Almost 20,000 uninsured vehicles seized by Gardaí last year

A total of 19,673 vehicles were seized by An Garda Síochána for driving without insurance in 2025, a new report published by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has revealed.

The Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) Annual Report 2025 shows that the Gardaí have now detained a total of 38,546 vehicles for breaking the law by driving without insurance in the first 24 months since they began using the new insurance database.

The IMID system allows Gardaí to check the insurance status of a vehicle in seconds, using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology or through their mobile device.

A further 51,024 charges and summons have been issued to those who were apprehended for driving without insurance in that period, with 25,009 of those charges and summons occurring in 2025.

Since November 2023, fleet owners and motor traders have been required by law to ensure all the vehicles covered by insurance policies of this type were uploaded to the National Fleet Database (NFD).

Those who do not comply risk prosecution and fines of up to €500 per vehicle.

The MIBI said it estimates that “there are thousands of fleet vehicles still missing from the NFD and whose owners are breaking the law”.

They have warned they plan on working with An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders this year to help address this issue.

David Fitzgerald, CEO of the MIBI said driving without insurance “has been a problem in this country for quite a while”.

“IMID allows the Gardaí to identify uninsured vehicles in seconds and that has changed the whole uninsured policing picture completely. Fake insurance certs or suggestions of mistaken identity can no longer be used by drivers to try to get away with breaking the law.

“In fact, the addition of driver numbers to IMID since last March has made it a waste of breath for drivers to even try the mistaken identity angle, with every driver number being tied to one specific individual for life,” he added.