Penalties for Driving without Insurance in Minnesota
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Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor in Minnesota. Penalties and fines are assessed after your first and second offenses. For a third offense within 10 years, you could be found guilty of a gross misdemeanor, which means losing your driver’s license and registration for an entire year and spending up to 90 days in jail. Fines can be as much as $3,000 in Minnesota for driving uninsured repeatedly.
First and second offenses | Third offense | |
|---|---|---|
|
Fine | $200-$1,000 | $200-$3,000 |
|
Driving privilege | Driver's license, registration and license plates suspended for up to one year | Driver's license, registration and license plates suspended for up to one year |
|
Community service, imprisonment | Possible community service in lieu of fine | Possible community service in lieu of fine, and no more than 90 days in jail |
|
Reinstatement fee | $30 fee and SR-22 certificate | $30 fee and SR-22 certificate |
Penalties for driving without insurance in Minnesota
The Minnesota financial responsibility law requires all drivers to have a minimum amount of car insurance. Additionally, you must show proof of car insurance when requested by a police officer. If you fail to provide proof, the officer may issue you a citation.
If you own the car you are driving and have insurance — maybe you neglected to carry your insurance card — you can mail proof of insurance before the court date on your citation.
If your car was being driven by someone else who did not have car insurance, the Department of Public Safety will send you a written notice that requires you to produce proof of insurance within 10 days.
In both these cases, if you produce sufficient proof that you had insurance, no penalties will be assessed. If you fail to provide proof of insurance before the deadline, the commissioner of Public Safety may revoke your driver's license and registration for a period of time.
To regain your driving privileges, you'll pay a reinstatement fee, and the commissioner may request your insurance company to file a SR-22 certificate to verify you have the minimum amount of coverage required. Penalties could be as severe as up to a year in jail and/or a fine ranging from $200 to $3,000, depending on the offense.
Penalties for first and second offenses
If you fail to present proof of active insurance when requested by law enforcement, such as at traffic stops or the scene of an accident, you'll be fined $200 to $1,000. For the first and second offenses, your driver's license, registration and license plates can be suspended up to one year.
To regain driving privileges, you'll be required to show proof of insurance and pay a $30 reinstatement fee. There is a chance you could spend up to one year in jail in addition to the fine, or the court could choose to penalize you with a fine or jail time. It is also up to the Minnesota courts to decide whether your vehicle will be impounded.
Penalties for third and subsequent offenses
If the third offense occurs within 10 years of two prior convictions, you'll be guilty of a gross misdemeanor. Your driver's license, registration and license plates would be suspended for up to one year. You'll pay a $30 reinstatement fee to get them back, in addition to providing proof of adequate insurance coverage. You face the possibility of up to one year in jail and/or a maximum fine of $3,000 (minimum $200). As with the first and second offenses, you face a possible vehicle impoundment.
Get car insurance in Minnesota after a lapse in coverage
Reducing or eliminating the fine
If you can provide proof that you had insurance coverage in Minnesota at the time you were pulled over, you may be able to have your citation dismissed. If you have been found guilty of driving without insurance and assessed a fine, the court may allow community service instead, if you can prove that you would have trouble paying the fine.
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