You can confirm whether your car insurance is genuine in under two minutes, without leaving your seat. Every authentic motor policy in Nigeria is recorded on the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database (NIID), and you can check yours through the official askniid.org portal or by dialling the NIID USSD code on any phone. A certificate that is not on the NIID is worth nothing, no matter how official it looks.
The Nigerian Insurance Industry Database (NIID) is the central register of all compulsory insurance policies in Nigeria, run by the Nigerian Insurers Association. If a motor policy is genuine, it appears on the NIID; if it does not appear, it is not real cover. Third-party motor insurance is compulsory for every vehicle on a Nigerian public road under NIIRA 2025, and driving without it carries a fine of at least ₦250,000, up to twelve months imprisonment, or both.
Verification protects you at the two moments that matter most. At a police or Federal Road Safety Corps checkpoint, officers can check your policy on the NIID, so a fake will be exposed. And at the point of a claim, your insurer only pays if a valid policy exists on the database. A convincing-looking certificate that was never recorded leaves you personally liable after an accident. To understand what your cover should actually include, our guide on common car insurance mistakes to avoid in Nigeria covers the fake-certificate trap in detail.
There are two official ways to check a motor policy on the NIID. Both are free, and you only need your vehicle plate number or chassis number.
Go to askniid.org in any browser.
Choose Check Policy on the homepage.
Type your vehicle registration (plate) number, or your chassis number if prompted.
Submit and wait a few seconds for the database to return your policy status.
On the phone linked to your line, dial the NIID USSD short code. It works on a basic phone with no internet.
Follow the on-screen prompts and enter your plate number when asked.
Read the status message that appears on your screen.
Some insurers and the NIA also publish an SMS option from time to time. Confirm the current SMS or USSD details on askniid.org before relying on them, and always verify through the official portal, never through a link sent by the person who sold you the policy.
Compare genuine car insurance plans →A genuine policy returns your cover details: the insurer's name, the policy type, and the start and expiry dates. Check that these match what you were sold, that the plate number and vehicle details are correct, and that the policy has not expired.
If the result says the policy is not available on the NIID database, or returns no record at all, treat the certificate as fake. A real policy is uploaded by the insurer, so an absence from the database almost always means the cover was never genuinely issued.
If your policy is not on the NIID, you are currently driving without valid insurance, exposed both to the compulsory-insurance penalty and to paying accident costs out of your own pocket. Do not wait for a checkpoint or an accident to find out.
It will not protect you at a checkpoint or at claim time.
Check the company is licensed on the NAICOM register at naicom.gov.ng. A fake sometimes uses the name of a genuine insurer that never issued it.
Buy from a licensed insurer and verify the new policy on the NIID once issued. Genuine third-party cover costs far more than the ₦1,000 to ₦2,000 touts charge, so an unusually cheap certificate is itself a red flag. For a shortlist with a track record of paying claims, see our ranking of the best car insurance policies in Nigeria.
Keep your proof of purchase and the NIID confirmation together, digitally and on paper.
NIID verification confirms that a valid policy exists for your vehicle. It does not, by itself, tell you whether your cover is adequate. A genuine third-party policy will appear on the database but will still not pay for damage to your own car, because third-party cover only pays for harm you cause to others. Nor does verification guarantee a specific claim outcome; that depends on your policy wording, the circumstances of the loss and your insurer's assessment. Deciding between the minimum legal cover and fuller protection is its own question, and our comparison of third-party versus comprehensive car insurance walks through which suits your vehicle and budget.
For first-time and newly licensed drivers, the safest habit is to verify every policy on the NIID the day it is issued, before the certificate ever goes on your dashboard. A two-minute askniid.org search at the point of purchase closes off the single most common way Nigerian motorists end up uninsured without knowing it.
For commercial vehicle owners and small fleet operators, verification is a recurring task. Keep a simple record of each vehicle's plate number, insurer and expiry date, and re-check the fleet on the NIID at renewal. Catching a lapsed or non-genuine policy before a checkpoint protects both your drivers and your operating licence.
Yes. Checking your policy on askniid.org or by USSD is free. You only pay for the insurance policy itself, through a licensed insurer.
Your vehicle plate number is enough in most cases, and the chassis number can be used as an alternative. You do not need your policy document to run the check.
No. A genuine motor policy is uploaded to the NIID by the insurer, so if your cover does not appear on the database, treat it as fake and arrange genuine cover from a licensed insurer.
Not automatically. Verification confirms the policy is genuine and active. Whether a particular claim is paid depends on your policy terms, the type of cover and the circumstances of the incident.
Verifying your car insurance on the NIID is the quickest, cheapest way to know that the cover you paid for is real. Check every new policy at askniid.org or on *565*11# the day it is issued, confirm the insurer on the NAICOM register, and re-check at each renewal. It takes two minutes and it is the difference between protection and a worthless piece of paper. For the wider picture of what good cover should include, start with our pillar guide on what to compare in car insurance.
Compare genuine, NAICOM-licensed car insurance in one place, then confirm your new policy on the NIID.
Insurance cover, premiums, limits, exclusions, excesses, eligibility, underwriting and claim outcomes depend on current policy wording and individual circumstances. Compulsory-insurance rules and penalties are set by law and regulation and can change. Confirm the latest terms with a NAICOM-licensed insurer or authorised provider before buying or acting. This article provides general information and is not personal financial, legal or insurance advice.