Driving without valid insurance can lead to big trouble.

Throughout most of the United States, driving without insurance is illegal. Drivers can face serious consequences if they are unprotected, which can range from a fine to losing your license or even jail time depending on where you live.

Read on to learn why you should never drive uninsured and penalties in your state, and check out our review of the best car insurance companies in America when you’re searching for your next auto insurance policy. You can start getting free quotes for policies in your area using the tool below.

In this article:

2021 State Penalties And Fines For Driving Without Insurance

Below is an overview of the consequences you can expect for your first offense of drive without insurance in each state. This data comes from each state's department of motor vehicles (DMV). Contact your local DMV to find more detailed information. To see second and third offense penalties and fines, visit the Consumer Federation of America website.

State	First Offense Fine	Additional First Offense Penalties	Reinstatement Fee
Alabama	$500	Imprisonment for up to 3 months Registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance for 1 year	$200
Alaska	$500	At least a 90-day license suspension	$100
Arizona	At least $500	License and registration suspension for 3 months	$10
Arkansas	$50 to $250	Registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance and pay a reinstatement fee	$20
California	$100 to $200	Court may impound vehicle Must also pay penalty assessments	Varies
Colorado	At least $500	May be sentenced to complete 40 hours of community service License suspension until you provide proof of financial responsibility	$95
Connecticut	$100 to $1,000	License and registration suspension for 1 month and until you provide proof of insurance	$75
District of Columbia*	$500	License suspension for 30 days	$54
Delaware	$1,500 to $2,000	License suspension for 6 months and until you provide proof of insurance	$200
Florida	None	License and registration suspension until you pay a reinstatement fee and provide proof of insurance	$150 to $500
Georgia	$200 to $1,000	Imprisonment for up to 12 months License suspension for 60 days and until you provide proof of a 6-month minimum policy	$200 to $300
Hawaii	$500	May be sentenced to 75 to 100 hours of community service License suspension for 3 months or until you provide proof of a 6-month minimum policy	$20
Idaho	$75	License suspension until you provide proof of financial responsibility for 1 year	$285
Illinois	$500 to $1,000	License suspension for 3 months	$100
Indiana	None	License suspension for 90 days up to 1 year Must pay reinstatement fee and provide proof of financial responsibility for 3 years	$150 to $300
Iowa	$250	Community service may take place of a fine May face a warning, citation, removal of plates and registration, or vehicle impoundment	Varies
Kansas	$300 to 1,000	Imprisonment for up to 6 months License suspension until you provide proof of insurance	$100 to $300
Kentucky	$500 to $1,000	Imprisonment for up to 90 days Registration suspension for up to 1 year or until you provide proof of insurance	$40
Louisiana	$500	Registration suspension and revocation of plates until you provide proof of insurance Vehicle impoundment	$50
Montana	$250 to $500	Imprisonment for up to 10 days	$100
Maine	$100 to $500	License and registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance	$100
Maryland	$150 to $1,000	Registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance After 31 days, fine increases $7 per day up to $2,500	$25
Massachusetts	Up to $1,000	Imprisonment for up to 1 year License and registration suspension for 60 days Fine is split between municipality and Risk Plan	$50 to $1,200
Michigan	$200 to $500	Imprisonment for up to 1 year License suspension for 30 days or until you provide proof of insurance	$25
Minnesota	$200 to $1,000	Imprisonment for up to 90 days License and registration suspension up to 12 months or until you provide proof of insurance May also face vehicle impoundment and community service	$680 total
Mississippi	$500	License suspension for 1 year or until you provide proof of insurance Fine reduced to $100 if proof of insurance is shown by the time of hearing	$25 to $100
Missouri	Up to $500	License and registration suspension until you pay a reinstatement fee and provide proof of insurance	$20
Nebraska	None	License and registration suspension until you pay a reinstatement fee Must provide proof of insurance for 3 years	$100
Nevada	$250 to $1,000	Registration suspension until you pay a reinstatement fee Insurance lapse for more than 90 days requires SR-22 proof of financial responsibility	$250
New Hampshire	None	State does not have laws requiring auto insurance	Varies
New Jersey	$300 to 1,000	License suspension for 1 year Community service	$100
New Mexico	Up to $300	Imprisonment for up to 90 days Registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance	$25
New York	$150 to $1,500	Imprisonment for up to 15 days $750 civil penalty License and registration suspension equal to the lapse in coverage	$100
North Carolina	$50	Registration suspension for 30 days Probation up to 45 days	$50
North Dakota	$150 to $1,000	License suspension unless you provide proof of insurance for 3 years	$50
Ohio	None	License and registration suspension until you pay a reinstatement fee	$160 to $660 total
Oklahoma	Up to $250	Imprisonment for up to 30 days License suspension until you provide proof of insurance Vehicle impoundment	$275
Oregon	$130 to $1,000	Must provide proof of insurance for 3 years	Varies
Pennsylvania	$300	License and registration suspension for 3 months and until reinstatement fee is paid and proof of financial responsibility is provided	Varies
Rhode Island	$100 to $500	License and registration suspension up to 3 months	$30 to $50
South Carolina	$100 to $200	Imprisonment for 30 days or $5 fine increase per day uninsured License and registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance	$200
South Dakota	Up to $500	Imprisonment for up to 30 days License suspension for 30 days to 1 year License and registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance	$50
Tennessee	Up to $300	License and registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance, provide proof of financial responsibility for 3 years, pay a reinstatement fee, and pass a driver’s license exam	$100
Texas	$175 to $350	None	$100
Utah	At least $400	License and registration suspension May reapply for registration after maintaining insurance for three years	$100
Vermont	$250 to $500	License suspension until you provide proof of financial responsibility	Varies
Virginia	Up to $500	License and registration suspension until you pay a fine and provide proof of insurance for 3 years	Varies
Washington	Up to $287	Community restitution Will also need to pay $37 in fees	Varies
West Virginia	$200 to $5,000	Imprisonment for 15 days to 1 year License and registration suspension until you provide proof of insurance	$200 total
Wisconsin	Up to $500	None	Varies
Wyoming	$250 to $750	Imprisonment for up to 6 months Must provide proof of financial responsibility for 3 years	Varies

*In Washington, DC, there are different violations for owning and registering an uninsured vehicle, as well as operating an uninsured vehicle. These are the penalties for operating an uninsured vehicle.

Is Driving Without Insurance Illegal?

In most states, driving without auto insurance is illegal, and drivers will face stiff penalties for doing so. All states except New Hampshire require at least bodily injury and property damage liability auto insurance for vehicle registration.

New Hampshire does not require liability coverage as long as you can prove financial responsibility for covering at-fault damages.

No-fault states like Michigan also require personal injury protection (PIP), which covers medical expenses regardless of who causes the accident.

Auto insurance protects drivers if they ever get into an accident. Damages to cars and property, as well as medical bills, can pile up when paying out of pocket. If you’re driving without insurance and you’re at fault in an accident, it can be pretty devastating trying to cover these costs on your own.

Minimum car insurance requirements include liability coverage along with personal injury protection and uninsured/underinsured motorist depending on the state. States don't require comprehensive or collision or comprehensive car insurance.

What Happens If You’re In An Accident And Don’t Have Insurance?

After an accident, the at-fault driver is responsible for covering the costs of hospital bills, property damage, car repairs for their own and the other drivers’ cars, and other losses. Without insurance, you'll either have to pay out of pocket or face a civil lawsuit from the other party.

If you are at fault,

You can't purchase insurance to cover an accident in the past.
You must pay for damages out of pocket unless the other driver has uninsured motorist coverage.
You may be sued for damages if you can't pay.
You'll pay license reinstatement fees and fines for driving without insurance.
You'll be required to file an SR-22 if you seriously injure or kill someone in the accident.

If you are not at fault, there may be a limit to how much you can sue the at-fault driver for if you don't have insurance yourself.

In “no pay, no play” states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Oregon), uninsured drivers are unable to sue for damages that can’t be quantified with a dollar amount. This includes things like emotional distress and physical pain. They may also have to pay a large deductible for repairs before they can sue you for the costs of property damage.

In a “no-fault” state (Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Utah), each driver will use his or her own insurance to cover the costs of any losses, no matter who causes the accident. In some states, other drivers may not be able to sue you for medical costs unless injuries are severe.

Common Questions About Driving Without Insurance

Here are some frequently asked questions about the potential consequences of driving uninsured:

Our Recommendations For Cheap Car Insurance

Your specific car insurance premiums will depend on many factors, like the state you live in and how long you’ve had a lapse in coverage. To find out how to get cheap auto insurance, you can check out our article on comparing car insurance rates. Or, read on to learn more about our top recommended insurance providers.

Progressive: 4.5 Stars

Progressive provides standard liability insurance, as well as coverage like rental car reimbursement and medical payments coverage. You can get coverage immediately, which is helpful if you’ve been without insurance for a period of time. The insurer also offers many discounts to help drivers save money, including safe driver and bundling discounts. Plus, it has the Name Your Price^® tool, which allows you to choose how much you want to pay for your auto insurance policy.

State Farm: 4.5 Stars

State Farm has an industry reputation for above-average customer service, including from helpful local agents across the U.S. It offers affordable options for a variety of coverage, including rideshare coverage and roadside assistance plans. State Farm also has a handful of discounts available for things like safe driving and having safety features installed in your car, and it’s one of the best companies to work with if you have teenage drivers.

To start getting free auto insurance quotes from these providers and more, use the tool below.