Seized vehicles
Here, you can find out how to reclaim a vehicle that has been seized under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means an officer had reasonable grounds to believe that the driver was uninsured or was not driving in accordance with their driving licence.
If your vehicle has been seized for this reason the driver should have received a seizure notice.
If your vehicle has been impounded for another reason, go to our impounded vehicles page.
How to reclaim your vehicle
The seizure notice will tell you which police station you need to attend to reclaim your vehicle and the ID documentation to take with you to prove ownership. This must be done within 14 days. At the police station you will be told where to collect your vehicle from.
Payment of charges
You can find full details about the statutory charges you'll have to pay in The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023.
For vehicles seized before 6 April 2023 you'll have to pay the charges listed in The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2008.
These charges are set by government, not the police, and vary depending on the weight and condition of the vehicle.
Please note, the daily storage charges start from midday on the next day after the vehicle was seized.
MOT
If your vehicle is over three years old and doesn't have a current MOT test pass certificate you can only drive it on a public road from the recovery depot to an MOT testing station. You must:
- bring evidence from a garage of a pre-booked MOT appointment, or
- arrange recovery at your own expense
Collecting property from an impounded vehicle
If you want to get property from the impounded vehicle, but not the vehicle itself, you need to bring proof that you're the vehicle's owner or registered keeper (a V5C or V5C/10).
Someone else can collect property on your behalf, but they need to bring:
- a letter of authority, signed by you, giving them permission to collect property from the vehicle
- a copy of your passport or driving licence so we can verify the letter is signed by you
Please note, if the vehicle is badly damaged it might not be possible to get into it to remove property.
We'll hold your property for 30 days before we dispose of it.
If your vehicle has been issued with a PG9 prohibition notice, isn't roadworthy or won’t start
If your vehicle has been issued with a PG9 prohibition notice, isn’t roadworthy or won’t start, you need to arrange for a fully trained, equipped and insured vehicle recovery operator to collect it at your own expense.
Provisional driving licence holders
If you’re driving under a provisional licence you must bring someone who:
- is over 21, and
- has held a licence for more than three years
Make sure you have L plates on the vehicle.
Things to be aware of
Bring a set of keys, in case the driver (if you weren't the driver) didn't leave the keys in the vehicle.
If your vehicle doesn’t have correct number plates and you’re planning on driving it, you must attach valid replacement plates when you collect it.