Getting caught driving without car insurance can cost you in monetary fines, a suspended license or registration, community service, and jail time. Read here to learn how many drivers are uninsured.

Written by Cheryl Knight

Reviewed by Kathleen Flear

Updated on Jan 29, 2024

Table of Contents

What percentage of drivers are uninsured?
Penalties for driving your car uninsured

Many states

require car owners to insure their vehicles

before they can drive them on roadways. Even with laws in place, up to 12.6% of drivers in the U.S. are uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council.

To help combat this, many states enforce insurance laws in place by penalizing individuals caught driving without

car insurance

. Here's a look at uninsured rates by state and the penalties in each state for driving without car insurance, compiled by

Jerry

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What percentage of drivers are uninsured?

According to a

2014 Insurance Research Council study

, more than 1 in 10 drivers in the U.S. drive without car insurance. The following table breaks down the percentage of uninsured drivers on the roadways by state:

State	Percentage of Drivers Without Insurance
National Average	12.60%
Alabama	19.60%
Alaska	13.20%
Arizona	10.60%
Arkansas	15.90%
California	14.70%
Colorado	16.20%
Connecticut	8.00%
Delaware	11.50%
D.C.	11.90%
Florida	23.80%
Georgia	11.70%
Hawaii	8.90%
Idaho	6.70%
Illinois	13.30%
Indiana	14.20%
Iowa	9.70%
Kansas	9.40%
Kentucky	15.80%
Louisiana	13.90%
Maine	4.70%
Maryland	12.20%
Massachusetts	3.90%
Michigan	21.00%
Minnesota	10.80%
Mississippi	22.90%
Missouri	13.50%
Montana	14.10%
Nebraska	6.70%
Nevada	12.20%
New Hampshire	9.30%
New Jersey	10.30%
New Mexico	21.60%
New York	5.30%
North Carolina	9.10%
North Dakota	5.90%
Ohio	13.50%
Oklahoma	25.90%
Oregon	9.00%
Pennsylvania	6.50%
Rhode Island	17.00%
South Carolina	7.70%
South Dakota	7.80%
Tennessee	20.10%
Texas	13.30%
Utah	5.80%
Vermont	8.50%
Virginia	10.10%
Washington	16.10%
West Virginia	8.40%
Wisconsin	11.70%
Wyoming	8.70%

MORE:

How police catch uninsured drivers

Penalties for driving your car uninsured

Each state differs on how they punish drivers who get caught driving without car insurance. The various state penalties for driving without car insurance include:

State	Penalties for Driving Without Car Insurance
Alabama	First offense: license suspended for 45 days and/or a $500 fine. Succeeding offenses: license suspended up to six,months and/or a $1,000 fine.
Alaska	First offense: license suspended for 90 days. Succeeding offenses: license suspended for one year.
Arizona	First offense: license suspended up to three months and a $250 fine. Second offenses (within 36 months): license and registration suspended up to six months and a $500 fine. Third offense: license and registration suspended for one year and a $750 fine.
Arkansas	First offense: fine of $50 to $250. Second offense: fine of $250 to $500. Succeeding offenses: fine of $500 to $1,000 and/or one year in jail.
California	First offense: fine of $100 to $200. Succeeding offenses (within 3 years): fine of $200 to $500. Defendant must provide proof of insurance in court or face greater fines.
Colorado	First offense: fine of $500. Succeeding offenses: fine of $1,000 and up to 40 hours of community service.
Connecticut	First offense: fine of $35. Succeeding offenses: fine of $50.
Delaware	First offense: license suspended for six months and a fine of $1,500 to $2,000. Succeeding offenses: license and registration suspended for six months and a fine of $3,000 to $4,000.
District of Columbia	First offense: fine of $300 to $500. Succeeding offenses: fine of $500 to $2,000 and/or up to 90 days jail time.
Florida	Automatic suspension of license and registration if unable to provide proof of insurance in court.
Georgia	Fine of $500 and/or one year in jail. Registration suspended until fine paid and able to provide proof of insurance.
Hawaii	First offense: fine of $500. Succeeding offenses: fine of $2,500. Judge can suspend the fine for the first offense and order community service.
Idaho	First offense: fine of $75. Succeeding offenses: fine of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
Illinois	Fine of $500 to $1,000 and license suspended for three months.
Indiana	First offense: Possible license and registration suspension for one year. Succeeding offenses (within five years): license suspended for one year.
Iowa	Receive a traffic ticket and have the vehicle license plate and registration receipt removed. Law enforcement can also impound the vehicle.
Kansas	First offense: fine of $300 to $1,000, in addition to a possible six months in jail. Succeeding offenses (within three years): suspension of license and registration and a fine of $800 to $2,500.
Kentucky	First offense: fine of $500 to $1,000 and/or jail time of 90n days. Succeeding offenses (within five years): fine of $1,000 to $2,500 and/or jail time of 180 days.
Louisiana	First offense: impoundment of license plate requiring a reinstatement fee of $50. Second offense: fine of $150. Succeeding offenses: fine of $500.
Maine	Fine of $100 to $500 and suspension of license and registration for 30 days.
Maryland	Suspension of registration for one to 30 days and a fine of $150. After 30 days, the fine increases by $7 per day to a maximum fine of $2,500 for a 12-month period.
Massachusetts	First offense: fine of $500. Succeeding offenses: fine ranging from $500 to $5,000 and/or jail time of one year.
Michigan	Fine of $200 to $500 and/or jail time of one year.
Minnesota	First offense: fine of $200 to $1,000 and/or jail time of up to 90 days. Succeeding offenses (within 10 years): fine of $200 to $3,000 and/or jail time of one year.
Mississippi	Fine of $500 and jail suspension of license for up to one year.
Missouri	Driver's license suspension and assessment of points on driving record.
Montana	First offense: fine of $250 to $500 and/or jail time of 10 days. Second offense (within five years): fine of $350 and/or jail time of 10 days. In addition, expect suspension or even surrender of vehicle registration and license plate until proof of insurance provided. Third or succeeding offenses (within five years): fine of $500 and/or jail time of up to six months and suspension or surrender of license plate and registration until proof of insurance shown. Fourth offense: driver's license suspension and surrender.
Nebraska	Suspension of driver's license.
Nevada	Fine of up to $1,000 plus civil penalties ranging from $600 to $1,000 and license and registration suspension.
New Hampshire	Suspension of driver's license, vehicle registration, and license plate until damages paid and pay any reinstatement and restoration fees.
New Jersey	First offense: fine of $300 to $1,000, lose the right to drive for one year, and serve community service. Succeeding offenses: fine of $5,000, lose right to drive for two years, serve 30 days of community service, and jail time of 14 days.
New Mexico	Suspension of registration and a fine of $300.
New York	Fine of $150 to $1,500, plus a $750 civil penalty and/or jail time of up to 15 days.
North Carolina	First offense: revocation of registration for 30 days and a fine of $50. Second offense (within three years): fine of $100. Third offense: fine of $150.
North Dakota	First offense: suspension or revocation of registration until proof of insurance shown and a minimum fine of $150. Succeeding offenses (within 18 months): minimum fine of $300.
Ohio	First offense: fine of $75, license suspended for three months, and revocation of registration. Second violation (within five years): license suspension for one year. Succeeding offenses: license suspension for two years.
Oklahoma	Fine of up to $250 and/or jail time of 30 days, plus lose right to drive until pay a reinstatement fee and provide proof of insurance.
Oregon	Suspension of driver's license or revocation of vehicle registration.
Pennsylvania	Fine of $300 and a suspension of driver's license and registration for three months.
Rhode Island	First offense: fine of $100 to $500 and suspension of license and registration for up to three months. Second offense: fine of $500 and up to a six-month suspension of license and registration. Third and succeeding offenses: fine of $1,000 and up to a one year suspension of license and registration.
South Carolina	First offense: fine of $100 to $200 and/or jail time of up to 30 days. Second offense (within five years): fine of $200,and/or jail time of 30 days. Third or succeeding offenses (within five,years): jail time ranging from 45 days to six months.
South Dakota	Suspension of driver's license ranging from 30 days to one year.
Tennessee	Fine of $100.
Texas	First offense: fine of $175 to $350. Succeeding offenses: fine of $350 to $2,000.
Utah	First offense: fine of $400. Succeeding offenses (within three years): fine of $1,000 and suspension of driver's license until proof of insurance provided.
Vermont	Fine of $100 and must provide proof of insurance to regain suspended driver's license.
Virginia	Suspension of driver's license and vehicle registration.
Washington	Fine of up to $250 or community restitution, such as performing community service.
West Virginia	First offense: fine of $200 to $5,000, suspension of driver's license for 30 days, and vehicle registration revoked until proof of insurance provided. Succeeding offenses: fine of $200 to $5,000 and/or jail time ranging from 15 days to one year.
Wisconsin	Fine of up to $5,000.
Wyoming	First offense: fine of $250 to $750, license suspended until proof of insurance provided, and/or jail time of up to six months. Succeeding offenses: fine of $500 to $1,500, suspension of license until providing proof of insurance, and/o jail time of up to six months.

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Uninsured motorists drive up car insurance premiums for drivers who opt to follow the law and keep coverage on their vehicles. Luckily, many car insurance companies offer

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