What to Do if You Are Caught with Expired Insurance

I was pulled over and didn't have my proof of insurance. Is there anything I can do to avoid the fine?

Car insurance is the protection you need while you are out driving. It not covers you from financial loss but it also protects the investment you have made by purchasing your car. Therefore car insurance is definitely something that you don’t want to go without. Even though the minimum requirements for car insurance may vary from state to state, the one guarantee you can bank on is that every state considers car insurance mandatory coverage if you will be driving there. You can check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles or any car insurance provider in your state for guidelines on the minimum coverage requirements for car insurance in your state.

You will want to be sure that the car insurance you have meet those requirements. If they don’t you should discontinue driving until you are able to get the required car insurance you need to be considered a legal driver in your state. Car insurance protects you in the case your car is damaged. If you are unable to pay for the costly repairs, your car insurance will pay for it and all you will have to do is pay your deductible. Car insurance is also a big help if you were to incur medical bills due to an accident. If you don’t have car insurance you will put yourself a risk for financial stress.

Car insurance also protects you from having to pay costly fines if you were caught driving without it. Every state has its own specific penalties for driving without car insurance however the foundation of the stress and problems you will have to face is pretty much the same. If you are caught driving without car insurance or with expired car insurance, you will have a mountain of problems and maybe even debt on your hands. The first thing you will want to do is seek the advice of a lawyer. A lawyer can give you the specifics on the troubles you will face because of your disobeying the car insurance law in your state.

In some states the penalty for driving without car insurance or with expired car insurance is worst than the penalty for driving while drunk. You could risk losing your license for 6 months to a year; a very high fine which has been known to range from $150.00 to $300.00 or more and you may even be required to do community service. Some states will even make you pay for the cost of your court hearing that is equally expensive as the penalty. You could even be required to pay what is called no insurance surcharges that could require you to pay from $100.00 to $250.00 a year for a maximum of three years. This is how important driving with the proper car insurance is to you.

Some states may allow you to bring in proof of car insurance coverage to your court date and then they will either minimize the penalties or waive them altogether no matter if your purchased or renewed your car insurance after the date of your offense. However, some states will only drop the charges against you if you are able to show proof that you had car insurance coverage on or before the date of your offense.