Is Driving Without Insurance a Crime?

If you get involved in a car accident or get pulled over by a law enforcement officer, one of the first questions you may be asked is if you may produce proof of your driver’s license, car registration, and car insurance. You may not do yourself any justice if you cannot provide proof of these things, let alone if you do not carry these things in the first place. This is especially true if you are caught driving without car insurance on multiple occasions. Follow along to find out whether driving without insurance is considered a criminal act and how a proficient New Jersey traffic ticket lawyer at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can help you get out of having to face any potential punishments.

Is driving without insurance a crime in the state of New Jersey?

You must understand that the state of New Jersey requires every driver to purchase a standard or basic auto insurance policy, with no plausible exceptions. What’s more, this policy must meet the minimum requirements set by New Jersey law. They read as follows:

• A mandatory basic or standard policy that provides bodily injury liability coverage.
  • Also, mandatory property damage liability coverage.
  • Also, mandatory personal injury protection coverage.
  • Also, mandatory uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
• An optional basic or standard policy that provides collision coverage.
  • Also, optional comprehensive coverage.

What are the potential punishments for driving uninsured?

A law enforcement officer may issue you with a citation and a court date if you are unable to produce proof of your car insurance. Then, if you are still unable to produce proof of your car insurance in front of the court, you may be presumed uninsured and thereby subject to serious penalties.

Of note, the penalties for driving uninsured may be far more severe in New Jersey than in other states. This is especially true if you are deemed a repeat offender. Without further ado, the potential punishments read as follows:

• First offense of driving without insurance:
  • A fine of anywhere between $300 to $1,000.
  • A surcharge assessment of $250 for three years.
  • A driver’s license suspension of one year.
  • A community service order.
  • An impoundment of your vehicle and its associated fees.
• Second and subsequent offenses of driving without insurance:
  • A sentence to jail of 14 days.
  • A fine of up to $5,000.
  • A surcharge assessment of $250 for three years.
  • A driver’s license suspension of two years.
  • A community service order of 30 days.
  • An impoundment of your vehicle and its associated fees.

When dealing with an urgent matter like this one, you must drop everything and call one of the experienced New Jersey criminal defense lawyers. Our team at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can help you pick up the pieces.