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?
Alabama	$500	No	No
Alaska	$500	90 days	No
Arizona	$100	3 months	No
Arkansas	$150	No	Up to one year in jail
California	$500	No	No
Colorado	$500	No	No
Connecticut	$100	One month	Up to five years
Delaware	$1,500	Six months	No
District of Columbia	$150	30 days	No
Florida	$150	Three years or until driver has proof of insurance	No
Georgia	$85	60 days	Up to one year
Hawaii	$500	Three months	No
Idaho	$75	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Illinois	$500	Three months	No
Indiana	$250	90 days	No
Iowa	$250	No	No
Kansas	$300	Until proof of insurance is provided	Up to six months
Kentucky	$500	No	Up to 90 days
Louisiana	$500	No	No
Maine	$100	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Maryland	$1,000	No	Up to one year
Massachusetts	$500	60 days	Up to one year
Michigan	$200	30 days or until proof of insurance provided	Up to one year
Minnesota	$200	30 days to one year	No
Mississippi	$500	One year or until proof of insurance is provided	No
Missouri	$20	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Montana	$250	No	No
Nebraska	$100	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Nevada	$250	No	No
New Hampshire	$125	Until driver meets all requirements	No
New Jersey	$300	One year	No
New Mexico	$300	No	Up to 90 days
New York	$150	Until proof of insurance is provided	Up to 15 days
North Carolina	$50	No	No
North Dakota	$150	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Ohio	$50	Until all requirements are met	No
Oklahoma	$250	Until proof of insurance is provided	Up to 30 days
Oregon	$260	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Pennsylvania	$300	Three months	No
Rhode Island	$100	Three months	No
South Carolina	$550	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
South Dakota	$100	Up to one year	Up to 30 days
Tennessee	$25	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Texas	$175	No	No
Utah	$400	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Vermont	$250	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Virginia	$500	Until proof of insurance is provided	No
Washington	$550	No	No
West Virginia	$200	30 days	Up to one year
Wisconsin	$500	No	No
Wyoming	$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.

uninsured motorist coverage

collision insurance

, or

personal injury protection (PIP)

, a car accident could cost thousands in repair bills and/or medical expenses.

Learn more:

Find cheap car insurance quotes for high-risk drivers

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 (%)
AAA	$192	$211	10%
Bristol West	$287	$331	15%
Clearcover	$112	$134	20%
GEICO	$258	$364	41%
Nationwide	$145	$175	21%
Progressive	$144	$173	20%
Travelers	$139	$146	5%

Are you overpaying for car insurance after a coverage lapse?

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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 (

), 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:

States that do have electronic insurance reporting systems:

, DC,

, and

States that don’t have electronic insurance reporting systems:

AK,

, HI,

, and

Learn more:

How police catch uninsured drivers

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

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.

Amy Bobinger

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.