Every vehicle owner in India is required to own a mandatory vehicle insurance policy if he/she owns a vehicle. This mandate is specified under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 which also lays down other traffic-related rules in India. According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, your vehicle must be insured under a third-party liability policy. This policy protects the financial liabilities that you might suffer if you cause physical injury, death or damage to a third party.
How to check vehicle insurance policy status?
The status of your vehicle insurance policy shows whether your policy is active or lapsed. Moreover, you can get the details of your insurance coverage when you check insurance status of your vehicle.
You can do a vehicle insurance check online or offline. Both modes allow you to check whether your vehicle insurance policy is active or not.
How to check vehicle insurance policy status offline?
Whether you own a car or a bike, you can check insurance status of your vehicle through the following offline modes
- Visit the insurance company’s branch office. Provide your policy number and the company would tell you the vehicle insurance status instantly.
- You can also call the customer care number of your insurance company and check insurance status of your car or your bike.
- Alternatively, you can visit the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of your city and enquire about your vehicle’s insurance status. You would have to provide your vehicle registration number and the policy number to check the vehicle insurance status.
How to check vehicle insurance policy status online?
You can check your car or bike’s insurance status online through various channels. The online medium is quick and also does not require you to visit the insurer’s office or the RTO.
Here are the different ways in which you can do a vehicle insurance check online –
Through the IIB Portal
The Insurance Information Bureau of India was launched by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). It can help you check your vehicle insurance status in some simple steps. Here they are
- Visit the website of IIB at https://iib.gov.in/
- Click on V-SEVA and you would be directed to a new page
- Enter in all the relevant information asked on the page and click on ‘Submit’
- You would be able to check the status of your insurance policy
Through the VAHAN portal
The VAHAN portal is the national register for online services introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. You can create your account by providing your mobile number and then use the services offered by the website. One such service is tracking the status of your insurance policy. To do so, here are the steps
- Create your online account by providing your mobile number and email ID
- Then click on ‘Know your Vehicle details’
- Provide the registration number of your car or bike and enter the verification code to proceed
- Submit the details and the status would be displayed.
Through your insurer
Your insurance company also helps you check the status of your insurance policy. You can visit the website of the insurer, enter your policy number and your policy details would be displayed.
Vehicle registration number – what you need to know?
Your vehicle’s registration number is a key detail that is needed when you want to check the status of your vehicle insurance policy. The registration number is mentioned on the number plate of your vehicle. It is a 10-digit alpha-numeric number where
- The first two alphabets represent the State code
- The next two digits are the District code
- The next two alphabets are the Series code
- The last 4 digits are the number for your vehicle
You need the vehicle registration number to
- Buy or renew a motor insurance policy
- Make a claim on your motor insurance policy
- To transfer your vehicle second-hand
- To check the status of your vehicle insurance policy
- For other vehicle-related services that you need
What if you don’t have the vehicle registration number?
If you don’t have the vehicle registration number, you can check your vehicle’s RC book. The registration number would be mentioned therein. Alternatively, you can check the policy bond which contains your vehicle’s registration number. You can also visit the local RTO to find out about your vehicle’s registration number.
The registration number is an important detail that should not be missed.
FAQ’s:
Yes, you can check your vehicle insurance status even without your policy number. In fact, the IIB portal, as well as the VAHAN portal, do not require your policy number. You just have to mention the registration number to check your insurance status.
Alternatively, you can also contact your insurer and ask for your vehicle’s insurance status without the policy number. In this case, you would have to provide your registration number and verify your personal details.
When you check your insurance status and find that the policy has lapsed, you should renew the coverage as soon as possible to avoid legal penalties. To renew, request your insurer to renew the coverage. An inspection of your vehicle would be done and then your policy would be renewed after you pay the renewal premium.
No, there is no limitation on the number of times you can check the status.
Yes, you can check the insurance status of another vehicle by using its registration number. In fact, if you are in an accident and you want to make a third-party claim on another vehicle, you can check the vehicle’s insurance status through the IIB or the VAHAN portal and then lodge a claim on another individual’s policy.