Find out your state's penalties for a lapse in coverage, plus steps to take to reinstate your car insurance policy.
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If your car insurance lapses for any reason, the state may take away your driving privileges and fine you to reinstate them, even if you weren’t caught driving. That’s because if you have a vehicle registered under your name, the state a-sumes you’re driving it. And in every state but New Hampshire, driving without a minimum level of liability insurance is against the law.
Because uninsured drivers have become such a costly problem -- nationally one out of every eight drivers doesn’t carry insurance -- states are increasingly using electronic reporting systems to find out directly from insurers when a vehicle owner is past due on his bill. If that happens, you may not be charged with the crime of driving while uninsured, which can carry steep penalties. But in nearly every state you will have your registration, driver’s license, or both, revoked and then be charged anywhere from an $8 daily fee to an immediate $250 fee to reinstate them. The DMV fees listed below are only for those portions of the costs, and do not include criminal fines, court fees or other costs a-sociated with driving without insurance.
State DMV/RMV Insurance Lapse Fees AlabamaRegistration reinstatement fee of $200 on first offense and $400 on second offenseAlaskaLicense reinstatement fee of $100 for first lapse or $250 if combined with another non-DUI related offenseArizonaLicense reinstatement fee of $50ArkansasLicense reinstatement fee of $50CaliforniaLicense reinstatement fee of $14ColoradoReinstatement fee of $40ConnecticutReinstatement fee of $200DelawareDMV lapse fee of $100 per vehicle and $5 per day after first 30 daysDistrict of ColumbiaDMV lapse fee of $150 and $7 per day after first 30 days to a maximum of $2,500FloridaRegistration and license reinstatement fee of $150 for first lapse, $250 for second reinstatement, $500 for third or more within three yearsGeorgiaLapse of more than 10 days incurs a $25 fee if not paid within 30 days along with a $60 reinstatement feeHawaiiLicense reinstatement fee of $20 in Honolulu County; other counties may differIdahoLicense reinstatement fee of $85IllinoisReinstatement fee of $100IndianaReinstatement fee $150 for the first offense, $225 for a a second offense, or $300 for a third offenseIowaNeed to show proof of financial responsibility only after an accident, at which time at least $485 in penalties and fees incurredKansasReinstatement fee $100 for first offense, $300 for second offense within one yearKentuckyregistration reinstatement fee of $40LouisianaDMV lapse fee of $125 for up to 30 days, $225 for 31 to 90 days, $525 for over 90 daysMaineLicense reinstatement fee of $50, plus $20 to $30 additional fee and $35 registration reinstatement feeMarylandUninsured motorist penalty fee of $150 for the first 30 days, $7 for each day thereafter, and registration restoration fee of up to $25MassachusettsReinstatement fee of $500MichiganRegistration reinstatement fee of $50 plus $25 if license was suspendedMinnesotaLicense and registration reinstatement fee of $30MississippiLicense reinstatement fee of $30MissouriLicense reinstatement fee of $20 after first suspension, $200 after second suspension, $400 after third suspensionMontanaNo charge for first lapse of insuranceNebraskaReinstatement fee of $500NevadaReinstatement fee of $251 plus a fine of $250 if lapse was 31 to 90 days, $500 if lapse was 91 to 180 days, and $1,000 if lapse was more than 181 daysNew HampshireOnly proof of financial responsibility is requiredNew JerseyRestoration fee of $100New MexicoRegistration reinstatement fee of $30New YorkCivil penalty of $8 per day for lapses of insurance for the first 30 days, $10 per day for the second 30 days, and $12 per day for the third 30 daysNorth CarolinaCivil penalty of $50 for the first insurance lapse in a three-year period, $100 for the second lapse, $150 for third and subsequent lapsesNorth DakotaNo loss of license or registration on first offenseOhioCompliance fees up to $60, plus reinstatement fee of $100 for first offense, $300 for second offense, $600 for third offenseOklahomaReinstatement fee of $275, plus $125 administrative feeOregonLicense and registration reinstatement fee of $75PennsylvaniaRestoration fee of $88Rhode IslandReinstatement fee of $30 to $50South CarolinaDMV lapse fee of $5 per day up to $200, plus $550 uninsured motorist feeSouth DakotaLicense reinstatement fee of $50 to $200, depending on length of non-compliance, and $28 application feeTennesseeLicense and registration restoration fee of $65, plus $50 administrative feeTexasReinstatement fee of $100UtahReinstatement fee of $100VermontDriver’s license reinstatement fee of $71VirginiaRegistration reinstatement fee of $145WashingtonReinstatement fee of $75West VirginiaRegistration reinstatement fee of $100WisconsinLicense reinstatement fee of $60WyomingReinstatement fee of $50
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