What is the punishment for not carrying your insurance card in your vehicle?
Driving a vehicle comes with many responsibilities. Lawmakers mandate acquiring car insurance as one of them. It is required that all vehicles on the roads must be insured by their owners. Keeping an insurance card inside the vehicle as proof of insurance is a good precautionary measure in case of traffic stops.
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Punishment
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If caught driving without the insurance card, a ticket and a court appearance is issued to the offender. On the date of the court appearance, a valid insurance card must be presented to the judge to dismiss the charges.
Driving without Insurance
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The laws vary from state to state for insurance violations. The offender could face a charge of no less than $100, one-year license suspension, vehicle impounding or jail time.
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Types of Infractions
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There are two types of insurance fractions: A driver may have insurance but has failed to produce proof at a traffic stop or accident site; and the more serious offense of driving without insurance coverage.
Points
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Some states do place points on your license. This varies in each state from zero points to six points in states like California. For example, whenever someone licensed in North Carolina gets a traffic ticket in North Carolina, they can be given driver's license and insurance points. If you accumulate 12 or more points within a three-year period, the North Carolina DMV may suspend your license.
Repeat Offenders
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The law doesn't look too kindly on driving repeatedly without insurance. The punishment is much harsher. Getting caught a second or even a third time could result in getting your license suspended for six months to a year, double the previous offense's fine, or a year in jail.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Scott Davidson
