You would need to check with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or local law enforcement to find out if your vehicle can be impounded for driving without insurance. We have heard from those impounded in Denver due to not having valid proof of insurance however we cannot tell you if this is a statewide law or if each city, township, etc can put in place their own laws regarding the impoundment of vehicles.
If your vehicle was impounded due to you showing expired proof of insurance it sounds as if at least in that jurisdiction in CO impoundment of vehicles is allowed for someone they believe to be driving without insurance. It may be in fact up to the discretion of the law enforcement officer since driving without valid insurance, which you could not show, is against the law.
What we can tell you is if a driver is stopped for a traffic violation or involved in a traffic accident they must provide proof of insurance for the vehicle they are driving. The proof of insurance does not specify who is authorized to drive the vehicle. It only states the vehicle is insured. So as long as proof of insurance is provided no ticket would be issued.
[Let CarInsurance.com help you find affordable auto insurance now.] Failing to provide proof of insurance in the state of Colorado results in a ticket with a mandatory court appearance. Should an accident occur it is a civil matter between the registered owner and the insurance company if the insurance company will cover drivers other than those listed on the insurance policy. A vehicle owner needs to be aware if the insurance company does not cover an accident there is a high likelihood that the vehicle owner could be held liable if they allowed someone to drive their vehicle. Registered vehicle owners should check their insurance policy to see if other drivers are covered.
If you were cited for driving without insurance or no proof of insurance but had auto insurance in place at the time of the traffic stop than you should contact the court to see what your options are. This type of ticket comes with a mandatory court appearance in CO however if you have proof now you can show of insurance in effect at the time of the stop likely you can show this to court officials before your court date to get the ticket dismissed.
For example Commerce City, Colorado's municipal court states that if your insurance was valid at the time the ticket was issued; bring your insurance card to the Commerce City Municipal Court in City Hall, before your court date. The court will contact your insurance company for verification and dismiss the ticket.
The traffic court for the City of Colorado Springs notes that those who have been charged with failure to provide proof of compulsory insurance should bring proof of insurance with them to court. As a convenience, if insurance was properly in effect at the time the summons was issued, the compulsory insurance charge may be resolved by the court referee anytime before the scheduled appearance date. Whether the appearance is made before the referee, or before the judge on the scheduled court date, one should provide proper proof of insurance. A timely letter from the insurance agent is the best proof of insurance.
So contact the court listed on your traffic ticket for having expired proof of insurance to find out how you best can deal with the citation and get it dismissed. Find out what exact documents they will need from your insurance company so that you can bring them to court and clear up this issue.
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Keep in mind that if you did not actually have insurance in place at the time of the traffic ticket being caught driving without insurance in Colorado has severe penalties.
A first offense for driving without insurance comes with a $500 minimum fine and 4 points being placed onto your CO motor vehicle record (MVR). A second is a minimum $1000 fine and a license suspension of 4 months. A third violation comes with penalties which can include a minimum fine of $1000, community service, and an 8 month license suspension.
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