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Does a judge verify car insurance when you're in court?

"If you are required to show proof of insurance, will a judge call the car insurance company to verify your coverage?"

avatar
Emily Maracle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Courts typically require specific documents showing that you carry the correct
car insurance
, and that you had it at the time of your citation.
The court may request the following documents as
proof of insurance
:
  • Your
    car insurance card
    : This is the most basic form of proof of auto insurance.
  • Your
    car insurance declaration page
    : This will show the dates of coverage and your liability limits.
  • A letter from your car insurance carrier stating you are currently insured: Since you can cancel a policy and still have a declaration page, the court will most likely want a letter dated recently that shows proof of insurance.
  • An
    SR-22
    certificate: If you’re in court because of a serious traffic violation, you may be required to present proof of insurance through an SR-22 filing. This is usually completed by your insurance provider, but you’ll receive a certificate to verify it’s been properly filed.
If you’re not able to provide a recently dated proof of insurance letter, it’s possible that the court could follow up with your insurance provider. However, it’s much more likely that you’d face the consequences of not having insurance instead.
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