Every motorist in Tulsa is required to carry a certain amount of liability insurance. If you are caught driving without auto insurance, the state may provide you with temporary coverage. You might face up to $825 in costs, a license suspension, and possibly jail time if you don't acquire new insurance within 10 days. Your car may also be impounded by the state.
According to figures compiled by the Insurance Research Council, one out of every seven drivers does not have vehicle insurance. Many of these folks are already living paycheck to paycheck and are unable to afford insurance, particularly if they have had major speeding tickets, accidents, or DUIs, all of which increase the cost of insurance. Regardless, there are additional causes for a lapsed vehicle insurance coverage.
A lapse in coverage occurs when you do not pay your payments on time, have your policy terminated by the insurance company due to serious incidents, or cancel your auto insurance before purchasing a new policy. Many people believe that before looking for new insurance, you must cancel your current one. This is never the case. Always check that new coverage is in place before canceling your old insurance.
Before going on a long out-of-country trip or being deployed, check with your insurance carrier. A lapse appears on your record if you cancel your insurance for an extended period, regardless of the cause. In the future, this might lead to higher rates. Instead, look into a non-owners policy that will cover you in any automobile and would provide you with continuing coverage, but not for your car.
Each state is distinct from the others. If you're moving to a new place (state), you might probably think it's fine to maintain your current insurance company no matter where you are located. This isn't true in the least. For example, in New York and New Jersey, you must obtain automobile insurance from a state-approved insurance company.
Many consumers feel that paying their vehicle insurance payment late doesn't make a difference. Insurance companies, on the other hand, want payment by the due date. If you do not pay, your insurance will lapse. Your motor insurance coverage may be canceled if you do not pay by the deadline mentioned in the reminder. You are not protected if you are in an accident while your insurance has lapsed! Your coverage will terminate until your payment clears your insurance provider, even if you are only a few days late.
If your coverage has run out and you get into an accident, you might be held solely accountable for any damages to your car and any other drivers or cars involved. Consult a lawyer if this occurs. Not only will you face financial hardship, but you may also lose your license, have your car seized in some places, or even face jail time.
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The Financial Implications of Driving Without Insurance in Tulsa
If the police discover that your insurance has expired, you will be fined $250. If the authorities discovered this as a result of an accident, you must pay the fine right away. If the violation occurred during a traffic stop, you have 10 days to restore your insurance before a fine is imposed. Following an accident, the police will immediately suspend your driver's license and seize your vehicle. They will only suspend your license after a traffic stop if you do not restore your insurance within 10 days.
It is not inexpensive to reinstate your auto insurance and driver's license. You must also pay a $275 reinstatement charge to the DMV and a $125 administrative fee to the Sheriff's Office in your county, in addition to the cost of a new insurance policy.
For $175, you can receive a modified driver's license if you lost your license due to an accident while driving without insurance. This license gives you just enough driving rights to travel to and from work.
However, the largest financial impact you might take is if the person you wounded sues you for their accident-related financial losses. You are individually liable for the injured person's medical costs and car repairs since you did not have insurance coverage; the insurance company will not pay them for you.
Penalties And Sanctions Following An Accident
A coverage lapse can occur for several reasons, the most common of which is a failure to pay premiums. As a result of lapses, insurers incur additional risks, and policyholders pay higher rates as a result.
Once you've served your jail term or paid your penalties, you can regain your driving rights. The DPS will then issue you a $175 modified driver's license so you may continue driving to work while your license is suspended. Accepting a modified driver's license, however, waives your right to a hearing to contest the suspension.
Finally, you must present a current motor insurance policy that meets the state's minimum liability limits before the court. However, you won't need to keep an SR-22 on feel.
Checkpoint Fines And Suspensions
Insurance companies in Tulsa are required to report lapsed policies to the state, which stores the information in an electronic database. If you drive through one of Oklahoma's checkpoints, officers can input your license plate information into the system and verify your insurance status. If you don't have enough insurance, you'll have to pay a $250 fine and your license will be suspended. Rather than towing your vehicle, the traffic cop may seize your license plates and place you on a temporary motorist liability plan. Officers are allowed to act in whatever way they see fit.
The temporary motorist liability plan is a short-term insurance policy that provides only the bare minimum of liability protection. However, it can only safeguard you and function as your temporary license plate for ten days. If you want your license reinstated and your plates returned, you must replace the temporary coverage with your policy within 10 days. You must pay a reinstatement cost of $275 and an administrative fee of $125.
If you don't present an active insurance policy to the DPS within 10 days, you'll be charged with a misdemeanor, face up to 30 days in jail, and your driving privileges will be suspended for a year. The state will remove your license plates if you haven't shown proof of financial security after 90 days.
Re-Applying For Auto Insurance In Tulsa
Although all drivers in Tulsa are required to have liability insurance, there's a strong possibility that at least one of the drivers with whom you shared the road today did not. Unless you get into a vehicle accident or are pulled over at a traffic check, driving without insurance may not seem like a huge concern. Then your driver's license might be suspended, or you could face criminal charges or both.
The good news is that Tulsa lawmakers understand that you may be driving without insurance because you did not have the time or money to renew your coverage before it expired. As a result, they provide you with a temporary insurance policy and a temporary license plate that are both good for ten days; if you restore your coverage within those ten days, you will escape civil and criminal consequences.