What Happens if You Drive Without Insurance?

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The penalty for driving without insurance can include license suspension, fines and even jail time. It can also increase your rates when you do get car insurance.

Only New Hampshire doesn’t require auto insurance. In most other states, it’s a misdemeanor charge to drive without insurance, but the penalties can depend on your driving history, whether there was an accident and how serious it was.

What is the penalty for driving without insurance?

The penalties for driving without car insurance vary from state to state, but usually include:

Fines

How much you’ll pay as a penalty for driving without insurance depends on what state you’re in. For example, in New York, you may need to pay up to $1,500 in fines for driving uninsured.

License suspended

Driving without insurance can get your license suspended, even if it’s your first violation. In New York, the DMV fee to get your license restored is $750 on top of the state fine.

In some states, you might also need an SR-22 insurance form to get your license back. This is a document your insurance company files with the DMV, proving you’re insured.

Car registration suspended

If you drive without car insurance, your vehicle’s registration could also be suspended, meaning no one can drive it until the suspension is revoked. You will probably have to pay a reinstatement fee and show proof of your car insurance to get the suspension lifted.

Jail time

Particularly if you’re a repeat offender, you might even serve jail time in some states if you are found driving without car insurance. In Montana, you could serve time in jail after your third conviction. In West Virginia, you could — in theory — be sentenced to one year in prison.

Community service

You could also be sentenced to court-ordered mandatory community service for uninsured driving, though, like jail time, this is rare. In Colorado, for example, you could face up to 40 hours of community service.

Car impounded

In some states, your car can be towed and impounded if you drive without auto insurance. You would lose access to your vehicle, and you’ll have to pay a towing fee and storage fees until your car is released from impound.

What happens if you get pulled over without insurance?

If law enforcement pulls you over and finds you are driving without insurance, you’ll usually get a citation to appear in court (or face a warrant and additional charges if you don’t).

If you have bought car insurance before your court hearing, you’ll likely get a lighter punishment. Sometimes financial hardship and other factors can be taken into account.

If you haven’t gotten a car insurance policy yet, you will be required to do so by a set date. Not complying with the court order can result in further charges, including license suspension and other penalties mentioned above.

What happens if you drive a car without insurance and get in an accident?

If you are in a car accident and uninsured, there are two possibilities, depending on who was at fault.

If you are at fault and driving without insurance, all repairs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and even legal expenses will need to come out of your own pocket. This could put you in the hole for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If you are not at fault, a police officer at the scene of the accident will still issue a citation, with the possible penalties that come with it. Your injuries and damage to your car should be covered by the driver at fault, but some states, like Louisiana and California, can limit how much you’re allowed to claim if you weren’t insured.

Even if you don’t drive, you may need insurance

In some states, such as North Carolina, insurers must let the DMV know as soon as your insurance lapses, and you could face penalties if you don’t get new insurance within a set period of time. So even without getting in an accident or pulled over by police, not having car insurance could cause problems.

How do I get car insurance if I’m uninsured?

To get car insurance as soon as possible, you should:

Compare quotes

Go online and compare car insurance quotes to find coverage you need at a price you can afford.

Although state law may make you carry liability car insurance with minimum limits, consider full coverage car insurance if you can afford it, so your expenses will be covered if you’re at fault in a car crash.

Be honest

Car insurance companies will usually know if your car is currently insured or not when they pull up your car’s VIN for your quote. While it can be challenging to get car insurance with a suspended license or car registration, not being upfront with your insurer can get you denied or have your coverage canceled.

Consider high-risk insurers

If you’ve been found driving without car insurance, insurance companies will probably consider you “high risk,” and you’ll want to look for insurers with good rates for high-risk drivers.

If you have trouble finding a standard policy, you may need to get non-standard car insurance. This costs more than a regular liability policy and has just the barest minimum coverage. But it will get you on the road legally.

Get help

If you can’t find any coverage, see if your state insurance department offers a Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan. Many states offer this to make sure their residents have the minimum required coverage they need to drive. However, expect high rates.

You could also try to join a family member’s car insurance policy — some companies will allow this, though you might need to be living with the policyholder.

Frequently asked questions

Whether your license is suspended and for how long will depend on the state you’re in, but they will usually suspend it at least until you can show proof of insurance.

If you aren’t at fault in an accident, the amount you can claim from the other driver’s insurance depends on the state. Some states will limit how much you can receive if you weren’t insured. And if a police report is filed and you’re found to be without car insurance, you could face penalties (like license suspension) even though you weren’t at fault in the accident.

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