penalties for violations
An owner or operator
convicted of a manda-
tory liability insurance violation
may be fined
by law enforcement as follows
:
•
First violation - up to $500 fine.
•
Second or subsequent violations -
up to $1,000 fine and/or a six-month driver
license suspension.
In addition to the above violation
, if a vehicle
is registered or operated without liability
insurance, the vehicle registration will be
suspended and the vehicle owner will be
subject to the following:
•
First violation - $200 reinstatement fee.
•
Second or subsequent violations -
$400 reinstatement fee
.
Evidence of current insurance must also be
provided in order to reinstate the vehicle
registration.
Evidence of current insurance, along with the
reinstatement fee, may be submitted to the
county license plate issuing official in
the vehicle owner’s county of residence.
Accidents with Uninsured Motorists
Insurance information is available from
the motorist involved in an accident or
from the Safety Responsibility Accident
Report (SR-13) filed with the Department
of Public Safety.
For additional information, contact:
Alabama Department of Public Safety
Driver License Division
Safety Responsibility Section
P.O. Box 1471
Montgomery, AL 36102
Phone: (334) 242-4222
Website:
www.dps.alabama.gov
more information
For additional information concerning
Alabama’s mandatory liability insurance
law, contact:
Alabama Department of Revenue Motor
Vehicle Division
Mandatory Liability Insurance Unit
P.O. Box 327650
Montgomery, AL 36132- 7650
Phone: (334) 242-
9
000
Contact us:
support.revenue.alabama.gov
Website:
www.revenue.alabama.gov
important
notice
concerning
Mandatory Liability
Insurance Law
For more information:
BeSureToInsureAL.com
mandatory liability insurance complying with the law
enforcement
In Alabama, the uninsured motorist rate is
estimated to be 22%, which ranks sixth worst
in the nation.*
The Alabama Mandatory Liability Insurance
Law provides that
no person shall operate,
register, or maintain registration of a motor
vehicle designed to be used on a public road
or highway unless it is covered by a liability
insurance policy.
The law was passed to
protect consumers when they are involved in
an accident.
Liability insurance policies must be issued by
insurers licensed to do business in Alabama
for no less than:
•
$25,000 for death or bodily injury to
one person;
•
$50,000 for death or bodily injury to
two or more persons; and
•
$25,000 for damage or destruction of
property.
Minimum liability insurance is required on all
self-propelled motor vehicles. Some vehicles
that are exempt from the law include trailers,
government-owned vehicles and vehicles
covered under a commercial automobile
liability insurance policy.
Section 32-7A-5,
Code of Alabama 1975
,
provides a list of other vehicles that are
specifically exempt from the law.
*Insurance Research Council 4/2/2011
Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, license plate
issuing officials will attempt to verify
liability insurance utilizing the State of
Alabama Online Insurance Verification
System (OIVS) when issuing or renewing
vehicle registrations. This system allows
for immediate confirmation of the insur-
ance status of a vehicle.
If insurance cannot be verified through
OIVS, vehicle owners must provide
evidence of insurance to the license plate
issuing official. The insurance card is the
most common evidence of current
insurance. To be acceptable, the proof of
insurance must display the current
effective date, insurer’s NAIC number,
vehicle identification number (VIN) and
policy number.
In addition to providing evidence of
insur-ance, a valid state-issued driver
license, non-driver identification card, or
national driver license must be provided
for
each
owner reflected on the vehicle
title. If the vehicle owner is a company,
the federal employer identification
number (FEIN) is required.
The mandatory liability insurance law is
enforced by the following methods:
1)
Verification of insurance by law enforce-
ment during traffic stops or accidents.
2)
Verification of insurance by county license
plate issuing officials prior to vehicle regis-
tration or renewal.
3)
Verification of insurance by the Depart-
ment of Revenue by sending requests for
insurance information to vehicle owners:
a.
whose registrations have been
suspended;
b.
who have been convicted of mandatory
liability insurance violations; or
c.
whose driving privileges have been
suspended or revoked.
Vehicle operators must provide evidence of
insurance upon request to any law enforce-
ment officer.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, law enforcement
officers will attempt to verify liability insur-
ance utilizing the State of Alabama Online
Insurance Verification System (OIVS) during
traffic stops or accidents. This system allows
for immediate confirmation of the insurance
status of a vehicle.
At its discretion, the Department of Revenue
may verify liability insurance on any motor
vehicle registration utilizing OIVS.
