How do I find a car's insurer from its registration number?

Question

José Manuel Alburquerque · Accepted Answer

You can ask the “Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros”, Spain's state insurance compensation fund, for this information. It manages the FIVA, the Spanish database of insured vehicles, to which insurers report the cars they insure. Anyone who has suffered damage in an accident can consult it, either directly, through a representative or through their own insurer. You must identify yourself, give the registration numbers of both vehicles and attach the claim form or the accident report form (European Accident Statement). The database shows which company insured the car and under which policy on the date of the accident. How to request it With the form that can be downloaded from the Consorcio's website, consorseguros.es, which is submitted in person, by post or by email. With your identity card (“DNI”), the registration number of the vehicle that caused the accident and that of your own vehicle and, if you have them, the claim and policy numbers. With a copy of the claim form or of the accident report form. The simplest option is usually to ask your own insurer, which can make the enquiry for you. And if the police are at the scene of the accident, ask for the other party's insurer to be recorded in the police report. What the database shows The insurer, the policy and the start and end dates of the cover. What the database shows is presumed to be correct unless proven otherwise. The details of the owner or the driver are only given if you have a legitimate interest, for example because they are the only people you can claim against. If the car is not listed or is foreign If the database shows no insurance on the date of the accident, the car was probably being driven without it. In that case, it is the Consorcio that pays. If the car is foreign and the accident happened in Spain, the body that tells you which insurer it has and who represents that insurer here is the “Oficina Española de Aseguradores de Automóviles” (OFESAUTO), the Spanish office of foreign motor insurers, which has a search tool on its website. If the accident happened in another European Union country, it is the Consorcio that gives you that information.