Most states require drivers to purchase auto insurance before they can legally operate a motor vehicle. Pennsylvania is one of those states. If you decide to drive without current car insurance, you could face severe penalties and challenges.
Auto Insurance Requirements in Pennsylvania
To drive legally in Pennsylvania, vehicle operators must purchase two types of car insurance - medical benefits or no-fault coverage and vehicle liability insurance. Additionally, the state requires minimum coverage amounts, which currently include:
$5,000 medical benefits.
$15,000 bodily injury per person.
$30,000 bodily injury per accident.
$5,000 property damage.
Loss of Driving Privileges
You may think that a short lapse in car insurance won’t matter because you’re a safe driver. However, your insurance company could notify the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles (PennDOT) when your insurance coverage lapses. You may
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also can get caught if you’re involved in an accident or stopped for a moving violation and fail to show current proof of insurance. No matter how you’re caught, be prepared for the consequences. The biggest penalty involves the loss of your driving privileges, and your vehicle registration could be suspended for three months.
In this case, you must surrender your vehicle’s registration plate and card plus your driver’s license. You’ll also owe a $300 fine and must pay $91 to restore your vehicle’s registration after the suspension ends. Even worse, no one can drive the vehicle during the suspension period, and it may even be impounded.
If you face a suspension, you do have the option to appeal the decision but only if your insurance lapsed within the past 31 days. You must prove in this case that you haven’t driven the vehicle during the insurance lapse.
As an alternative to the suspension, you may pay a civil penalty. While this option does not restore your driver’s license, it does waive your vehicle registration suspension and allows someone else in your family to operate your vehicle until you regain your driving privileges. The penalty costs $500 plus a restoration fee of $88, and you must show proof that you have current car
insurance. Note that you can only pay one civil penalty in a 12-month period. That means that you may pay the civil penalty for the first offense but must serve the suspension if you’re caught driving without insurance a second time within 12 months. Other Risks of Driving Without Car Insurance In addition to losing your driving privileges, you face additional risks if you drive without current car insurance. 1. You could get a ticket in addition to other penalties and fees. 2. You could lose valuable assets. After an accident, you will be responsible for any property damage or injuries, which may exceed tens of thousands of dollars. If you don’t have the funds to cover these expenses, you might lose your car, house and other assets. 3. You could jeopardize your job. If you can’t access public transportation or get a ride to work, you may lose your job. 4. You could experience inconvenience. Instead of driving to the grocery store, doctor or a friend’s house whenever you want, you must wait for a ride or stay home. To drive legally in Pennsylvania and avoid these penalties and risks, maintain current car insurance. Purchase adequate coverage and pay your premiums on time. Contact your insurance agent today for a quote or for more information on the valuable car insurance you need.
Leaving the registration unpaid for a couple of months, the licensee hypothetically gets pulled over and given tickets for driving an unregistered vehicle and speeding. The registration fees continue to compound and the registration goes unpaid. Owing more to the DMV the licensee cannot afford the cost of living and excessive fines. Registration fees get coupled to the fines imposed and before the...
If you have been injured in motor vehicle accident, your primary concern should be getting the proper medical treatment for your injuries.
Depending on the coverage you need, your insurance agency will have to submit specific documents. Since you will be traveling outside of NC, form BMC-91, BMC-32, and MCS-90 are needed. There may be additional forms for NC, although I didn't see any initially. The insurance agency should be able to better advise. I found more information regarding the commercial insurance on the Progressive website (https://www.progressivecommercial.com/commercial-auto-insurance/insurance-filings-types/); however, it doesn't look like they currently provide insurance for your type of vehicles. I'm not sure if you already have commercial insurance. We can work on that as well if
waited to see the judge, you may be on your way after paying the fine. If the
After the first year you get your licence, getting a "DUI", speeding, or getting in an accident revokes your license for six months, and to regain it you must retake the driver's ed course. The law proposes a similar punishment for having low grades: If you have a failing grade in two terms, you lose your licence for six months. This proposed law punishes a kid failing a class and a kid who physically wrecks his car at the same degree. It is absurd to hold kids at such high degree of punishment based on two grades. There are several reasons why a child might fail academically, like a loss in the family. If you do have a good reason for failing a class, you have to be reviewed by your principal and have him personally write a letter to the Department of Motor Vehicles. This tedious process unfairly gives students a very severe punishment for a minor, irrelevant
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A DUI offense is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. In the state of California if you have a blood alcohol level of .08% or higher it is illegal to be behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. If you are pulled over you can be convicted of driving under the influence. California’s DUI law also includes driving under the influence of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, over the counter medication and drugs with alcohol in them such as cough syrup. Penalties for a DUI include license suspension, fines, jail time, community service, AA meetings DUI School, an ignition interlock device and an SR-22 filing. If you are under 21 years of age, California has a zero tolerance law meaning any amount of alcohol found in your system will be considered driving under the influence. You face having your license suspended for one year, additional fines, and must complete the educational portion of DUI School. If you are 21 or older on your first DUI offense you face immediate license suspension depending on if you take the chemical test, up to six months in jail, more than a $1,000 in fin...
If you were caught drunk driving and are now required to install an ignition interlock device or are being given the device as an option, you likely want to be able to drive without it as soon as possible. To be able to do that, you need to avoid a Minnesota ignition interlock violation. There are several things you should know about the device and avoiding a violation.
Car insurance is essentially vital and the repercussions of not getting car insurance become evident when you get into a car accident. If you have car insurance (comprehensive car insurance, third party, fire and theft insurance, or third party only insurance), your insurance will automatically cover any damage costs to the other person’s vehicle when you are
...stration. Ask if you are under arrest, if you are not and your license and registration are given back you
Many people only think of the short-term consequences of drinking and driving. Such as getting a DUI, losing their license or having their car impounded. It’s not until after posting bail and finding a ride home that the reality of it all starts to sink in. Losing your license alone can make drastic changes in your life, which as a result will affect your family’s lives. How will you get to work? Drive anyway and get a charge for driving on a suspended license? Will you be able to keep your job or find another with a criminal record? How are you going to replace the bill money you
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