What Happens if You’re Caught Driving Without Car Insurance?
 Written by Dylan Tate Dylan TateDylan Tate is an insurance content expert for SmartFinancial with over 300 articles about home, auto, business, health a... Read more |  Edited by Richard MurphyRichard MurphyRichard Murphy manages content on SmartFinancial's website. With a strong background in content strategy and copywriting... Read more |
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Driving without car insurance is illegal in nearly every state — and if you’re caught, the penalties can be severe. You may face fines, license suspension or even jail time. Driving without car insurance can also lead to costly financial setbacks. If you’re at fault in a crash, you could be on the hook for repairs and medical bills out of pocket — and future car insurance premiums may increase substantially.
Keep reading to learn what happens if you’re caught driving uninsured, including a state-by-state breakdown of penalties for driving without insurance.
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Key Takeaways
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Is It Illegal To Drive Without Car Insurance?
It is illegal to drive without car insurance in almost every state. Even in New Hampshire — where auto insurance is technically optional — you must show proof of financial responsibility to drive, meaning you are able to cover another person’s expenses in the event that you cause a car accident.[1] One of the simplest ways to demonstrate financial responsibility is to purchase car insurance.
Can You Purchase a Vehicle Without Car Insurance?
In most cases, you will need to obtain car insurance before buying any new motor vehicles. Lenders often require you to have full coverage before they will approve you for a loan, and dealers may also request proof of coverage before registering your car and finalizing the purchase. Although a private seller may offer you a car without asking for proof of auto insurance, it is still illegal to drive your new vehicle off the lot if you are uninsured.[2]
Can You Own a Vehicle Without Car Insurance?
If you already own a car, you will not necessarily lose possession of it due to a lack or loss of auto insurance, though this may vary by state. Nevertheless, it is still against the law for you to drive a car you own without sufficient car insurance coverage. In addition, you should note that, if you are still paying off your auto loan, your lender may be able to repossess your vehicle after your car insurance lapses.[3]
What Are the Penalties for Driving Without Insurance?
Depending on your state, you could incur a penalty for driving without insurance, like one or more of the following:
- Fines: In most states, you can be fined if you are caught driving without car insurance. An uninsured driving ticket will also have a negative impact on your driving record, potentially leading to driver’s license points.
- Suspension of driving privileges: After you drive without insurance, your driver’s license, vehicle registration or license plates could be temporarily suspended, making it illegal for you to drive until you obtain insurance or pay a hefty reinstatement fee.
- SR-22: You may not be able to get your license reinstated without an SR-22, which is a form that confirms you have purchased the minimum amount of car insurance required by law in your state. While SR-22s only cost about $25 to file, they also indicate that you are a high-risk driver, so you can expect to pay more for car insurance if you need an SR-22.[4]
- Vehicle impoundment: As another measure to keep you off the roads, police officers could take legal custody of your car if they catch you driving without an active auto insurance policy.
- Imprisonment: An uninsured driving violation could also lead to time in county jail in the most serious cases. Alternatively, a judge could order you to complete a minimum number of community service hours.
What Happens if You Get Into an Accident Without Insurance?
If you are the at-fault driver in a car accident and don’t have insurance, you could have to cover medical expenses and repair bills for yourself, the other driver and any passengers or pedestrians involved entirely out of pocket, putting yourself at risk of incurring significant debt. Even if the other driver is responsible for the collision, you may not be allowed to file a claim on their insurance in a no-fault state.[5]
How Much Is a Fine for Driving Without Car Insurance?
The fine for driving without car insurance may range from $50 to $5,000, depending on where you live and whether you have committed any prior offenses. See the table below for a rundown of the specific fines that may apply if you are caught driving without auto insurance in each state.[7]
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State/District |
Uninsured Driving Fine |
|---|---|
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$500 to $3,000 or less |
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N/A |
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$500 to $1,000 or more |
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$50 to $1,000 |
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$100 to $500 plus penalty assessments |
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$500 to $1,000 or more |
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$100 to $1,000 |
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$1,500 to $4,000 |
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$500 to $750 for operating an uninsured vehicle plus up to $2,500 for owning an uninsured vehicle |
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N/A |
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$200 to $1,000 |
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$500 to $5,000 (may be fully or partially suspended if the defendant shows proof of coverage in court) |
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$75 to $1,000 or less |
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$100 to $1,000 |
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N/A |
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$250 |
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$300 to $2,500 |
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$500 to $2,500 or more |
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Up to $500 |
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$100 to $500 |
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$150 to $2,500 or less |
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$500 to $5,000 |
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$200 to $500 |
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$200 to $3,000 |
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$100 to $500 |
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Up to $300 |
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$250 to $500 |
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N/A |
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$250 to $1,000 |
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N/A |
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$300 to $5,000 or less |
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Up to $300 for driving without insurance plus up to $1,000 for subsequently failing to surrender your license and registration |
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$150 to $1,500 plus a $750 civil penalty upon conviction |
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$50 to $150 |
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At least $150 to $5,000 |
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N/A |
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Up to $250 |
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$130 to $1,000 |
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$300 |
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$100 to $1,000 |
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$100 to $200 plus $5 for each day you remain uninsured (applies when you fail to surrender your registration and plates after your coverage lapses rather than when you drive uninsured) |
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Up to $500 |
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Up to $100 |
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$175 to $1,000 plus a $250 surcharge for 3 years (may be reduced after the first offense if a court determines that you are economically unable to pay the fine) |
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$400 to $1,000 or more (may be reduced by up to $300 if you show proof of coverage in court) |
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$250 to $500 |
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Up to $500 |
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Up to $250 plus $37 in fees |
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$200 to $5,000 |
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Up to $500 |
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$250 to $1,500 |
Other Penalties by State
Many states enforce additional penalties for drivers who fail to maintain insurance coverage. Some of these penalties may apply instead of a fine, or they may apply in addition to a fine. Read below to learn about the significant legal consequences you could face for driving without insurance coverage.[7]
|
State/District |
Possible Uninsured Driving Penalties |
|---|---|
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Alabama |
Imprisonment for 3 to 6 months or less, license suspension for 6 months and registration suspension plus a $200 to $400 reinstatement fee and mandatory proof of insurance for 1 to 3 years |
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Alaska |
License suspension for at least 90 days to 1 year |
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Arizona |
License and registration suspension and license plate revocation for 3 months to 1 year plus mandatory proof of financial responsibility |
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Arkansas |
Imprisonment for 1 year and registration suspension until you pay a $20 fee and show proof of insurance |
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California |
Vehicle impoundment |
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Colorado |
At least 40 hours of community service, imprisonment for 10 days to 1 year and license suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility |
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Connecticut |
License and registration suspension for 1 to 6 months plus mandatory proof of insurance |
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Delaware |
License suspension for 6 months plus mandatory proof of insurance |
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District of Columbia |
License suspension for 30 to 60 days and registration suspension until you show proof of insurance and pay a reinstatement fee |
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Florida |
License and registration suspension until you show proof of insurance and pay a $150 to $500 reinstatement fee |
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Georgia |
Imprisonment for up to 1 year and license and registration suspension for 60 to 90 days plus mandatory proof of insurance and a $200 to $310 reinstatement fee |
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Hawaii |
75 to 275 hours of community service, license suspension for 3 months to 1 year or until a car insurance policy has been in place for at least 6 months, imprisonment for up to 30 days, revocation of registration plates and vehicle impoundment and sale |
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Idaho |
License suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility, mandatory proof of financial responsibility for 1 to 3 years and imprisonment for 6 months |
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Illinois |
License suspension for 3 months plus a $100 reinstatement fee and mandatory proof of insurance for 3 years |
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Indiana |
License suspension for 90 days to 1 year plus a $150 to $300 reinstatement fee, mandatory proof of insurance for 3 years and registration suspension for up to 1 year |
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Iowa |
Warning or citation, community service, vehicle impoundment and removal of plates and registration until you show proof of insurance, pay a $15 reinstatement fee and pay a $250 fine or complete community service |
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Kansas |
Imprisonment for up to 6 months, license and registration suspension until you show proof of insurance and pay a $100 to $300 reinstatement fee, mandatory proof of insurance for 1 year and revocation of driving privileges for 3 years |
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Kentucky |
Imprisonment for 90 to 180 days or less, registration suspension for 1 year or until you show proof of insurance and license revocation for 1 to 2 years |
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Louisiana |
Registration suspension and revocation of plates until you show proof of insurance and pay a $60 to $510 reinstatement fee and vehicle impoundment |
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Maine |
License and registration suspension until you show proof of insurance |
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Maryland |
Registration suspension until you show proof of insurance plus a $25 reinstatement fee |
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Massachusetts |
Imprisonment for up to 1 year, license suspension for 60 days to 1 year and a fine equal to $500 or the premium for 1 year of mandatory coverage paid to the Massachusetts Automobile Insurance Plan (MAIP) |
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Michigan |
Imprisonment for up to 1 year and license suspension for 30 days or until you show proof of insurance plus a $25 reinstatement fee |
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Minnesota |
Imprisonment for 90 days to 1 year or less, license suspension for 30 days to 1 year (must show proof of insurance to get your license reinstated), registration suspension for up to 1 year or until you show proof of insurance, community service and vehicle impoundment |
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Mississippi |
License suspension for 1 year or until you show proof of liability insurance |
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Missouri |
Imprisonment for up to 15 days and license and registration suspension for 90 days to 1 year plus mandatory proof of insurance and a $20 to $400 reinstatement fee |
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Montana |
Imprisonment for 10 days to 6 months or less, license suspension until you show proof of insurance and suspension of registration and license plates for 90 to 180 days (except for work-related driving) plus mandatory proof of insurance |
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Nebraska |
Suspension of license, registration and license plates until you pay reinstatement fees (separate $50 fees apply to each of your license and registration) plus mandatory proof of financial responsibility for 3 years |
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Nevada |
License suspension for at least 30 days and registration suspension until you pay a $250 to $750 reinstatement fee and submit an SR-22 (only if your coverage lapses for more than 90 days) |
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New Hampshire |
N/A |
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New Jersey |
License suspension for 1 to 2 years, community service for 30 days and imprisonment for 14 days |
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New Mexico |
Registration suspension and imprisonment for 90 days to 6 months or less (depending on whether you are charged with failing to surrender your license and registration) |
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New York |
Imprisonment for up to 15 days and license and registration suspension for the same amount of time that your insurance was inactive plus additional fees based on the number of days you went without insurance |
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North Carolina |
Probation or imprisonment for 1 to 45 days and registration suspension for 30 days plus mandatory proof of financial responsibility and a $50 reinstatement fee |
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North Dakota |
Imprisonment for 30 days, license suspension until you show proof of insurance, mandatory proof of insurance for 3 years, $50 fee to add (and later remove) a note to your license saying you are required to maintain proof of insurance and impoundment of license plates until you show proof of insurance and pay a $20 fee |
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Ohio |
License suspension for 1 to 2 years (with the potential for limited driving privileges after the first 15 to 30 days) and registration suspension and impoundment of plates until you show proof of financial responsibility and pay fees totaling $160 to $660 |
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Oklahoma |
Imprisonment for up to 30 days, vehicle impoundment and license suspension until you show proof of insurance and pay fees totaling $275 |
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Oregon |
Mandatory proof of financial responsibility for 3 years |
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Pennsylvania |
License and registration suspension for 3 months plus mandatory proof of financial responsibility and a separate $50 reinstatement fee for each of your license and registration |
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Rhode Island |
License and registration suspension for 3 months to 1 year or until you show proof of insurance and pay a $30 to $50 reinstatement fee for each |
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South Carolina |
License and registration suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility and pay a $550 fee or — if you are charged with failing to surrender your registration and plates after a coverage lapse — imprisonment for 30 days to 6 months, license suspension until you show proof of liability insurance and registration suspension until you show proof of liability insurance and pay a $200 reinstatement fee |
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South Dakota |
Imprisonment for up to 30 days, registration suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility and license suspension for 30 days to 1 year plus mandatory proof of financial responsibility and a $50 reinstatement fee |
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Tennessee |
License and registration suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility for 3 years, pay a $100 reinstatement fee and pass a driver’s license exam |
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License and registration suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility for 2 years and vehicle impoundment with a fee of $15 per day for 180 days plus mandatory proof of financial responsibility |
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Utah |
License and registration suspension until you show proof of insurance for 3 years and pay a $100 reinstatement fee |
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Vermont |
License suspension until you show proof of financial responsibility |
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Virginia |
License and registration suspension and surrender of license plates until you pay a $500 fee and show proof of financial responsibility for 3 years |
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Washington |
Community service |
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West Virginia |
Imprisonment for 15 days to 1 year and license and registration suspension for 30 to 90 days plus mandatory proof of insurance and fees totaling $150 to $200 (license and registration suspension may be waived after the first offense if you pay a $200 fee up front) |
|
Wisconsin |
N/A |
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Wyoming |
Imprisonment for up to 6 months, registration suspension and impoundment of plates until you show proof of financial responsibility and mandatory proof of financial responsibility for 3 years |
How To Check if Your Car Insurance Is Still Active
The simplest way to check the status of your car insurance policy is to contact your insurance company directly, whether by calling your agent or logging in to an online policy management portal. You could also look at your insurance card or other policy documents to confirm the end date for your policy, but this may not reveal if your coverage has been canceled due to a failure to pay your premiums.[8]
What To Do if Your Car Insurance Lapses
If you miss a premium payment and your car insurance lapses, you should immediately make up for the missed payment and try to get your policy reinstated. Many insurers offer a 10-to-20-day grace period, during which you can undo your car insurance lapse and avoid any penalties. However, if your policy cannot be reinstated, you should try to find a new insurance policy as quickly as possible.[9]
How To Get Car Insurance Before You Drive
To find the best car insurance policy for your circumstances and budget, it’s important to collect and analyze quotes from approximately three to five different insurance companies. When applying for car insurance, you’ll need to share information about yourself, your car and your driving record. This can take a long time though, especially if you contact insurance carriers one at a time.
However, comparison shopping is faster and easier when you go through an insurance marketplace like SmartFinancial. All you have to do is fill out a quick questionnaire, and then we can connect you with agents who can help you sift through your car insurance options. Begin comparing auto insurance quotes at no cost today!
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Dylan Tate is an insurance content expert for SmartFinancial with over 300 articles about home, auto, business, health and life insurance under his belt. He has over nine years of experience writing for online publications, primarily about gaming and esports. In the process, he has become an expert in search engine optimization, news reporting, feature writing and copy editing.
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