Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Nebraska
Driving without evidence of a current automobile liability policy in effect or alternative proof of financial responsibility is a class II misdemeanor in Nebraska. Getting caught driving uninsured will result in the suspension of your license, registration and license plates.
Type | Penalty |
|---|---|
|
License and registration |
|
|
SR-22 form required | 3 years |
|
License reinstatement fee | $50 |
|
Registration reinstatement fee | $50 |
Penalties for driving uninsured in Nebraska
In Nebraska, you need valid car insurance in place before you can register your car or renew your car registration. Your policy should meet at least the required 25/50/25 liability coverage amounts, as well as uninsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. If you are caught driving uninsured at a traffic stop — or, worse, after a collision — you will lose your driving privileges.
Suspension of driving privileges at a traffic stop
Law enforcement officers can request proof of financial responsibility at routine traffic stops. If you cannot provide an acceptable form of proof, the police will serve you with a citation for the immediate suspension of your license and registration.
If you had an active insurance policy at the time of the stop, you can show proof to the court within 10 days of receiving the ticket. If you succeed in presenting proof of insurance within that grace period, your citation will be dismissed, and your license and registration will be reinstated at no cost to you.
Regardless of whether you had insurance coverage when stopped, after 10 days, you will need to pay all the reinstatement fees to restore your driving privileges. That is $50 each to restore your license and vehicle registration. You will also need to pay for the renewal of your license plates on top of that.
If you did not have coverage, you'll need to provide the court with valid proof of insurance in addition to paying the reinstatement fees. That proof can be a newly purchased auto insurance policy or an SR-22 certificate that is filed by your insurance company.
Suspension of driving privileges after an accident
If you are involved in a car crash, the police officer investigating the scene will ask you for proof of insurance. If you cannot provide it, you will be given 10 days to appear in court with valid evidence of insurance. If you can't provide proof of insurance in that time frame, your license and registration will be suspended.
If you did have insurance coverage, the court will only accept proof in the form of a letter of verification from your insurer. Without that, your driving privileges will be suspended until you can come back to the DMV with all of the items required to reinstate your license and registration. In that case, you'll need: 1) a letter of verification from your insurer as proof, 2) the SR-22 filed by your insurer and 3) a $50 reinstatement fee each for your license and registration.
If you did not have active insurance coverage at the time of the accident, you will need to:
- Secure coverage with an SR-22 certificate of insurance
- Have your insurer submit the SR-22 to the Department of Motor Vehicles
- Pay the license and registration reinstatement fees
- Maintain SR-22 insurance coverage continuously for three years
That's on top of possibly having to personally shoulder the medical bills and repair costs of the other party, if it's decided you caused the crash.
SR-22 maintenance in Nebraska
If you have been convicted of violating the insurance law and are required to maintain an SR-22 for three years, the state will be alerted if you lapse on paying your premium. As punishment, your license and registration will once again be suspended. This is called insurance cancellation suspension.
Nebraska has an electronic verification database for monitoring the insurance status of its drivers. All insurance companies must update the DMV with the status of every single policy twice a month, which will be matched against each registered vehicle. If your policy includes SR-22 filings, this will also be noted and updated in the system.
Reapplying for auto insurance in Nebraska
It is common for car insurance carriers to deny coverage to drivers who are classified high risk. That includes people who are convicted of violating the insurance law. The Nebraska Automobile Insurance Plan is a guaranteed way for drivers to get car insurance, even when tagged with high-risk status. This can be an option if you're unable to find a policy through the regular insurance market.