What happens if you had your insurance lapse for a year in Idaho and you want to reinsure it with a different company? What penalties will you face in this situation?

You should be able to find insurance and get your vehicle insured however you will normally find higher insurance rates due to the lapse in coverage and especially if you were cancelled for non-payment. You will also lose out on any previous discount you may have had for having continuous coverage with your auto insurer.

Before obtaining car insurance you will also need to take car of any issues, such as license suspension, and other penalties the state of Idaho may have placed upon you due to being uninsured. According to the Idaho Department of Transportation, in ID failure to carry motor vehicle insurance is a reason for your driving privileges to be suspended.

All motorized vehicles operated on Idaho roadways, whether registered or not, must carry liability insurance with following minimum coverage:

• $25,000 for injury or death of one person;
• $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people; and
• $15,000 for property damage.

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When you register your vehicle, you must sign a statement certifying that the vehicle is and will be insured as required by Sections 49-117(18), and 49-1229, Idaho Code.

According to the ID driver's manual if you violate Idaho's insurance laws, you will, for a first offense, be required to provide proof of financial responsibility for one year. If you commit a second offense in a five-year period, you will be required to provide proof of financial responsibility for three years. The acceptable form of proof of financial responsibility is a certified statement of liability insurance coverage from your insurer (an SR-22 certificate).

Idaho's laws note that driving without insurance is an infraction punishable by a fine of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for any person to violate the provisions of this section for the first time. A second and any subsequent conviction for a violation of the provisions of this section (49-117 of the Idaho Code) or the provisions of section 49-1232 or 49-1428, Idaho Code, within a period of five (5) years shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six (6) months, or both.

For more information regarding penalties for being an uninsured car owner, contact the Idaho Transportation Department through their website or by phoning them at (208) 334-8736.