Mistakes happen, so there may be a time in your life when you forget to, or for some other reason do not, keep your car registration current. Maybe you were sick and unable to take care of important tasks or maybe you were out of the country. You may be wondering if an expired registration voids your policy.
Whatever the reason, don’t worry. The short answer is that you should not have any trouble with car insurance should you have an accident. Understand, however, that you’ll likely have other problems and have to face the consequences of not having a properly registered vehicle. But you will be covered by insurance. As long as you have paid your premium of course.
Consequences of Expired Registration
Accidental or not, driving with an expired registration is against the law. Typically, you’ll get a non-moving violation for an expired registration in most states. Non-moving violations, which include other offenses, like parking tickets, don’t mean that your insurance rates are automatically going to rise. Non-moving violations are a free-pass as far as car insurance is concerned.
Sometimes though you can face more serious consequences, such as having your car impounded on the spot. You won’t be able to get it out of the tow yard either, until you’ve paid all your back registration fees, your ticket, the tow yard fees, and any other outstanding fines.
The Relationship Between Insurance and Registration
While you may be covered if you have an accident and your registration is expired, there is still a connection between car insurance and car registration.
First, in the United States you must prove that you have some sort of auto insurance before you can register a vehicle. You may be able to get a temporary registration before securing insurance for a new car, but to get permanent license plates, you’ll have to show proof of auto insurance. Also, most states now participate in an electronic system that allows states to verify insurance coverage in real time.
Expired Insurance Coverage
Driving with expired insurance covered is a completely different story and something you do not want to experience. There are much more serious consequences to letting your car insurance expire and then getting into a car accident. Not only will you not be covered for damage to your car, you may be held personally liable for damage you cause to other cars or property. In addition, medical bills for personal injuries will all have to be paid out of pocket for you and for anyone else injured in the crash. You could also be sued.
If your car insurance has expired, you can fix that right away by using the InsuranceWins form. Just fill out a bit of information and we’ll send you quotes from insurance companies to help you get yourself legal and, more importantly, protected.
