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How to Check Vehicle Insurance Validity Online?

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How to Check Vehicle Insurance Validity Online?

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Even if you lose or forget your vehicular insurance details, you can still check whether your vehicle’s insured. The methods to go about this are fairly straightforward and can be done smoothly via the internet. This is largely owed to the superior after-sales service provided by new-age digital insurance providers. Continue reading to learn how to check insurance validity for cars and bikes. 

Checking Vehicular Insurance Online

If you want to determine the insurance details of a vehicle that caused an accident, visit the Insurance Information Bureau (or IIB) website. This Bureau maintains records of all insured vehicles digitally, and its records date back to April 1, 2010. Simply follow the steps listed below to check a car or bike’s insurance status. 

1. Be Prepared

Keep all the information that you will need, i.e., name, vehicle registration number, date of the accident, location of the accident (if known), mobile number, email address and address on hand. 

2. Going Online

Visit the IIB web portal and fill out the required information in the mandatory fields. 

3. Searching the Roster

If the vehicle registration number doesn’t yield insurance details, use other details like chassis or vehicle engine number to conduct your search.

Tips to Search IIB’s Roster Successfully 

When you visit the IIB web portal to find out the status of a vehicle’s insurance, be sure to follow the suggestions listed below.

  • Filling out the registration number of the vehicle concerned is mandatory. Make sure to enter this number without using any special characters, e.g., TN05DQ4343. 
  • Once you have submitted the policy details to the data repository for the first time, it will take two months for this information to appear on the IIB website. Therefore, the possibility of vehicle details not cropping up on the database can happen.

If you find that the details for the vehicle involved aren’t available, you can always reach out to the appropriate Regional Transport Office (RTO). This office can then provide you with details relating to the owner and their address.

You must bear in mind the fact that a maximum of 3 searches are permitted for a given mobile number or email address. 

How to Check Car Insurance Validity Online?

Checking car insurance validity has never been more straightforward. The ease with which information can be accessed is owed to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (or IRDAI). This entity is responsible for launching the previously mentioned IIB website. Follow the steps listed below to check a car’s insurance validity online. 

Step 1 - Visit the IIB web portal

Step 2 - Fill out relevant information. This includes your name, mobile number or email address, the date of the accident and the car’s registration number. 

Step 3 - After filling out the security ‘Captcha’ code, submit the information you have provided.

Step 4 - The relevant policy details of the car will appear on your screen. In case these aren’t available, the previous policy details will be listed.

In case the aforementioned steps don’t yield any information, you can always look up the concerned car’s chassis and engine number.

Things to Bear in Mind

1. The car insurance policies listed on the IIB website apply only to policies issued from April 1, 2010. In case you aren’t able to find insurance details, you must visit the appropriate Regional Transport Office.

2. Insurance policies that are less than two months old will not be listed on the IIB website.

3. In the case of new cars, the engine and chassis number are the only details needed. 

How to Check Bike Insurance Validity Online?

Like cars, bikes, too, have their insurance details listed on the IIB website. Follow the steps listed below to check a bike’s insurance validity online. 

Step 1 - Head on over to the IIB website

Step 2 - Fill out relevant information. This includes your name, mobile number or email address, the date of the accident and the bike’s registration number.

Step 3. Fill out the security code and submit the details.

Step 4. The corresponding insurance policy details will appear. In case they don’t, previous policy details will be featured.

In case the aforementioned steps don’t yield any information, you can always look up the concerned bike’s chassis and engine number.

A Viable Alternative – VAHAN e-Services

In the event that the IIB website is down or not working, you can also use the VAHAN e-Services website. Simply follow the steps listed below to understand how long a car or bike’s insurance policy is valid.

Step 1. Visit the VAHAN e-Services website and select the ‘Know your Vehicle Details' button that is listed above.

Step 2. Fill out the number plate details (i.e., the vehicle registration number) along with the required verification code.

Step 3. Select the ‘Search Vehicle’ button.

Step 4. The expiry date of a vehicle’s insurance policy, along with other relevant details, will appear.

Final Thoughts

All vehicle owners are legally obligated to hold valid third-party vehicular insurance as per the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. This insurance helps protect a third party or vehicle in case they incur any injuries, death, or damage. The digital age has allowed for these as well as comprehensive vehicular insurance policies to be listed online thereby making them easy to access. Failing to have any insurance for your vehicle can land you into legal trouble like paying fines, your license getting confiscated or even imprisonment.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you check if your insurance is updated or not?

You can check whether a vehicle’s insurance policy has been updated or not by visiting the IIB web portal. You can also visit the website of the concerned company you got your vehicle insured from to check if your insurance is updated.

2. How to check if I'm insured?

You can check your vehicle’s insurance policy to determine whether or not you are insured or else call up your insurance provider. The Insurance Information Bureau (or IIB) website and the VAHAN e-Services website also allow you to check whether your vehicle’s insurance policy is active. 

3. What is the benefit of checking car insurance status online?

There are multiple benefits of checking your car insurance status online. From how convenient and time saving it is to how easily you can access your claim status and renew your insurance, it's all on your fingertips.

4. How to check a cars insurance status offline?

In India, there are several ways to check a car's insurance status offline:

  1. Contact the insurance company
  2. Visit the insurance company office
  3. Check with the Regional Transport Office (RTO): You can visit the Regional Transport Office (RTO) where your car is registered and ask for the status of your car insurance. They can provide you with information on the validity of your insurance and the insurance company.

Still Curious? Check these out!

1. Insurance Dictionary 101: Important Insurance Terms

2. How does Life Insurance work?

3. Types of Insurance in India

4. What is Third Party Insurance Coverage?

5. Property and Casualty Insurance

6. What is Public Liability in Insurance

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