Reader’s Question:

Is it required to show proof of auto insurance when leaving a vehicle from dealerships lot?

Danna

Austin, TX

Whether or not it is required to show proof of car insurance when leaving a vehicle dealership lot will depend upon state laws as well as the own guidelines of dealers.

Some dealer’s in Austin Texas may mandate that an individual show proof of car insurance when leaving with the vehicle they bought to lessen any perceived liability. Other factor may be if you financed the vehicle through the dealership. If you did so then it is possible they will require you to get car insurance before taking ownership of the vehicle.

Your Texas insurance regulatory body may be able to tell you if the state requires that dealers see proof of insurance before permitting an individual to leave the lot with the vehicle.

Tags: auto insurance, car dealers

Reader’s Question:

How long do you have to maintain an SR22 in the state of Bakersfield, California?

Tom

Bakersfield, CA

There are a different reasons as to why an SR 22 may be required in Bakersfield, California and the amount of time one is required to carry this financial responsibility certificate may differ as well.

For instance when your license is suspended under the California Financial Responsibility Law due to an uninsured accident you can request a non-commercial restricted license. According to California DMV One of the requirements to get this license is to file a California Insurance Proof Certificate or SR-22 and keep it on file for a total of four years from the suspension effective date.

For other reinstatements of your license after a revocation or suspension you must carry the SR22 for only three years.

Tags: auto insurance, sr22 insurance

Reader’s Question:

What will happen to my license if I don’t have auto insurance in Edison, New Jersey? This is my second offense.

Marge

Edison, NJ

Driving without liability insurance or not being able to show proof of car insurance when requested is a serious violation with severe penalties in New Jersey. According to the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission a ticket for this offense of the New Jersey law may result in community service, suspension of license, fines and surcharges.

A second violation comes with penalties of a mandatory jail sentence of fourteen days, a fine up to $5000, 30 days community service and a suspension of license for two years or more.

If you were cited for driving without insurance in Edison, New Jersey, you may want to call the courts on the ticket to find out what exact penalties you will be facing.

Tags: auto insurance, driving without insurance, traffic violation

Reader’s Question:

In Kentucky what is the fine for driving without car insurance?

Jean

Louisville, KY

The penalties for driving without car insurance in Kentucky can be rather severe. For a first offense you are cited, you will be required to go to court and can be fined between $500 - $1000 or go to jail for not more than 90 days or both.

Your Kentucky vehicle registration and license plates can be suspended for a year or until proof of car insurance is provided. You may also lose your license for up to one year. For each subsequent offense of not having proper proof of car insurance the penalties increase.

If you were found with driving without car insurance in the state of Kentucky you may contact the court listed on your citation for more information on the possible fees and penalties you may receive in court. The clerk of the court can likely inform you what the normal fine amount is for a first time offense of being uninsured motorist in the county in which you were cited.

Reader question:

What serves as DMV SR22 proof?

Michael

Good question, Michael.

The only thing that serves as DMV SR22 proof is the SR22 form. Most of the time, you’ll only see this when you sign it, and then your auto insurance company will either file it electronically or will mail it to the Department of Motor Vehicles. With some companies, though, you may be required to carry the SR22 form to the DMV office with you when you go to reinstate your license.

The SR22 form is the only DMV SR22 proof of insurance, and nothing else can be used to reinstate your license. You cannot use your insurance card, a letter from your auto insurance company, none of that. The SR22 is a special form which allows communication to be kept up with your auto insurance company so that your license can be suspended if you don’t pay.

When driving, however, the regular forms of proof will work, instead of your SR22 form. You should keep your insurance card in your vehicle at all times in case you are pulled over by a police officer.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

What are the DMV SR22 costs?

Ashley

Glad you asked, Ashley.

The DMV SR22 costs vary depending on the state. There are a couple of things that you need to pay, mainly the fines and fees for reinstated your driver’s license. The best thing to keep your DMV SR22 costs down is to make sure you only pay these fees and fines one time. You can make sure of that by paying your SR22 policy consistently and making sure you never lapse, and staying out of trouble so that your driver’s license is not suspended again.

There are many ways your policy can lapse. If you decide not to pay your SR22 policy, then you are usually given a grace period, but if the payment is not made during that grace period, then the car insurance company will send the DMV an SR-26 form. An SR-26 form is a form which cancels out the original SR-22 form. In order to get back on track, not only will you have to pay the fees and fines to get your license reinstated once again, but you will also have to pay another charge with your auto insurance company to file the SR22. This usually costs around $30.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I have to do SR22 DMV filing for my brand new car. What kind of coverage do I need?

Melvin

Thanks for your question, Melvin.

When you buy a new car, you will typically need more coverage with your SR22 DMV filing than usual. Rather than just buying liability coverage–or no fault coverage on top of that, if you live in a state that requires it–you also have to purchase comprehensive and collision insurance.

These are not options. Your contract will require that you purchase these types of coverage, which means that your SR22 DMV filing will also cost more. If you want to save some of that cost, you can cut your premium down by raising the deductible on both of these coverages. I keep my deductible at $1000, but some companies allow you to go higher. Whatever the case, if you only have a $500 deductible, you will probably be paying too much for insurance coverage.

A more expensive deductible might seem like a burden, but I handle it like this: for the first year that I have the higher deductible, I keep “paying” the same rates. I just keep the extra that I saved by raising the deductible and put it into savings so that, by the end of the year, I will have a good start on the money I need to cover that deductible if I ever get into an accident.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I have DMVsr22 insurance. Do I need coverage for my own injuries if I cause an accident?

Amber

Glad you asked, Amber.

There is a type of coverage, called personal injury protection, which takes care of your injuries if you are the negligent party in a car accident. In some states, usually no fault insurance states, personal injury protection is require by law, along with liability coverage. For the rest, though, it is still an option available.

However, you should consider what other options you have before adding personal injury protection to your DMVsr22 policy. Do you have health insurance? Then you might be able to avoid buying auto insurance coverage fo rinjuries and just cover any injuries you get from a car accident caused by you by using your health insurance coverage.

Of course, this has drawbacks. Your health insurance coverage only covers your medical, but if you add personal injury protection to your DMVsr22 policy, you can get wages for the days you miss work as well.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I have an SR22 suspension. Do I have to get uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage?

Alice

Thanks for asking, Alice.

I’m not sure, on the legal end, because I don’t know what state you are from. You should check with your insurance provider to see if underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage is required where you live, because in a few states it is.

From a practical standpoint, though, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is an excellent addiion to your SR22 suspension policy. In many states there is a large number of people who are driving without insurance for whatever reason, and so if you get into an accident with one of them and it’s their fault, how are you going to cover your injuries or your repairs for your car? Since they don’t have an insurance company, the only thing you would be able to do is sue.

This is where underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage comes in. You don’t have to panic and can get your injuries mended and car fixed right away instead of suffering through a legislative process. In many cases, your insurance company still ends up suing the other driver for the money they spent on you, but by this time you’re long out of the problem.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

What is SR22 filing good for? Can’t I just drive a friend’s already insured car? I don’t even own a car.

Bill

I’m glad you asked, Bill.

The point is, Bill, that SR22 filing is what you need to be licensed to drive. If you don’t file an SR22, then you don’t have a license, and therefore you can’t even legally drive. If you drive without a license, then you risk getting pulled over by a police officer and found out, and then getting into even more trouble than you already are. If you think you miss your license now, imagine getting pulled over for driving without a license. You may even get your vehicle impounded.

If you don’t own a vehicle, then no owners SR22 filing is what you need to do. This type of filing allows you to purchase liability auto insurance which will apply to any car that you drive, so long as you don’t own it. It costs more than usual, sure, but at least you’re driving legally, and as long as you shop around for quotes onlin you won’t come out that bad.

Non owners SR22 is also pretty great because you are still covered by the insurance of the car you’re driving. Drive only cars with full coverage insurance, and you’ll probably never have to use your own policy.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.