Can the police impound your car for no insurance?

Can the police impound my car for no insurance/ You can only break a law for so long until you’re caught. Years ago, when police officers used antiquated systems in their squad cars, drivers could easily get away with driving without insurance with some invalid documents in their car.

Now, an auto insurance ID card isn’t enough to trick an officer into thinking that you have coverage.

Police can run your insurance through a computer in their cars. Sometimes, all they need is your license plate number to tell if you’re an uninsured driver. A paper insurance card tells them you signed up for insurance. Their computer tells them if that policy is reported to be active right now.

If you’ve ever driven without insurance in the past, you need to know what some newer consequences are for violating the law. Since being insured is part of the vehicle code in most states, driving an uninsured vehicle is a misdemeanor in most courts of law. If you’re pulled over without proof of insurance, a cop may simply issue you a ticket requiring you to produce proof of insurance in court. Your car could be impounded for no insurance.

Not only can you be cited for an infraction, you can also lose your car for a limited period of time.

Avoid the consequences of breaking the law! Find the car insurance that’s right for you by using our free comparison tool above.

Here’s what you need to know about police impounds:

How can police officers see if you have any insurance?

It’s just protocol for a law enforcement officer who’s pulling you over for a routine traffic stop to ask you to hand over the following:

• Your license
• Your registration
• Your proof of auto insurance

While some states don’t have electronic database systems in place, most of them do. So, if you hand over invalid evidence of insurance, you could land yourself in more trouble and your car could be towed without insurance. (For more information, read our “Car Insurance for Police Officers“).

Most states have some type of electronic database tool in place that all officers have access to while they are on-duty in their police car. (For more information, read our “Can police see if you don’t have car insurance?“).

To use these systems, all the officer has to do is type in the license plate number to see if insurance is reported on the car. Since companies are required to report in real-time, the information will be up-to-date.

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Can a police officer pull you over because of no insurance?

Officers may have the upper hand now when it comes to determining if a driver has insurance, but in no way does that mean that it’s okay for the officer to pull someone over just because they see a car with expired insurance in the computer system.

Driving without insurance is a secondary violation. This means that the officer must have a valid reason to stop the vehicle before the driver is cited for having no insurance. It could be a moving violation or suspicion of criminal activity. This said, it’s not nearly as hard as you might think for an office to find a reason to pull vehicle owners over if they want to. Some cops have been known to issue tickets for things like going 1 mph over the speed limit.

Read more: How long does a ticket stay on your record?

What happens when you’re pulled over, and you don’t have insurance?

When you don’t have valid insurance, it doesn’t bode well for you with the police. Some officers who are feeling friendly might let you go and send you off with a stern warning, but since the states are cracking down on uninsured drivers, this isn’t common anymore. If an officer lets you off with no insurance and you get into an accident, t would not reflect well on them.

It’s more common to be issued a ticket where you’re ordered to show proof of active insurance in court when you arrive for your mandatory appearance. In addition to having to appear in court, you’ll be ordered to pay a stiff fine. Fines range depending on the state that you live in and how many times you’ve been caught without insurance.

Fines range depending on the state that you live in and how many times you’ve been caught without insurance.

Sometimes, states require officers to tow vehicles when the driver has no insurance. This makes sense because the officer would be sending you off for violating the law once again. If your car is towed, you’ll have to find a way home and pick your vehicle up.

Your car won’t be released to you until you can pay the fees and show that you have insurance.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem for many drivers is insurance rates. Insurance companies will ask you three major things:

• How long have you been with your current insurance company?
• Are you required to show proof of insurance, such as an SR-22?
• Have you been cited for not having insurance?

If you let your insurance lapse or otherwise drive without insurance, your rates once you get insurance will go up substantially. If you’re required to get an SR-22, these rate increases may last until the state stops requiring the form. If you get a citation, the citation could stay on your record for 3-5 years in many states.

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When will your vehicle be impounded after a traffic stop?

The uninsured motorist rate is nearly 13 percent nationwide. In some states, more than 20 percent of the drivers don’t have insurance. It’s the states with the higher rates of uninsured vehicles that are enforcing new protocols to thwart people from violating this important law.

One of the new protocols that has been passed in some states like Alaska is to assess a mandatory impound when a car is being driven without insurance.

Second-time offenders will have their vehicle impounded for at least 30 days in Alaska. Sometimes, the mandatory impound is assessed after the first offense for more than just 30 days.

Read more:

• How do I get my impounded car back?
• What year did car insurance become mandatory?

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What do you have to pay for when your car is impounded?

A vehicle impound can cost you a fortune. Some people have to pay so much to get their car out that they will let it sit there because it’s not worth the total amount due.

Some costs you’ll have to pay to get your vehicle released include:

• Hook-up charge
• Towing charge per mile
• Storage fee at the lot
• Impound fee assessed by the police
• Fine for being cited for driving without insurance
• Cost to enroll to complete community service (if it’s required)

Read more: Can I tow my car with no insurance?

Your car may be impounded for suspended plates

If impounding the car isn’t mandatory in your state, it still could happen. In many states, the DMV will actually suspend your license plates for failing to respond to a letter asking for proof of your insurance.

Read more: How does the DMV point system work?

If this happens, a simple traffic stop could turn into a long encounter with the police.

In most cases, your car will be towed away to the police station, or an impound lot when you don’t have valid tags. You can’t immediately go and pick up the car because you’ll have to straighten everything out with your car first.

This means that you need to get insurance and then reinstate your plates.

If you need insurance to comply with the law, you need to act now. Get online quotes via the World Wide Web and you can instantly compare quotes from several carriers at the same time.

Make sure to choose the right coverage options and thoroughly review each quote to bind the best coverage through the best carrier. Get started right now!

Can my car be towed for no insurance?

• Driving without insurance is a Class C misdemeanor in some states that can be upgraded to a Class B violation
• If you’re caught violating your state’s insurance laws, you’ll pay the price in the form of fees and penalties
• When you’re cited for a violation, and you don’t have insurance, the officer could have your car towed at the scene
• When your car is parked on a public street with no insurance for a long period, parking enforcement officers may tow the car (For more information, read our “Can my car be parked on the road without insurance?“).
• It’s possible that your car could be towed and then repossessed if you’re financing, and you don’t have full coverage (For more information, read our “Can your car be repossessed for no insurance“).

Paying to have your car towed is one of the last expenses that you want to foot the bill for. Even worse is when you have a completely operable vehicle, and you’re billed for a tow service that you didn’t want.

Unfortunately, when you’re knowingly driving a car that’s not insured, there’s a good chance that your car could be towed by state officials.

Don’t put yourself in this position. Compare quotes today to make sure you get the best rate for the coverage you need.

Automobiles were once a luxury, and now they are more of a necessity. If you’re left stranded on the side of the road without a car, there’s no telling what could happen.

Not only do you have to worry about getting home, you have to worry about getting your car released so that you can get to work. Here’s what you should know about the risks of driving an uninsured vehicle:

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You Can’t Legally Drive Without Insurance in Most States

You legally have to have insurance to drive your vehicle on the street or the highway. There are very few private roads that you’re allowed to drive on with no insurance and even fewer states in the U.S. without some kind of mandatory insurance requirement.

If you’re going to own a vehicle, it’s your duty as a property owner to find out what the laws are in your state before you register it in your name.

Mandatory insurance requirements vary by state and the insurance system the state operates under. At this current time, there are two types of insurance systems: tort systems and no-fault auto insurance systems.

Tort systems require the at-fault driver to compensate drivers, passengers, and pedestrians for damages after a loss.

While it’s more common for a state to operate under tort law, there’s still a chance that the legislation passed in your state will make no-fault coverage mandatory.

When there’s some type of modified no-fault system in place, it doesn’t mean that no one is at fault for an accident, it just means fault doesn’t determine which insurer pays. Here’s a list of common requirements:

• Bodily Injury Liability – (tort and no-fault states) pays for third-party medical bills and loss of wages
• Property Damage Liability – (tort and no-fault states) pays for third-party property repairs and property replacement when it’s destroyed in an auto accident
• Personal Injury Protection PIP – (no-fault states) pays for medical bills, loss of wages, disability income, and rehabilitation expenses when you’re in an accident no matter who is at fault
• Medical Payments Coverage – (tort states) pays for your immediate medical bills after you are injured in any type of auto-related accident

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Driving Without the Mandatory Coverage Is a Crime

When coverage is mandatory there’s no getting around the requirement. You can’t just drive uninsured and expect not to be caught at some point. There are systems and databases in place that have made it easier to catch uninsured drivers so be aware of the penalties for driving without auto insurance.

When you’re cited for minor moving violations, they are classified as infractions. Driving without insurance is often classified as more than just an infraction, it’s also considered a misdemeanor in many states.

Sometimes, you have to get into an accident to be convicted of a misdemeanor and other times you have to be on your second offense. There are still states that classify no insurance tickets as Class C or Class B crimes.

How do state officials see that I’m not insured?

You can drive as safe as you want and that won’t change the fact that most states can verify the status of your insurance right at the current moment.

Since real-time systems are being implemented in a majority of states, you can’t carry old ID cards or drive safe just to avoid getting a no insurance ticket.

If you get pulled over by law enforcement, don’t assume it’s because the officer knows you don’t have any insurance coverage. While many officers have access to this information, no law enforcement can pull you over just because your coverage is canceled.

This is a secondary violation, and you must be caught doing something else before you can be stopped.

When you are stopped, if the officer asks for your proof of insurance, you need to be honest. There’s a good chance the officer can see your inactive coverage and giving false documents would just make the issue worse.

No matter what is said, the probability that your car will be towed from the scene to a tow yard is high.

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Can you ask the officer not to tow your car?

You can always try and see if the officer will let you voluntarily tow your car to your home. If you live in a state where tows aren’t a requirement, then the officer might be apt to help you out, but don’t expect it to go your way if you have multiple offenses.

You can’t legally drive or park a car that’s not insured in a public place. This is why parking an uninsured car on a public street in hopes of it not being towed isn’t a solution. If your car is parked and parking enforcement discovers it, it will be towed.

Losing your car will change your whole way of life. You’ll have to find a new way to work or even a new job. You’ll also have to pay to get insurance before you pay to get your car back.

Get insurance now before your car is towed by getting instant quotes online, and then you can avoid having to deal with this major headache.

Use our free quote tool today to get started

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