The Oklahoma driver's manual notes that OK has strict laws about having valid auto liability insurance. All Oklahoma drivers and/or vehicle owners are required by law to carry the minimum limits of liability for this state.

Oklahoma state law requires minimum Bodily Injury Liability coverage of $10,000 per injured person up to a total of $20,000 per accident, and Property Damage Liability coverage with a minimum limit of $10,000. This basic coverage is often referred to as 10/20/10 coverage.

Oklahoma Motor Vehicle section 7-606 is the state law for failure to maintain security on a motor vehicle. Here it states that an owner or operator who fails to comply with the Compulsory Insurance Law of OK shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of not more than Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00), or imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and in addition thereto, shall be subject to suspension of license and registration.

At the time of a collision or a traffic stop, the driver must show a current security verification form (proof of liability insurance) to the law enforcement officer. The vehicle owner’s insurance company or an individual’s non-owner insurance policy will provide the proper security verification form.

The suspension that we mentioned earlier is referred to more in the DPS Rules Financial Responsibility chapter, 595:15-1-4, where it discusses suspension for no vehicle liability insurance. Here it states that when the owner fails to timely furnish proof of vehicle liability insurance or of the Department shall immediately suspend the owner's driving privilege and driver license and the registration(s) and license plate(s) of any uninsured motor vehicle registered in the owner's name. The suspension shall remain in effect until payment of the required fees as provided by statute and proof of insurance is presented.

By law, you must show proof of FR (financial responsibility) to an OK law enforcement officer or Department of Public Safety Representative when asked however the Oklahoma laws speak about the owner having their registration and tags suspended, etc. Since your son did not own the car, and may have been unaware that it was not insured, he should contact the court listed on his driving without insurance citation to see if it is possible to dismiss this ticket in his name if he gives the court information on the owner of the car.

In some states and jurisdictions it is possible to have a dismissal of your uninsured driver ticket if laws then allow the court to ticket the car owner for this offense. In some states both the driver and car owner can receive penalties. The driver is penalized for operating an uninsured car and the car owner for allowing someone to drive their car when they knew it did not have the state required insurance on it. The court listed on the citation and/or a lawyer that works in this area of Oklahoma law should be able to advise you and your son on if there are options for him regarding this ticket.

Whether this type of ticket on your son's driving record will affect your insurance premiums is up to the rating system that your insurance carrier has in place. Driving without insurance is usually a major offense however since the car your son was driving in without insurance was not a car that he would normally have insurance on since it was not owned by him and he did not have insurable interest in it then your insurer may consider it to be minor. Your agent could tell you about your insurance provider's rating system and if your son's ticket will affect your rates in any way.

For more information on OK insurance law contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department or OK Department of Public Safety. The OK Insurance Department may also be able to tell you more about your insurance company's rating system since their rates must be filed with this state agency.