How Long Does Insurance Take to Show on Mid?

If you’ve never checked your insurance details on the MID, you may have some questions or need help understanding how it works. 

In this guide, we’ll explain what exactly the MID is, how long does insurance take to show on MID and what could be the reason for your details not showing up on the MID.

So, keep on reading.

What is the Motor Insurance Database (MID)?

A valid insurance policy is a legal requirement in the Uk for all vehicles except those registered as off-road with a statutory off-road notification (SORN). 

Managed by the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB), the Motor Insurance Database (MID) is a central record of all insured vehicles in the Uk. As such, it holds information on each vehicle insured in the Uk as well as details about their policy.

The MID is mainly used as a way for the police and the DVLA to enforce motor insurance laws and tackle the issue of uninsured drivers in the Uk.

The police use the Ask MID website and automatic number plate recognition to check whether the vehicle has proper insurance.

Additionally, AskMID can be used by drivers that want to ensure that their insurance is still valid. 

If you want to perform a MID car insurance check, all you need to do is:

• Head to the AskMID website
• Enter your vehicle registration number in the box
• Tick the box to confirm that you’ve read the Data Protection Declaration
• Complete the Captcha statement
• Click the “Check this vehicle” button

Apart from this, if you have a road traffic accident with another car, you can request the insurance details of the third party involved in the accident from MID, but it will cost you £10.

How long does insurance take to show on MID?

The MID is not updated automatically when you purchase a cover, so your insurance doesn’t show up straight away on the database.

Generally, the MID is updated every 48 hours, however, insurers have up to 7 days to add private car policies to the system, so when exactly will your insurance details appear will depend on how often your insurance provider updates the database as well as when in the cycle you’ve purchased your policy.

Why aren’t my insurance details showing up on the MID?

If you’ve recently purchased insurance, but your insurance details have not appeared on the motor insurance database, there is nothing to worry about. 

Some insurance providers will only update the MID once a week, so it is possible that your insurance hasn’t been added yet.

Another reason your car is not showing on the motor insurance database could be that you’ve made a mistake in your original insurance application.

Even the slightest error in your documentation, such as a typo or simply mixing up the order of two numbers from your licence plate, may prevent your details from being updated correctly on the MID.

Moreover, if there is an error in your registration, your vehicle won’t be insured, which is why it is always worth checking your documents over and making sure that all the details are correct.

If you purchased your insurance more than a week ago and your details still haven’t been updated on the database, you should immediately get in touch with your insurer, so that you don’t get a fine.

Also, it’s worth noting that if you’ve taken out a one-day insurance policy, there”s a good chance that it won’t be added to the MID while it is still active.

However, that shouldn’t be a problem because even if you get pulled over by the police, you’ll be able to prove that you have valid insurance by providing them with your insurance policy documents.

Bottom line 

How long does insurance take to show on MID? That depends on multiple factors so make sure you keep your insurance policy documents handy, to avoid any issues in case you get pulled over by the police.