the normal traffic channels.
People often assume that the consequences land mainly on the keeper because the car is in their name. In reality, responsibility depends on the type of offence. The driver and keeper each have their own obligations, and both can be drawn into the process for different reasons.
Your liability for the offence that led to the seizure
Everything turns on why the car was impounded. If the officer found no valid insurance, problems with your licence or safety defects linked to how the vehicle was being used, you may face penalties as the driver. Some issues sit squarely with the person behind the wheel, regardless of who owns the vehicle.
Other problems relate to the way the vehicle is kept. A missing MOT, expired tax or serious maintenance fault may raise questions for the keeper, particularly if the condition suggests it should not have been on the road at all. The police assess liability based on what they find at the roadside, not on private arrangements between driver and keeper.
The keeper’s role in the wider process
Even though the keeper was not present, they may still need to deal with the administrative side, such as providing identification and the seizure notice to get the vehicle out of the pound. If the keeper and owner are the same person, this is straightforward. If the vehicle is leased, hired or part of a company fleet, those roles may split, and the pound sometimes asks for confirmation from the organisation that controls the vehicle.
Most pounds prefer the registered keeper to attend in person with proper identification. Permission notes or quick messages may help, but they rarely replace the keeper’s arrival unless the pound has already confirmed an alternative plan directly with them.
Who pays the fees
Release and storage fees are attached to the vehicle itself, not the individual. The pound does not mediate disagreements about who should pay. Whoever attends to collect the vehicle settles the bill, and any repayment arrangements stay between the driver and the keeper.
Some pounds also require a tax deposit if the car is untaxed and is going to be driven directly to a pre booked MOT test. Procedures differ, so it is always worth checking before travelling.
Insurance for release
A valid insurance certificate must be shown before the vehicle can leave the pound. Insurers usually want the policyholder to be the person responsible for the vehicle, so the keeper normally arranges the cover. If the vehicle was borrowed casually, this can complicate things because insurers need clarity about who has control of the vehicle.
Driving-other-cars extensions rarely satisfy pound requirements. These extensions are limited and often exclude impounded vehicles altogether. The pound relies on the insurer’s wording, not on assumptions about what a policy “should” cover.
Civil liability between driver and keeper
Alongside any police action, there is the question of civil responsibility. If the keeper faces storage fees, recovery expenses or other losses because the car was seized while you were driving it, they may ask you to reimburse them. Whether you are liable depends on the circumstances, any agreement between you, and whether the keeper can show they suffered a financial loss because of your use of the vehicle.
This area is not always straightforward. Borrowed-car situations sometimes raise questions about consent, expectations or negligence. The pound does not involve itself in these matters; they are private issues and, if unresolved, may require legal advice.
Reaching a clear understanding of responsibilities
When a vehicle is impounded, the driver answers for how it was being used and the keeper deals with how it is kept. Those roles overlap at the pound, but the duties remain distinct. Clear communication between driver and keeper, plus early checks on documents and insurance, go a long way towards keeping a difficult situation manageable once the car is ready for release.
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.