Missouri law requires that all motor vehicle owners maintain some type of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage. Any person who registers a motor vehicle must have liability insurance.
Liability insurance covers your legal liability when injuries or property damage happen as a result of your actions. The minimum level of coverage required by MO state law is:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $10,000 per accident for property
Missouri law also requires you to have uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 for bodily injury per person and $50,000 for bodily injury per accident.
Motor vehicle owners are required to show proof of insurance when registering a vehicle and renewing their license plates. You must keep some proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times. If a law enforcement officer asks for proof of insurance and you cannot show it, the officer will issue you a ticket.
The MO Department of Revenue (DOR) will be notified that you do NOT have insurance on your vehicle or the vehicle you drive if you are in an accident or a police officer asks you to show proof of insurance. At any time, the Department of Revenue may also ask you to prove you have insurance.
In Missouri if a driver is cited and convicted of failing to show proof of insurance, one of three things will happen to the driver according to the DOR:
- The court will send the conviction to the Driver License Bureau. The conviction will be entered on the driver’s driving record and four points will be assessed. It only takes a total of eight points within an 18-month period to lose your driving privilege in Missouri
- The court may enter an order of supervision. This order is sent to the Driver License Bureau so that the driver can be monitored to ensure automobile liability insurance is being maintained.
- The court may enter an order suspending the driver’s driver license for failing to show proof of insurance. This order is sent to the Driver License Bureau at which time the driver is notified of the suspension of his or her driver license.
After the driver serves the required period of suspension, his or her driver license can be reinstated if the Driver and Vehicle Services Bureau receives the following, for a first suspension:
- Proof of insurance
- $20 reinstatement fee
The Missouri Department of Revenue notes that any vehicle driver whose driver license is suspended for failing to show proof of insurance must maintain liability insurance on his or her vehicle for a period of three years following the end of the suspension. The driver must file this proof of insurance (SR-22) with the DOR during this three-year period.
If the driver fails to provide this proof, the Driver and Vehicle Services Bureau will again suspend his or her driver license. The suspension will remain in effect for the remainder of the three years unless the driver refiles the proof of insurance.
The DOR did not state the fine amount that goes with a driving without insurance citation so we looked to Chapter 303 of the Missouri Revised Code (RSMO). Subsection 3 notes that any person who violates this section is guilty of a class C misdemeanor and the driving record of the convicted driver will be assessed four points.
A class C misdemeanor in MO has a maximum penalty of up to 15 days in jail and a fine of up to $300. So driving without insurance in MO can get your license suspended, 4 points on your driving record a fine of up to $300 and the possibility of 15 days in jail.
The fine amount for driving without insurance usually can vary depending upon the jurisdiction you were ticketed in. Beyond the fine amount there may also be court costs and other fees, so to find out the exact fine amount and other penalties you may face for being cited as an uninsured motorist you should contact the Stoddard County courthouse.Normally the court that will be dealing with your traffic violation will be listed on your ticket.
To get car insurance on your vehicle to see if this will help your case in court or to obtain the future proof of insurance you will need to reinstate your license if it is suspended, click here.
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