Driving without
car insurance
or other proof of financial responsibility is illegal in every state. While a first offense can result in steep fines, repeat offenses carry harsher penalties, such as a driver’s license suspension, vehicle impoundment, and even jail time. You could also pay an average of 52% more on your car insurance premium. 

State penalties for driving without insurance

Basic
liability coverage
is mandatory in nearly every state. Driving without
proof of insurance
or financial responsibility is a major offense in every U.S. state. The consequences of driving without car insurance or other acceptable proof of financial responsibility include:
  • Fines
  • Driver's license suspension
  • Vehicle registration suspension
  • Vehicle impoundment
  • SR-22 filing requirements
  • Mandatory community service
  • Jail time
Here’s an example of some state penalties for driving without insurance for a first offense:
State
Fine
License suspension?
Jail time?
$500
No
No
$500
90 days
No
$100
3 months
No
$150
No
Up to one year in jail
$500
No
No
$500
No
No
$100
One month
Up to five years
$1,500
Six months
No
$150
30 days
No
$150
Three years or until driver has proof of insurance
No
$85
60 days
Up to one year
$500
Three months
No
$75
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$500
Three months
No
$250
90 days
No
$250
No
No
$300
Until proof of insurance is provided
Up to six months
$500
No
Up to 90 days
$500
No
No
$100
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$1,000
No
Up to one year
$500
60 days
Up to one year
$200
30 days or until proof of insurance provided
Up to one year
$200
30 days to one year
No
$500
One year or until proof of insurance is provided
No
$20
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$250
No
No
$100
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$250
No
No
$125
Until driver meets all requirements
No
$300
One year
No
$300
No
Up to 90 days
$150
Until proof of insurance is provided
Up to 15 days
$50
No
No
$150
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$50
Until all requirements are met
No
$250
Until proof of insurance is provided
Up to 30 days
$260
Until proof of insurance is provided
No 
$300
Three months
No
$100
Three months
No
$550
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$100
Up to one year
Up to 30 days
$25
Until proof of insurance is provided
No 
$175
No
No
$400
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$250
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$500
Until proof of insurance is provided
No
$550
No
No
$200
30 days
Up to one year
$500
No
No
$250
Until proof of insurance is provided
Up to six months
Additionally, you’ll be labeled a high-risk driver by your insurance company if you’re caught driving without an auto insurance policy even once. Your future car insurance rates could be astronomical once you have an uninsured driving violation on your driving record—and some insurance companies might even refuse to cover you at all because of the added risk. 
The consequences could be even more serious if you cause a car accident without insurance. Not only will you have to contend with the legal ramifications, but the other driver could also sue you for property damage and any medical bills they sustain due to the accident. And if they don’t have
uninsured motorist coverage
,
collision insurance
, or
personal injury protection (PIP)
, a car accident could cost thousands in repair bills and/or medical expenses. 
The consequences could be even more serious if you cause a car accident without insurance. Not only will you have to contend with the legal ramifications, but the other driver could also sue you for property damage and any medical bills they sustain due to the accident. And if they don’t have
uninsured motorist coverage
,
collision insurance
, or
personal injury protection (PIP)
, a car accident could cost thousands in repair bills and/or medical expenses. 

The cost of driving without insurance

If you get caught driving without insurance, you can expect to pay the following penalties:
  • Average fine: $600
  • Average license reinstatement fee: $245
  • Average impound release fee: $75
  • Average towing and storage fees: $250
  • Average financial liability in at-fault accident: $28,048 
  • Average insurance premium increase after an insurance lapse: 52%, or about $869 per year 
In order to understand how an insurance lapse impacts monthly car insurance rates, our experts analyzed thousands of car insurance policies purchased by Jerry users across dozens of insurance companies. On average, here’s how average insurance rates change after a lapse with some of the biggest insurers:
Insurance company
Average rates 
Average rates after lapse
Percent change (%)
$192
$211
10%
$287
$331
15%
$112
$134
20%
$258
$364
41%
$145
$175
21%
$144
$173
20%
$139
$146
5%
Are you overpaying for car insurance after a coverage lapse?
Compare rates with Jerry and find out in seconds
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms · No fees
icon4.717k Ratings
5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged

What to do if you’re pulled over without insurance

If you get pulled over by the police and you don’t have proof of insurance with you, remember the following:
  • Most states (except for
    New Mexico
    ) will accept electronic proof of insurance in the form of
    a digital insurance card
    on your phone. If your insurance provider has a mobile app, you can easily access your electronic insurance card this way. 
  • Always keep your insurance card in your glove box. But if you forget it, some states will let you appeal your ticket. Keep in mind that you may be expected to appear in court to show proof of insurance or financial responsibility. 
  • If you don’t have car insurance, make sure to purchase a new car insurance policy as soon as possible to avoid further repercussions that come with
    an extended insurance lapse
    .

What to do if you’re in an accident without insurance

Even if you’re not at fault in a car accident, you could face considerable consequences as an uninsured motorist—both financially and legally. Here’s what you’re at risk of:
  • Your chances of license suspension, vehicle impoundment, and jail time increase: If you’re driving uninsured and at fault in a car accident, the penalties could be severe. In some states, like
    Arkansas
    ,
    Georgia
    , or
    Michigan
    , you could even serve up to a full year of prison time. 
  • No pay, no play: If your state abides by “No Pay, No Play” laws (
    AK
    ,
    CA
    ,
    IA
    ,
    IN
    ,
    KS
    ,
    LA
    ,
    MI
    ,
    ND
    ,
    OK
    ,
    OR
    ), uninsured drivers can’t receive non-economic damages (i.e. intangible losses such as emotional stress) after a car accident—even if you’re not at fault. 
  • You can still file claims: If you don’t have an auto insurance policy of your own, you can still file bodily injury liability or property damage liability claims with the other driver’s car insurance in some cases. In pure contributory states, you can file for 1% damages even if you’re 99% at fault, while in modified contributory states you usually have to be found less than 50/51% at fault to file a claim with the other driver’s insurance. 

Your DMV can find out if you’re driving without insurance 

As of 2024, 38 states, along with the District of Columbia, have electronic liability insurance reporting systems—checking and verifying the insurance policies of vehicles registered in the state.
While some of these sophisticated systems check your insurance status automatically, others require that insurance providers report to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) when a driver cancels or doesn’t renew their car insurance coverage. So even if you don’t get caught by law enforcement, the DMV will still find out whether you have car insurance or not thanks to these advanced programs. 
Not sure if your state has an electronic liability insurance reporting system? Jerry’s experts have the answers for you here:
card icon
States that do have electronic insurance reporting systems:
AL
,
AZ
,
AR
,
CA
,
CO
,
CT
, DC,
FL
,
GA
,
ID
,
IL
,
IN
,
KS
,
KY
,
LA
,
ME
,
MD
,
MA
,
MI
,
MS
,
MO
,
MT
,
NE
,
NV
,
NM
,
NY
,
NC
,
OH
,
OK
,
OR
,
PA
,
RI
,
SC
,
TN
,
TX
,
UT
,
VA
,
WA
,
WV
, and
WY
card icon
States that don’t have electronic insurance reporting systems:
AK, 
DE
, HI, 
IA
MN
NH
NJ
ND
SD
VT
, and 
WI

Finding car insurance after driving uninsured is hard—but not impossible

Shopping for coverage
after an uninsured driving charge isn’t always easy. This traffic violation on your driving record could make your insurance premiums skyrocket as car insurance providers will label you a high-risk driver.
Consequently, you may discover that some insurance companies won’t approve your application at all. And if they do, they’ll likely charge you an arm and a leg in car insurance rates—even for the state minimum coverage. If you need help finding the best car insurance coverage for your budget, follow these helpful tips:
  • Compare rates from standard and
    non-standard insurers
    : While some top carriers, such as
    Progressive
    , offer cheaper rates to drivers with violations on their driving records, you may find a better deal with small insurance companies that specialize in high-risk car insurance coverage, like Dairyland or
    Safeco
  • Apply for assigned risk coverage: Have you been rejected by every insurance provider? Then you might qualify for your state’s assigned risk pool, designed to cover drivers who can’t obtain car insurance anywhere else. 
  • Be patient: Most of the time, you’ll have to pay a surcharge on your policy after getting caught driving without car insurance. While it’s certainly tough, paying insurance at this higher price point temporarily will help you avoid paying even more for repeat offenses. 
And if you’re struggling to afford insurance coverage, keep in mind that some states like California, Hawaii, and New Jersey offer
low-income car insurance
programs.

FAQ

Can you drive without insurance?

Generally, no—all states require drivers to show proof of financial responsibility to drive legally. For most motorists, the easiest way to do this is to purchase car insurance that meets the state’s mandated minimum requirements.

Can you register a car without insurance? 

In most states—no. However, some states, such as
Florida
, allow drivers to register proof of financial responsibility and pay a registration fee in place of purchasing car insurance. 

Is it illegal to drive in Texas without insurance?

Yes—it is illegal to drive in
Texas
without insurance. For a first-time offense, you can expect to pay a fine of $175. 

Meet our experts

avatar
Mariza Morin
Mariza Morin is an insurance writer with over 10 years of experience in the writing and research industry. Mariza specializes in car insurance, car maintenance, and home insurance content at Jerry, and has over 600+ published articles that help readers handle everything from scheduling regular car maintenance to saving money. Before joining Jerry’s editorial team, Mariza earned her Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in Art History and Photography from the University of Texas at Arlington.
avatar
Amy Bobinger
badge icon
Licensed Insurance Agent — Expert Insurance Editor
Expert insurance writer and editor Amy Bobinger specializes in car repair, car maintenance, and car insurance. Amy is passionate about creating content that helps consumers navigate challenges related to car ownership and achieve financial success in areas relating to cars.
Amy has over 10 years of writing and editing experience. After several years as a freelance writer, Amy spent four years as an editing fellow at WikiHow, where she co-authored over 600 articles on topics including car maintenance and home ownership. Since joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2022, Amy has edited over 2,500 articles on car insurance, state driving laws, and car repair and maintenance.

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings