Or ring ☎ 0161 388 2552 (office hours)
Start by confirming the location and deadlines
If a car has been taken to a pound, the first task is to confirm exactly where it is being held. The seizure notice handed out at the roadside normally lists the pound and the reference number. If you did not receive one, contact the police force for the area where the stop took place.
The deadlines apply to all drivers, regardless of age. A vehicle normally has to be claimed within around seven days and collected within roughly fourteen. These windows vary slightly between authorities but they do not pause simply because the driver is young or inexperienced.
Gather the identification the pound will ask for
Pounds follow strict identification procedures. You will normally need:
- Photographic ID, such as a driving licence or passport.
- The seizure notice, or the police reference if you no longer have it.
- The V5C or purchase documents, unless the registered keeper is attending with you.
If the vehicle is registered to someone else, the pound will expect that person to attend in person. A permission letter rarely works on its own. Pounds usually insist on speaking to or seeing the registered keeper before release is authorised.
Check your insurance position as a young driver
This is often the area where younger drivers face more complications. To drive the car away, insurance must clearly support the release of a seized vehicle. Standard temporary policies and driving other cars extensions normally do not qualify.
Some insurers are cautious about issuing impound compatible cover to younger drivers. They may request extra ID or decline if they cannot verify your details quickly. If insurance cannot be arranged in time, you can still collect the car by using a recovery truck. Pounds usually allow this once identification and fees are sorted.
Look at MOT, tax and roadworthiness rules
If the vehicle has a current MOT and is taxed, the process is simpler. If it does not, the pound decides how the vehicle can leave the site.
Some pounds usually allow a direct drive to a pre booked MOT test if the insurer confirms the journey is covered and the vehicle is safe enough. Others insist on recovery only. Untaxed vehicles raise similar issues. Some sites ask for a tax deposit. Others decline any road release at all.
Because these rules vary between authorities, it is always worth checking with the pound before you travel.
Be prepared for higher release costs if you wait
Storage charges begin the moment the car enters the pound and rise daily. Younger drivers sometimes try to sort insurance first before visiting the pound but this can lead to delays and higher fees. If arranging insurance in your own name looks difficult, switching to recovery is often faster and avoids the risk of missing the deadlines entirely.
Think carefully before driving away
Before starting the engine, check the basic safety points. Look for flat tyres, fluid leaks, broken lights or anything that suggests the car was already unsafe when it was seized. If there were defects noted at the roadside, pounds may refuse a road release completely.
Driving an unsafe vehicle can lead to further penalties and points, which may affect young driver insurance for years. If anything looks doubtful, recovery is the safer option.
What to expect if the keeper is a parent or family member
Many young drivers use a car registered to a parent. In such cases, the pound will normally insist that the registered keeper attends with ID. Even if you were the one driving at the time of the seizure, the keeper still has the primary right to collect the vehicle.
If the keeper cannot attend, the pound may apply stricter checks or decline release until they make direct contact. Arranging this early usually avoids unnecessary delays.
Keeping the situation under control
The most reliable way forward is to contact the pound early, gather strong ID and decide whether driving away or recovery is the sensible route. If insurers are cautious because of your age, recovery often keeps the process moving and prevents daily storage from building up.
Once the vehicle is home or at a garage, you can deal with insurance, MOT or tax in a more relaxed way without the pressure of the statutory deadlines. Acting early gives you the best chance of a smooth release and avoids the risk of the vehicle entering the disposal route.
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.