There is no grace period in which to obtain insurance in Minnesota. You are required to have insurance on a vehicle that is being driven on a roadway. If you are buying a car from an individual then you would need to alert your insurance company of this fact and make sure that you are covered when driving the car away from the place where you purchased the car from the private party.

The MN Driver and Vehicles Services (DVS, a part of the Department of Public Safety) states that the Minnesota No-Fault Act (M.S. 65B.48), requires owners of registered motor vehicles to maintain no-fault insurance. The law makes it a crime for a vehicle owner to operate or permit operation of any uninsured motor vehicle or motorcycle upon any public road, street, or highway. Violation of the law can result in fines or imprisonment and/or loss of driving privileges.

Minnesota Law (M.S. 169.791) requires drivers to carry proof of insurance in the vehicle at all times and to provide it to peace officers upon demand. This section of law states:

Every driver shall have in possession at all times when operating a vehicle and shall produce on demand of a peace officer proof of insurance in force at the time of the demand covering the vehicle being operated. If the driver does not produce the required proof of insurance upon the demand of a peace officer, the driver is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Keep in mind that as long as your insurance company has started coverage on the vehicle you may not have yet an insurance card to show police when you pick up the car. If that is the case and you were ticketed for no insurance then MN law does allow for that by permitting the driver/owner to produce to the court proof of insurance stating that the vehicle was covered at the time of the traffic stop. If this is done then you cannot be convicted of the citation for driving without insurance.

When you buy a car from an individual you need to go and title and register it in your own name and when you register a vehicle in Minnesota you are attesting that the vehicle is properly insured. So you also need to have your insurance on your vehicle so that you are making a true statement on your registration application.

To get a quote for MN auto insurance, click here for cheap rates.