Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, driving without proof of financial security is illegal. Proof of financial security includes things like depositing $75,000 with the state, but it is most commonly satisfied by carrying at least the minimum required liability car insurance amounts.
Violating the law can lead to a fine of up to $1,000 and license suspension of up to 12 months, whether you were caught driving without insurance or a random verification request from the state discovers you're uninsured.
Type of penalty | First offense | Second offense | Third and subsequent offenses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fines | $100 to $500 | $500 | $1,000 |
|
License, registration and/or plates suspension | 3 months | 6 months | Up to 1 year |
In addition, you may have to pay the following reinstatement fees, regardless of how many times you are caught:
- License reinstatement fee: $152.50
- Registration reinstatement fee: $252.50
- Insurance verification reinstatement fee (if applicable): $252.50
Penalties for driving uninsured in Rhode Island
The Motor Vehicles Reparations Act was passed to make sure Rhode Island motorists are financially responsible when they drive. The law requires you to carry liability coverage in the state's minimum required amounts of 25/50/25. You can show proof of coverage with your insurance binder, your actual policy or an endorsement or certificate of insurance printed on your carrier's letterhead.
If you are unable to produce any of these at a traffic stop, during an accident investigation or after receiving a notice of verification from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you will face penalties.
First offense
The first time you fail to produce proof of insurance, you'll be fined $100 to $500. You may also lose your registration and have your license suspended for three months.
The good news is that after your citation, Rhode Island offers you a grace period of 10 days to come to court and produce valid proof of insurance. If you manage to prove that your policy was active at the time you were cited for noncompliance, your license suspension and registration revocation will be dismissed.
Second offense
For a second violation of the state's insurance law, you will be charged $500 in fines, and your driving privileges will be revoked for six months.
Third and subsequent offenses
If the offense is repeated for the third time or more, it's considered a civil violation. You will be penalized with a $1,000 fine and a driving privileges suspension of up to 12 months.
Driving without insurance in an accident
Whenever you are involved in a car accident in Rhode Island that causes any sort of bodily harm to any person or property damage that could cost more than $1,000 in total, you are expected to file an accident report, along with related information about your insurance status, with the DMV. If you are uninsured at the time the accident happens, the DMV will:
- Order the impoundment of your car's registration certificate and registration plates. You should receive a notice by mail that orders you to turn in your certificate and plates to the administrator of the DMV within 10 days.
- Order the suspension of your driver's license.
- Record the insurance violation on your driving record, and put you on the list for compliance monitoring (see the Rhode Island Insurance Verification System).
The duration of your driving privileges suspension and registration impoundment, in this case, is still based on your number of previous offenses.
You do have the right to request a hearing regarding your uninsured conviction if you'd like to contest it. However, the suspension orders will still take effect on the date set by the DMV, regardless of your request.
The Rhode Island Insurance Verification System
To enforce the mandatory insurance law, the Rhode Island DMV periodically selects, from among all of its registered vehicles, a random sampling of cars and sends out requests to the registered owners to verify their insurance status. However, any Rhode Island motorists who have a record of suspension due to insurance violations will be kept in a special pool for monitoring.
This is how the verification process goes: When you receive a request from the DMV, you must respond with proper proof of insurance before the date listed on the letter. Failing to respond within that time frame will lead to registration revocation, which will ultimately cost you $252.50 to reinstate. Depending on what is asked for in the request, you may need to provide the name of your car insurer, the policy number and the expiration of your coverage. Any violation of the insurance law found in the verification process will be treated the same as motorists who are caught driving uninsured (see Penalties for Driving Uninsured in Rhode Island).
Reinstating your driving privileges
The State of Rhode Island gives you the opportunity to have your license suspension period shortened and your registration revocation terminated if you are able to satisfy all court requirements. This includes getting active insurance coverage and filing an affidavit affirming you have obtained insurance. You will also need to pay any outstanding fees, such as a $30 administrative reinstatement fee, a $152.50 license reinstatement fee and/or a $252.50 registration reinstatement fee. You can complete restoration online or in person.
Reapplying for auto insurance in Rhode Island
Violations, suspensions and at-fault accidents will become part of your permanent record, branding you a high-risk driver. If you cannot find a Rhode Island car insurance company that will offer you coverage, because of your driving history and status, the state can assist you in purchasing a policy through the Rhode Island Automobile Insurance Plan.