Gardaí seized almost 20,000 vehicles from uninsured drivers in Ireland last year

Automatic number plate recognition technology led to 38,546 detections in first 24 months of rollout

Garda in-car automatic number plate recognition led to the seizure of 19,673 vehicles last year.

Gardaí seized over 19,673 vehicles for driving without insurance in 2025, a report published by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) on Monday has revealed.

The Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) annual report 2025 shows that the gardaí detained 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 automatic number plate recognition technology or through their mobile device.