In most states, you can’t drive without car insurance. All but two states (New Hampshire and Virginia) require drivers to have a minimum amount of insurance or face fines and fees, license or registration suspension, and even jail time.
The penalties for getting into an accident without car insurance are even more serious than if you’re just caught driving uninsured. And remember that without car insurance to cover the costs, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for the damage from an accident, which could total tens of thousands of dollars.
Can you drive without car insurance?
No, you can’t drive without car insurance.Driving uninsured is illegal in most states, and even in the states where it’s technically allowed, you should still have car insurance to cover the costs if you’re in an accident.
If you get pulled over while driving without insurance, the consequence can include:
Fines: States determine fines in part based on how many times you’ve been caught driving uninsured, so if you’re a repeat offender your fines will be higher.
Suspended license: If you’re caught driving without insurance, your license may be suspended for a certain number of days or until you show proof of insurance.
Suspended registration: Driving without insurance can also lead to your car’s registration being suspended for a certain number of days or until you can prove that you’re insured, and the car can’t be driven until the registration is reinstated.
SR-22: States often require drivers to get SR-22 insurance after they’re caught driving uninsured. You’ll have to find a company willing to offer you a policy with an SR-22 and pay a yearly filing fee for a set amount of time based on your state’s rules.
Fees: Reinstating your license or registration both require administrative fees that are separate from any fines. You may also have to show up in court.
Higher insurance rates:Driving uninsured means you’ll pay more for car insurance when you finally get a policy, because you’ll be considered a high-risk driver.
Jail time: If you can’t pay your state’s fine for driving without insurance, you may have to serve time in jail. The jail time becomes longer for repeat offenders, or after a serious accident.
If you hit someone while driving without insurance, your penalties will be more severe. You would also have to pay for any damage that you caused by yourself, since you don’t have insurance to cover the costs. That adds thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on top of any fines or penalties.
How driving without insurance affects future premiums
If your driver’s license or registration is suspended for driving without car insurance, you’ll have to get insured before you can drive again. And when you do, your rates will be more expensive than average.
Insurance companies charge more for drivers who have a gap or lapse in their insurance record. A lapse can be any amount of time that you weren’t insured, even a day or two depending, on the rules in your state.
Your insurance will also be more expensive if you have to get an SR-22 or FR-44 to prove you have coverage. Your insurance company will submit the forms for you, but drivers who need an SR-22 or FR-44 are considered high-risk and will pay much higher rates, making it hard to find affordable insurance coverage.
There’s also a required service fee for filing an SR-22 or FR-44, but usually it’s not very much.
What is the penalty for driving a car without insurance in every state?
Penalties for driving without car insurance vary from state to state, but can include fines, license suspension, or, more rarely, jail time and vehicle impoundment.
The penalty for driving without insurance in your state also depends on your own record. If you’re a repeat offender, you’ll face steeper fines and longer mandatory license or registration suspensions.
States usually have even more severe penalties for getting into an accident without insurance.
State | Fine amount | Other penalties |
---|---|---|
$500 to $1,000 fine | $200 to $400 re-registration fee Must get proof of insurance License suspended for 6 months | |
$500 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended for 90 days to 1 year | |
$500 to $1,000 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended for 3 months to 1 year | |
$50 to $1,000 fine | Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$100 to $500 fine | License suspended for 1 to 3 years Car may be impounded | |
$500 to $1,000 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended for 4 to 8 months | |
$100 to $1,000 fine | License suspended for 1 to 6 months $175 fine to reinstate license and registration | |
$1,500 to $3,000 fine | License suspended for 6 months | |
$500 fine, plus 50% increase for subsequent offenses | License suspended for 30 to 60 days | |
$150 to $500 fine | License suspended until fine is paid | |
$25 to $160 fine | Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 to $1,000 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended for 3 months to 1 year | |
$75 to $1,000 | Jail sentence for up to 6 months License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 to $1,000 fine | Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance or up to 4 months | |
$250 to $1,000 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$250 fine | Must get an SR-22 Vehicle can be impounded | |
$300 to $2,500 fine | License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 to $1,000 fine | Jail sentence up to 90 days License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 to $1,000 fine | Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance Vehicle can be impounded | |
$100 to $500 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$1,000 to $2,000 fine | Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 to $5,000 | Driver must get high-risk insurance License suspended for 60 days to 1 year | |
$200 to $500 fine | License suspended for 30 days or until driver has proof of insurance | |
$200 fine | Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$1,000 fine | License suspended for 1 year or until the driver has proof of insurance | |
Up to a $500 fine | License suspended for up to 1 year Additionally fines for license reinstatement up to $400 | |
$250 to $500 fine | Jail sentence up to 10 days Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$50 (reinstatement fee) | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
Up to a $1,000 fine depending on lapse | Must get an SR-22 License suspended for 30 days | |
$300 to $5,000 fine | License suspended 1 to 2 years | |
$300 to $1,000 fine | Jail sentence up to 90 days Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$1,500 fine | License suspended until a $750 fine is paid | |
$50 to $150 fine | Registration suspended up to 30 days | |
Minimum $150 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$100 to $600 fine | License suspended until driver has proof of insurance or up to 2 years Registration suspended for 30 days to 5 years | |
$350 fine | License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$250 fine | Must get an SR-22 | |
Minimum $300 fine | License and registration suspended for 3 months | |
$100 to $500 fine | License suspended for 3 to 6 months | |
$100 to $500 fine, plus per day fee | License and registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 fine | License suspended for up to 1 year Registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$300 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$175 to $1,000 fine | License suspended for 2 years after second offense | |
$400 to $1,000 fine | Must get an SR-22 License and registration suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$500 fine | License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$600 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$550 fine | License suspended if the driver causes damage | |
$200 to $5,000 | License suspended for 30 days, then 90 days for each offense after the first | |
$500 fine | License suspended until driver has proof of insurance | |
$250 to $1,500 fine | Must get an SR-22 License suspended until driver has proof of insurance |
Table shows the range of penalties for first-time and repeat offenders.
* Virginia doesn’t require insurance, but uninsured drivers have to pay a fee.
States where you don’t need insurance to drive
Drivers in New Hampshire and Virginia can drive without car insurance, but it’s more complicated than just not signing up for coverage.
In Virginia, drivers have to pay a fee of $500 if they want to drive without insurance. If you’re caught driving uninsured without having paid this fee, you’ll face a $600 fine and will have to get an SR-22 for three years.
In New Hampshire, you don’t have to pay a fee , but you do have to show that you would be able to pay for the damage and injuries after an at-fault accident. You would also have to get insurance if you’ve been involved in an accident or have gotten a DUI.
What happens if I get into an accident without insurance?
When you get into an accident without insurance, your penalties will be more severe than if you were just caught driving without car insurance. This can mean longer license suspensions and higher fines. In more severe cases, you’d have to go to jail — especially if you injure someone else.
Penalty for not having insurance after an at-fault accident
Besides the legal penalties, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for any damage you cause while driving uninsured. That means the cost of the other driver’s injuries and damaged property, but it also means any legal fees if the other driver sues you.
If you don’t have the money to pay for the damage you caused, your wages could be garnished, which means the other driver can receive money directly from your paycheck until your debt is paid. Driving without insurance can also lead to your assets (like a car, house, or bank account) being seized to pay for the cost of the damage you caused.
The other driver could file a claim with their car insurance, but their insurance company would also be able to come after you for the damage that you caused while driving uninsured.
Penalty for not having insurance after a not-at-fault accident
You can still face fines, license and registration suspension for driving uninsured even if you’re in an accident caused by another driver.
In some states you may not be able to make a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance if you were driving without insurance — even if they were clearly at fault. In states with what’s sometimes called a “no pay, no play” law, uninsured drivers can’t make claims after a not-at-fault accident for certain types of damage.
The exact details of no pay, no play laws vary by state. Most of the time you won’t be allowed to make claims for non-economic damage (like pain and suffering), but some states limit the amount you can collect for injuries and physical damage too.
States that have a version of a no pay, no play law are:
Alaska
California
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Michigan
Missouri
New Jersey
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
How to avoid driving without insurance
Even drivers who don’t mean to drive without insurance can inadvertently break their state’s laws and face legal penalties for being uninsured. Here’s what to consider to make sure you don’t accident drive without car insurance:
If you make monthly car insurance payments, set up auto-pay or EFT payments to make sure you don’t actually miss any and risk having your policy canceled.
When you buy a new car, make sure to add it to your existing car insurance policy within the allotted grace period.
If you switch car insurance companies, make sure your new policy starts the same day your old one ends, so you don’t have a lapse in coverage.
If you accidentally find yourself uninsured, your state may have a period — for example, 30 days after you’re found out to be uninsured — during which you can pay a “lapse fee” and avoid more serious penalties. Take any warning that you get from your state about a possible lapse seriously and get covered.
What to do if you can’t afford car insurance
You might risk driving without car insurance because you simply can’t afford coverage. But since the cost of fines, fees, increased premiums, and costs from an accident can quickly add up (and be more expensive than getting a policy in the first place), it’s better not to risk driving uninsured.
You can lower your insurance costs and avoid facing penalties for driving without coverage by following these steps:
Shop around for insurance: The best way to make sure you get the cheapest car insurance is by comparing quotes from more than one insurance company and choosing the one that offers the best deal.
Know how much coverage you need: You might not need to get a lot of insurance for your car, especially if it’s older. Getting rid of full-coverage can lower your rates if you don’t need the extra coverage.
Sign up for per-mile car insurance: If you don’t drive often, you can save by signing up for per-mile insurance, which charges you based on how much you drive..
Join an existing policy: If you live with your parents, you don’t need to get your own policy. You can avoid the high rates that young drivers usually have to pay by joining your parents’ insurance.
Look for low-income assistance: Some states, including California and New Jersey, offer special programs to help low income drivers afford necessary car insurance coverage. If you can’t find affordable car insurance, contact your state’s DMV to find out if they offer a similar program.