Author and reviewer

Chris Richards

Founder, Tempinsuranceuk.com

About Chris

Chris Richards is the founder of Tempinsuranceuk.com and the man behind SimplyQuote, the insurance comparison site at SimplyQuote.co.uk. Both are part of Simply Quote Comparison Ltd.

He reviews every guide on this site before it is published: the law it cites, the product facts it states, the sources it names, and the line between guidance and advice that an introducer site has to hold.

A lifelong petrolhead and supercar lover, Chris writes and edits across the group’s motoring sites on car insurance, the cost of running a car, and what the official figures say about Britain’s roads. Journalists can reach him for comment through the contact page.

Guides reviewed by Chris Richards 10

All guides

Borrowing and lending 7 min read If I have fully comprehensive insurance, can I drive any car? No. Fully comprehensive describes what the policy covers on your own car, not where you can drive. Some policies add a driving other cars extension, and if yours does the certificate says so under the limitations or the classes of use. It is usually third party only, often restricted to policyholders over 25, and excludes cars you own, hire or have on finance. If the line is not on the certificate, driving another car on your policy is driving uninsured. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Borrowing and lending 5 min read Can two people insure the same car? Yes. The usual way is one annual policy that names both drivers. Two separate annual policies on the same car is legal but a poor idea, because the insurers share or dispute any claim under dual-insurance rules. The clean exception is a temporary policy alongside the owner’s annual one: it is standalone, so the second driver’s cover and any claim on it sit entirely apart from the owner’s policy and no claims discount. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Vans and business use 5 min read Can you drive a van on a car licence? Yes. A category B car licence covers a van with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500kg and up to eight passenger seats, which is every ordinary panel van, Luton and pickup. Zero-emission vans can go to 4,250kg on the same licence. Over that you need category C1, which a licence issued before 1 January 1997 carries automatically and a later one does not. The figure that matters is on the weight plate inside the door, not the van’s size. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Borrowing and lending 7 min read Can you insure a car that is not in your name? Yes. The policyholder does not have to be the registered keeper or the owner, but an annual insurer will usually want an insurable interest, such as a spouse, a parent at the same address or a lease in your name, and some refuse outright. A temporary policy avoids the problem: it is written in the driver’s name, on the owner’s car, with the owner’s permission, for 1 hour to 28 days, and the owner’s own policy and no claims discount are untouched. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Impounded vehicles 8 min read Car seized for no insurance: how to get it back Read the seizure notice for the pound and the deadline, then go with proof you are the keeper or owner, photo ID, your driving licence, and a certificate of insurance that covers that vehicle. Most annual policies exclude seized cars, so that usually means a 30-day impound release policy in the keeper’s name. Pay £192 for removal and £26 for each day or part day in storage, and drive it out. You have not less than 7 working days from the notice to claim it, and after 14 days from the seizure it can be sold or scrapped. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Law, tax and the MID 8 min read How long does it take for insurance to show on the MID? Most policies appear on the Motor Insurance Database within a day or two, and the industry rule gives insurers seven days. Temporary policies from the broker are uploaded four times a day, at 5.30am, 9am, 2pm and 6pm, and show after the next upload. Cover starts at the time on the certificate whether or not the database has caught up, and the certificate is the legal proof. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Law, tax and the MID 7 min read How to check if a car is insured Go to askMID.com, choose the free check, accept the terms and enter the registration. The result says whether the vehicle is showing as insured on the Motor Insurance Database today. It does not name the insurer or say who is covered to drive it. Tax and MOT are separate checks on GOV.UK, and both are free. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Law, tax and the MID 7 min read What happens if you drive without insurance? The police can issue a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 points, or send the case to court for an unlimited fine and a possible disqualification. The offence code IN10 stays on your licence for four years from the date of the offence. The car can be seized at the roadside, and getting it back costs £192 plus £26 for each day in the pound, with a policy the pound will accept. A new driver with 6 points in their first two years loses their licence. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Cost and eligibility 6 min read Why can’t I get temporary car insurance? Because one of the eligibility checks failed. For the car product the driver must be 17 to 75 with a full UK licence, with the minimum age and the licence types accepted varying by insurer, and never have had insurance refused, cancelled or voided. The car must be worth between £500 and £65,000, with each insurer setting its own band, have a valid MOT, not be on a SORN, not be a hire car, not be imported or modified, and not be held by the police. A refusal names none of these, so the article goes through them in order. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 22 Oct 2026
Law, tax and the MID 6 min read Can you tax a car with temporary insurance? Yes. In England, Scotland and Wales the DVLA no longer checks insurance at the point of taxing, so a car can be taxed online, by phone or at a Post Office with a temporary policy or none at all. In Northern Ireland a Post Office asks for a paper certificate, and a temporary policy certificate counts. The catch is afterwards: a taxed car must stay insured or go back on a SORN, and the DVLA and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau compare the records every month. Read the article Reviewed by Chris Richards, 9 Oct 2026

Reviewed by Chris Richards. Every guide names its sources and the date it was last reviewed.