Nearly 20,000 Vehicles Seized for No Insurance as Garda Database Boosts Enforcement

Dublin: A total of 19,673 vehicles were seized in 2025 for driving without insurance, according to figures released by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), highlighting the growing impact of the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID).

The database, introduced two years ago, allows An Garda Síochána to instantly verify a vehicle’s insurance status using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and mobile devices. Since its launch, 38,546 vehicles have been detained for uninsured driving, while 51,024 charges and summonses have been issued — including 25,009 in 2025 alone.

The IMID Annual Report 2025 shows that by year-end, the system contained 4.5 million validated driver numbers and records for approximately 3.6 million vehicles, strengthening enforcement capabilities nationwide.

MIBI CEO David Fitzgerald said the database has “transformed uninsured driving enforcement”, making it significantly easier for gardaí to identify and remove uninsured vehicles from the road.

However, concerns remain over compliance within the National Fleet Database (NFD), which covers multi-vehicle insurance policies used by businesses and motor traders. While more than 384,000 fleet vehicles have been uploaded, MIBI estimates that thousands remain unregistered, despite legal obligations introduced in November 2023. Non-compliant owners face fines of up to €500 per vehicle.

MIBI said it will work with gardaí and stakeholders to target offenders and ensure full compliance, warning that failure to meet insurance obligations carries a real risk of prosecution.

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