As you are aware Massachusetts law requires that all cars have insurance on them with the minimum limits of $20,000/$40,000 for bodily injury to others and $5000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist (bodily injury caused by an uninsured motorist) is also required with minimum limits of $20,000/$40,000. The forth part of MA compulsory auto insurance is personal injury protection (PIP) which is also known as no-fault.

Compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance is discussed in chapter 90: Section 34J of the General Laws of Massachusetts. Here it states that being without insurance on a motor vehicle is punished by a fine not less than $500 nor more than $5000 or by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both the fine and jail time.

A person cited for driving without insurance may also have their driver's license suspended for 60 days by the Registry of Motor Vehicles and likely their registration and tags to the vehicle suspended as well.

It appears you know that auto insurance is required in Massachusetts however did not carry proof of insurance out of state and were cited for not having proof. MA does not have insurance cards as proof of insurance. Instead your vehicle’s Registration is used as proof of insurance. This is done since when you get auto insurance in MA your insurer will stamp an application for registration as proof that you have purchased the minimum liability insurance or more.

If you travel outside of Massachusetts to another state within the United States or to Canada, it is recommended to have your insurance policy or get proof of insurance to carry with you. Your agent or insurance company can provide these documents so that you can show them to law enforcement outside of Massachusetts where an insurance card or other proof of insurance is required to be shown.

While it may not be required that you carry proof of insurance in your vehicle, besides having your valid registration, in MA other states have different laws and can cite you if you fail to show some sort of proof of insurance. Other states will not accept your registration as proof of insurance but will require your policy, an insurance card or some sort of document from your insurance carrier that shows that your insurance policy is in effect.

When you leave your home state and visit other states, such as Florida, you need to conform to their laws and thus if they require you to have proof of insurance when driving a vehicle than you will need to have it to show.

If were cited for not having proof of insurance but are insured in your home state of Massachusetts you should check with the FL court to find out if you can get this ticket dismissed if you can show proof of insurance for the date you were ticketed for. If that is the case find out what the court requires and get the documentation needed from your auto insurance company so that you can get the ticket dismissed.