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What happens if you get caught driving without your license in Minnesota?

Does Minnesota have strict penalties for driving without a license? I am from a little town in Arkansas where everyone knows everyone. I am used to leaving the house with just my keys and some cash. Now that I live in St. Paul, I am wondering if it is the same. Do I have to carry my driver's license all the time?

avatar
Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“People are not on a first-name basis with everyone in a big city, so it will be important to
carry a driver’s license
with you at all times.
This is a good rule of thumb in general and not just for driving purposes: in the event of an accident or emergency, having identification can be life-saving.
In Minnesota, driving without your physical license is considered a correctable offense. In most cases, you will be issued a ticket and will have to go to court and show the judge that your license was indeed active at the time. At that point, you will need to pay a fine. If you are lucky, they might dismiss the ticket altogether.
Habits are hard to break. You may want to consider keeping a picture of your driver’s license stored on your phone. Rather than just keeping it in the photo section of your phone, you can store it in a secure app meant for cars, like
Jerry
.”
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