The Motor Vehicles Reparations Act was initiated 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 25/50/25 limits in the form of 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 acceptable proofs of insurance at a traffic stop, during a collision investigation, or after receiving a Notice of Verification from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you will bear the following penalties:

First Offense

The first time you fail to produce proof of insurance will result in a financial sentence between $100 and $500. You will also stand to 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 to produce a valid proof of insurance. If you manage to prove that your policy has been active at the time you were cited for non-compliance, your license suspension and registration revocation will be dismissed.

Second Offense

For a second offense against the state’s insurance law, you will be charged $500 in fines, and your driving privileges will be shelved for six months.

Third and Subsequent Offenses

If the offense is repeated for a third time or more, you would have committed a civil violation. This time, you will be penalized with a $1,000 fine and a driving privilege suspension of 12 months.

What happens if I do not have insurance and get into an accident?

The consequence of driving without insurance is especially grave in Rhode Island when you get into a serious accident. Whenever you are involved in a car accident in Rhode Island that causes either any sort of bodily harm to any person, or property damage that could be 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 were uninsured at the time the accident happen, the DMV will:

• Order the impoundment of your car’s registration certificate and registration plates.
• Order the suspension of your driver’s license.
• Make this record of insurance violation a permanent record.

Contact Attorney Archambault. He understands the anxiety individuals experience when facing criminal charges. He takes the time to meet with his clients to explain the charges and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your case. We encourage you to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your case with Attorney Archambault.