Impounded vehicles
If you’ve received a form 3708 seizure notice or your vehicle was seized on suspicion of being driven without a driving licence or valid insurance, go to our seized vehicles page to find the right information.
Here, you'll find information on what to do if your vehicle was impounded by the police because it was:
- stolen, and found by us
- involved in a collision
- parked illegally
- involved in a crime
- driven in an anti-social manner
- causing an obstruction or danger
- abandoned after an incident involving the police
- trespassed on land
- surrendered property as part of a dispersal order
How to reclaim your vehicle
If your vehicle has been impounded and is being kept at one of our pounds you’ll receive a notice letter when it’s ready for collection. This letter will contain detailed instructions and let you know which pound your vehicle is being kept at.
To reclaim your vehicle you'll need to either:
- Attend the correct pound in person to prove your identity and your ownership of the vehicle and pay any statutory charges
- Use the Met Police Self Service Portal (SSP) to submit evidence of your claim, pay any statutory charges and arrange for an appointment to collect the vehicle. The option of using the SSP service will depend on the reason why the vehicle has been impounded. If you're eligible to use this option, instructions will be included in the notice letter sent to you from the police.
Documents required to release your vehicle
You must bring the following documents with you to the car pound.
Valid photo ID
One of the following:
- passport
- driving licence
- EU national identity card
- immigration document
- Freedom Pass
- Citizencard
- Digital Tacho card
- Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card
- a recognisable and verifiable government agency identification card, such as identification cards provided to members of the armed forces and veterans
We won't accept the following as a valid form of ID:
- student cards
- identity cards issued by an employer
- cash and carry cards
- club membership cards
- debit or credit cards
Registered keeper
You must bring all of the following:
- a full V5 registration certificate (logbook)
- verifiable photographic identification
- proof of address matching the matching the V5C details
New keeper
You must bring one of the following:
- V5C/2 new keeper supplement and verifiable bill of sale/receipt
- verification email from DVLA’s online system confirming change of keeper
You must also bring both:
- verifiable photographic identification
- two proofs of address
New keeper after seizure/removal
New keepers who have acquired the vehicle after seizure or removal must attend with the registered keeper of the vehicle at the time of seizure or removal. Both parties must be able to satisfy their entitlement to the vehicle in accordance with the ownership requirements listed above.
Other requirements
Note: these are not applicable if the vehicle is being recovered.
Your driving licence must be either:
- a UK photo card driving licence. If you have the old paper licence you need to bring your passport or another verifiable form of photo ID (one from the proof of identity list above)
- an EU/EEA photo card driving licence along with a passport or EU/EEA identity card
- a non-EU/EEA driving licence together with an International Driving Permit or an official translation, plus a passport or other evidence of immigration status and date of arrival in the UK
If you've already given your valid driving licence to us as a form of photo ID, you don't need to produce any additional photo ID or driving documents (subject to the CBT certificate requirement).
Provisional driving licence holders
If you’re driving under a provisional licence you must bring someone who is 21 or over.
The person accompanying you must also (all the following apply):
-
be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you're driving, for example, they must have a manual car licence if they're supervising someone in a manual car
-
have held a full driving licence for at least three years (from the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein)
-
not currently be banned from driving
Make sure you have L plates on the vehicle or bring a set with you to collect the vehicle.
Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)
If you're a learner reclaiming a motorcycle you'll need to produce the original copy at the police pound. We don't accept photocopies or photographs.
If you've lost your CBT certificate, further guidance can be found on the Replace a lost or stolen motorcycle CBT certificate page on the government website.
You must produce a valid certificate of motor insurance that permits the release of a vehicle impounded by a government authority before your vehicle will be released.
We’ll accept:
- a physical copy of the document
- electronic copies of the certificate on your mobile device - you'll be required to send us a copy by email
- copies sent by email, if they've come directly from your insurer
We won't accept public liability insurance or vehicles listed on home insurance policies.
Unless the vehicle is being removed from the pound on a recovery truck it will need either:
- a valid MOT (depending on the age of the vehicle), or
- evidence of a pre-booked MOT appointment from the relevant garage
The current registered keeper is responsible for taxing a vehicle. The road tax is not transferred when the vehicle is sold to a new keeper.
If the vehicle's excise duty has expired, the vehicle may be seized again by DVLA if it's driven or parked on a public road.
The Met are a Devolved Powers Partner for the DVLA and are authorised to seize and impound untaxed vehicles at cost to the owner and/or registered keeper.
If someone is reclaiming the vehicle on your behalf
As the registered keeper or owner of a seized vehicle you are legally responsible for it and you must attend the pound in person to prove ownership and pay the charges.
This legal requirement to attend the pound in person to prove ownership and pay the charges will only be waived if you can provide evidence that:
- you're out of the country (for example, a copy of flight tickets)
- you're in custody
- you're in hospital
- you're immobile due to age, injury or disability
- there are compelling medical or compassionate circumstances that stop you being able to attend the pound in person
If any of the above circumstances apply to you, the third party collecting the vehicle on your behalf must attend the pound with:
- the evidence of the valid reason why you can't attend in person
- a letter of authority – a letter signed by you authorising the third party to collect the vehicle on your behalf
- a copy of your passport or driving licence as proof of your identity and signature
If you can attend the pound in person to establish your ownership but you can't drive the vehicle yourself, you may nominate someone to collect it on your behalf.
The third party must pay the charges and have:
- a letter of authority – a letter signed by you authorising the third party to collect the vehicle on your behalf
- a copy of your passport or driving licence as proof of your identity and signature
If your vehicle is being collected by another person on your behalf, that person must hold a valid driving licence and a valid certificate of motor insurance that allows them to reclaim the seized vehicle from a police pound.
Valid motor insurance for third party collection
The nominated driver should normally be named as an additional driver on the registered keeper's own motor insurance policy. Please contact your insurer before coming to the pound if you're in any doubt. If there’s any doubt about the validity of the insurance, the pound staff may ask you to get confirmation from your insurer that the relevant material facts have been declared.
If you’ve insured the vehicle yourself but you don’t hold a valid driving licence or you’re not fit to drive, your insurance policy may not be valid.
If the nominated driver insures the vehicle but they haven’t informed the insurer that they’re not the owner or registered keeper, their insurance policy may not be valid.
The legal requirement for the impounded vehicle to have valid motor insurance before it leaves the pound applies in all cases, even if a recovery operator is collecting the vehicle from the pound on your behalf.
If your vehicle has been issued with a PG9 prohibition notice, isn't roadworthy, can't be driven or won’t start
You'll need to arrange for a fully trained, equipped and insured vehicle recovery operator to collect it at your own expense.
We don’t allow vehicles to be repaired while they’re at the pound (this includes changing tyres, repairing windscreens or jump starting).
Where possible the pound staff will try to help you with jump starting. You'll have to sign a jump-starting indemnification form.
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 impounded before 6 April 2023 you'll have to pay the charges listed in The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Vehicles (Prescribed Sums and Charges) 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 the day after the vehicle was seized.
We can’t accept payment over the phone; the cardholder must come to the pound.
We don’t accept cheques or American Express card payments.
We do accept:
- cash (British currency only)
- Visa card
- MasterCard
- Maestro card
- Solo card
Recovery operators
If you're a recovery operator collecting a vehicle from the pound you must:
- read and sign the ‘Recovery instructions and operator’s declaration’ (available in Downloads below)
- produce the correct paperwork as explained in the ‘Documents required by recovery operators for recovery from the pound’ (available in Downloads below)
- comply with the ‘Loading and unloading guidelines for recovery operators’ (available in Downloads below)
- bring a letter of authority from the owner or keeper, as explained above, if they don't come to the pound with you
Other things to consider
- Bring a set of keys, in case the driver didn't leave the keys in the vehicle.
- If the vehicle was in a collision and you’re not sure it’s roadworthy, consider having it recovered by a professional recovery operator.
- We strongly recommend having your vehicle recovered and taken to a garage for a safety check if you're getting it back after it has been stolen.
- The police, including all pound staff, can't advise on whether your vehicle is roadworthy.
- If your vehicle doesn’t have correct number plates and you’re planning on driving it, you must bring valid replacement plates when you collect it.
Collecting property from a vehicle
We will only give property from the vehicle to the owner, registered keeper, or the driver.
- If the registered keeper or owner are collecting property, then proof of ownership is required. This is as outlined in the 'Proof of ownership section' above.
- If the registered keeper or owner are unable to attend to collect property, then someone else can attend on their behalf, providing they can meet the requirements listed in the 'If you’re unable to attend the pound in person' section above. The same rules that apply to collection of vehicles also apply to collection of property.
- If the driver is collecting the property, then only photographic identification that matches the details listed on the seizure notice is required. This only applies to vehicles seized under S.59 Police Reform Act 2002, where a seizure notice has been issued.
If you don’t want to reclaim your vehicle
If you don’t want to reclaim your vehicle, this is called 'disclaiming', you need to go to the pound with proof of identity and proof of ownership.
You'll have to pay the disposal charge (where applicable), but you won't be asked to pay for the outstanding removal and storage charges.
You're still liable for any penalty charge notice that may have been issued for a parking offence (where applicable).
Disposal charges:
- Car and light van: £96
- Two wheeled vehicle: £64
Once you sign the vehicle disclaimer, it will be disposed of straight away, by scrapping or by sale at auction. You'll no longer be responsible for taxing and insuring the vehicle.
Downloads