Uninsured Vehicle Penalty
Every person applying for registration of a motor vehicle and declaring it to be an insured vehicle, faces stiff penalties if the motor vehicle is subsequently found to be uninsured. In this case, DMV suspends all driver's license and registration certificates and license plates issued to the owner of the motor vehicle. These items are suspended until the person does the following:
- pays a $500 statutory fee (collected by DMV and deposited into the Uninsured Motorist Fund)
- furnishes and maintains proof of financial responsibility (form SR-22) for three years
- pays a reinstatement fee, if applicable
During the three-year period, insurance companies notify DMV if the insurance coverage is canceled (form SR-26). When three years have elapsed from the effective date of the suspension, DMV relieves the vehicle owner of the requirement of furnishing proof of financial responsibility.
Insurance companies can file financial responsibility insurance certifications electronically (Financial Responsibility Insurance Filing Via Internet). We strongly encourage the electronic submissions of the certifications as this will update your customers' financial responsibility information directly on their DMV record.
If you would like to sign up for this service, refer to Application for Extranet Transaction Access.
