Mississippi has a compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance law but this is not enforced through vehicle registration. So you do not have to show proof of insurance at the time of registration however MS requires every motor vehicle operated in this state shall have an insurance card maintained in the vehicle as proof of liability insurance that is in compliance with the liability limits required.

According to the Mississippi State Tax Commission the insured party is responsible for maintaining the insurance card in each vehicle. Upon stopping a motor vehicle for any other statutory violation, a law enforcement officer, who is authorized to issue traffic citations, shall verify that the insurance card is in the motor vehicle. So if you just bought a vehicle and do have insurance on it then police can ticket you for this offense.

As we mentioned earlier since January 1, 2006, Mississippi law requires that all drivers maintain liability insurance and carry a card in their vehicles at all times showing that you have liability insurance. In Mississippi, the minimum liability requirements are $25,000 per person (limited to a single accident), $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage (25/50/25). A Mississippi driver can legally satisfy these requirements by:

• Showing proof of liability insurance with bodily injury and property damage limits at least equal to the minimum requirement.
• Posting a bond for these same amounts.
• Making a cash or security deposit equal to the minimum requirements.

The Mississippi Insurance Department notes that the vast majority of car owners find that automobile liability insurance is the most effective way to protect yourself financially in case of an automobile accident. MS state law says that a law enforcement officer cannot stop you solely to check if you have an insurance card, but he or she can ask you for proof of insurance during a stop for any other statutory violation. The initial penalty for failing to maintain an insurance card is $1,000 and suspension of driving privileges for one year or until the motor vehicle owner shows proof of insurance.

We are not aware of any grace period in which you have to obtain insurance after purchasing a car from a dealer or private owner in MS. If you currently have insurance on another vehicle you may see if they will extend you any coverage when you first pick up your vehicle so that you can drive it home and call to add the vehicle to your policy.

If you do not have insurance on another vehicle or no coverages will be extended to this car that you are buying from a private seller then you should get information about the car before you go to buy it and contact an insurance company to get insurance started on the vehicle so you will be covered properly as soon as you purchase the vehicle.