Michigan Car Insurance Laws

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by: Ali Thompson
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Word Count: 518
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 Time: 7:11 AM

This state has financial responsibility laws that require all drivers to have valid Michigan auto insurance for them to operate a vehicle. This means that in case you are stopped by a police officer and you do not have valid Michigan car insurance, financial consequences and other penalties will apply, in case of a court conviction. The law states that, you must produce valid proof of Michigan car insurance when asked to do so by a law enforcement officer. This means that that you may be found guilty of civil infraction if you fail to do this, even if you have a valid policy.

However, if you provide proof of an existing Michigan car insurance, then the violation will be dismissed although you may still have to pay court fees. Another law states that if you are found guilty of not having valid auto insurance Michigan when you were stopped, you will have to pay a driver responsibility fee. The fee ranges from $200 to $500, and can also come with a prison sentence of up to one year.

As a motorist in this State, you should know that your driver’s license can be suspended due to failure to provide evidence of Michigan car insurance. In addition, failure to pay your driver responsibility fee can also result in the loss of your license, although if your license is suspended it will remain so for at least 30 days or for the duration it will take you to provide valid evidence of Michigan car insurance.

It is important that you are aware that you will not be able to renew your vehicle’s registration if you have been caught without evidence of a valid motor vehicle cover. If this happens then you will have to prove that you have paid for a pre-paid Michigan car insurance policy before you can be able to drive your vehicle again. Nevertheless, if your license is suspended as a result of a court judgment or because you did not pay your driver responsibility fee as per the court schedule, you will be required to pay a reinstatement fee of $125 to get your license back.

You should also know that driver responsibility fees are assessed for two consecutive years; this means that the court will fine you $200 for your driver responsibility fee, which you pay once per year for two years. Therefore you will be required to pay a total fee of $400. However, if you fail to pay the fee for the second year, even if you had paid the first-year fee on time, you might lose your license. They also do not allow the second-year fee to be paid in advance; therefore you need to be alert.

It is crucial that you have Michigan car insurance when you are a resident in this city, as required by the state law. This means that if you disobey this law you can face significant fines and at times jail time, so you need to know the basic of Michigan car insurance laws as a resident driver.

About the Author

Ali Thompson is the author of this article on Car Insurance Arizona. Find more information on Auto Insurance Service In Az here.

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