Penalties for Driving without Insurance in Missouri

Depending on the circumstances, you could incur serious fines if you’re caught driving without the required insurance in Missouri. You could lose your driving privileges for an entire year and be forced to pay a $400 reinstatement fee, plus a $500 fine and/or 15 days in jail. Also, “uninsured” tickets can never be removed from your record in Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Insurance requires all drivers to carry and verify proof of financial responsibility upon request. If you don’t provide proof, even if the car is insured, you will receive an “uninsured” ticket. If you can show you had adequate coverage at or before the time of the citation at the court appearance, most courts will dismiss your “uninsured” traffic ticket before putting it on your record.

Reading: How much is a no insurance ticket in missouri

The exact penalties vary depending on the number of prior violations you have on record, and are outlined below:

sanctions for first offense

If you fail to present valid proof of active insurance when asked by the police, such as at traffic stops or at the scene of an accident, you are charged with a Class D misdemeanor in Missouri. For the first offense, your driver’s license, registration, and plates are suspended until you prove you have obtained insurance. to regain driving privileges, you will need to pay a $20 fee.

sanctions for 2nd offense

If the second offense occurs within two years of a previous offense, you will be suspended from driving for 90 days. you will need to provide proof of insurance and pay a $200 reinstatement fee to get them back. a second conviction for driving without insurance is also punishable by 15 days in jail and/or a fine not to exceed $500.

penalties for the third and subsequent violations

If the third offense occurs within two years of a previous offense, your driver’s license, registration and plates are now suspended for one year and the reinstatement fee increases to $400 to get them back. faces the possibility of another 15 days in jail and/or a fine not to exceed $500.

reduce or eliminate the fine

again, if you were actually insured at the time of the citation, but had no proof, you can appeal to have the fine reduced or removed. Provide proof of insurance to the court clerk before a potential court date and your ticket may be dismissed. however, you will still need to pay a small administrative fee from the court, which ranges from $25 to $75.

In some cases, if your car was uninsured and you received a “no proof of insurance” ticket, you can provide proof that you purchased insurance after the traffic stop and your ticket may be reduced to a lesser charge .

missouri point system

Each conviction for driving without insurance will add four points to your driving record. if you accumulate 12 points in 12 months, your license can be revoked for one year. If you accumulate eight points within 18 months in Missouri, your driver’s license may be suspended for 30 days, assuming this is your first suspension. the suspension increases to 60 days if it is the second and to 90 days for each subsequent suspension.

penalties for driving without insurance in an accident

If you have been involved in an accident and have not maintained the proper amounts of liability insurance, a notice of suspension will be mailed to you. the same fees and length of suspension apply (see above). homeowners convicted of driving without insurance who are also involved in an accident.

In addition, if you are found at fault for the accident and fail to pay damages, you risk losing your driving privileges for one year until you pay a $20 reinstatement fee and provide the driver license office with proof that the accident damages have been settled. To reinstate, you will need to file an SR-22 certificate for three years after reinstatement. You should ask your Missouri auto insurance provider to file the SR-22 for you.

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