Key Takeaways
- Drivers are legally required to have cable car indemnity in about every submit. If you drive uninsured you risk fines and driver ’ sulfur license suspension
- unlike states have different minimum car policy coverage requirements, but most drivers need more than the minimal measure to adequately protect themselves
- Virginia and New Hampshire do not legally require drivers to have car indemnity, however you will be personally responsible for any aesculapian expenses or bills in damages if you get in a car accident
Why do states legally require car insurance?
States require drivers to purchase a car indemnity policy to ensure that motorists can take fiscal responsibility when it comes to collisions and damages. This is why most states require drivers to at least have liability coverage, which covers bodily wound and property damage that you cause to person else. Liability coverage is the crucial anchor of your car indemnity policy and every state that requires car policy will require you to have a minimal total of indebtedness coverage. Each state will have minimum cable car policy coverages that drivers must meet. If your vehicle is legally registered and will be driven on public roads, then you are required to meet these coverage minimums before you can actually drive your cable car. however, car policy policies are not one-size-fits-all, and you may want to add extra coverage to your policy depending on your own situation. Some states might require you to purchase different car indemnity coverage amounts. Your state might require you to have a certain amount of coverage types, like :
- personal injury protection : Covers aesculapian expenses and other costs if you are injured or if your passenger is injured in a collision. This is required in so call “ no-fault ” states, where drivers get compensation for injuries from a cable car accident through their own insurance company rather than the insurance company of the at-fault party .
- Uninsured and/or underinsured motorist indemnity : Covers you if you get into an accident with person who is uninsured or has only a limited come of car policy .
- collision and comprehensive examination coverage : optional coverage that protects your vehicle when it is both on and off the road, like if a tree falls and damages your car during a storm or if you back into a column by accident .
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What happens if I get caught driving without car insurance?
If you get in a car accident and you don ’ t have a current car insurance policy, depending on what state you live in there can be a assortment of consequences. The penalties range from fines to a suspended driver ’ second license. If you get pulled over while driving, you are required to show patrol proof of policy and your vehicle registration. If you have neither, this can besides result in unplayful consequences. Depending on your state ’ sulfur laws, if you fail to prove that you have an car policy policy you could be facing :
- Suspended fomite registration
- license or registration reinstatement fees
- Your vehicle could be towed or impounded
- Community serve fine
- Higher car indemnity rates in the future
- Arrest and potential imprison clock
What documents should I keep in my car?
You should keep your indemnity information and other documents in your car because you will be required to provide them if you get in an accident or if you ’ re pulled over by a police policeman. You should besides have these documents handy when you are filing an car insurance claim. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, drivers should keep the be documents in their cars :
- car registration papers
- proof of car policy or digital proof of insurance
- Driver ’ second license
Most cable car policy companies have smartphone apps that let you easily pull up your policy data .
Do I need car insurance if I don’t have a car?
In short, no you do not. If you drive person else ’ mho car once in a while, you will be covered by their policy under what is called “ permissive use. ” If you drive a car that belongs to person in your family, you should get listed as a named insured on their policy. however, there is besides such a thing as non-owner car indemnity. . Non-owner car policy is something you should consider if you :
- frequently borrow a acquaintance or family member ’ s car
- Use car-sharing services like Zipcar or Car2go
Non-owner car indemnity will provide you with liability coverage, giving you extra protection and coverage if you cause an accident and are found liable for damages .
How much car insurance is legally required in your state?
about every individual state requires motorists to have car policy. however, each state has unlike amount of coverage requirements for drivers. For example, Alabama requires drivers to have a minimal of $ 25,000 in bodily wound indebtedness coverage per person, whereas Alaska requires drivers to purchase a minimum of $ 50,000 worth of that like coverage. If you lease your vehicle or bought it with a lend, then the company you lease from or your lienholder may require you purchase more coverage to meet their lease requirements, in summation to what your state requires. only two states do not require drivers to carry a minimum amount of car policy : New Hampshire and Virginia. however, that doesn ’ thyroxine entail there are no consequences for going uninsured in those states — New Hampshire requires drivers to pay up to a certain limit out of pocket if you go uninsured or else you will face penalties and Virginia requires an annual payment to the state if you decide to forgo car policy. Find out your state ’ mho required cable car policy minimums.
Financial responsibility laws in states that don’t require car insurance
If you live in Virginia or New Hampshire, you are not legally required to have car insurance. however, there are however fiscal province laws that you must comply with. Like express required car policy coverage, fiscal duty laws will change depending on which state you live in.
- Virginia : Drivers without cable car indemnity must pay a $ 500 uninsured centrifugal fomite annual registration fee. Uninsured drivers are besides responsible for paying out of pocket for checkup expenses or property damage after a car accident .
- New Hampshire : uninsured drivers who are determined to be at mistake for a car accident are required to get indemnity coverage for at least three years after the accident .
Of course, drivers can buy an car policy policy in both Virginia and New Hampshire to meet each state ’ second car indemnity coverage minimums, and then the above caveats will not apply to them. In fact, if you own a car and you plan on driving it at all, cable car insurance is a full investing that can save you thousands of dollars that you might otherwise have to pay out of pouch .