Yes, though state laws differ you normally can go through some state agency to find out if a person is insured. If you want to see if a certain car is insured some Department of Motor Vehicles may be able to give you this information if you have a license plate or VIN for the vehicle. This could be helpful if you were hit by a car and got the license plate number and want to find out about the owner and if they are insured.

In some states the DMV might steer you towards another state agency to contact. For example in Florida you contact the Bureau of Financial Responsibility if you have been in an accident and want to find out insurance information on the other party. In this situation you would need to send in the crash report and they should research and reply to you within 10 days.

In California you can request the insurance information by contacting the DMV's Financial Responsibility Unit and submitting a form.

In New York you fill out form FS-25 which is a Request for Insurance Information for NY Registrants Involved in an Accident and is available on the NYS DMV web site. You then send in the form with a $10 fee and the DMV will try to verify the insurance coverage of the vehicle.

If were not involved in an accident but believe that someone is driving without insurance or want to check and see if someone has insurance, your local Department of Motor Vehicles should still hopefully help you or give you information on a state agency that can will give you the information you need.