- In the state of Kansas, anyone who owns a vehicle with valid tags is required to carry a minimum level of coverage
- By law, you can carry no less than $25,000/$50,000 in Bodily Injury and $25,000 in Property Damage
- If you are driving without insurance, you’re in violation of Vehicle Code 40-3104 and will face penalties
- Penalties for driving without insurance in Kansas include a fine, jail time of up to six months, and suspension of license
- If you’re convicted of driving uninsured, you could be asked to submit proof of insurance for the next year
If you live in Kansas, carrying auto insurance is the law. As long as you own a vehicle that’s registered in your name, it’s your legal responsibility to comply with mandatory liability insurance laws in the Sunflower State.
Failing to carry auto insurance could land you in hot water with both the local courts and the DMV, which is why it’s crucial that you carry auto insurance at all times.
If you have been driving uninsured or you’ve been recently stopped for driving without active coverage, it’s essential to learn about some of the penalties you could face for breaking the law.
Every state has their own Vehicle Code and penalties assigned to breaking various types of laws behind the wheel. Here’s a guide to the penalties for driving without insurance in Kansas.
If you live in Kansas and want to be properly insured, enter your ZIP code above and compare at least three to four policies today!
Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements in Kansas
Motor vehicle liability insurance is required in Kansas. You are prohibited from operating a vehicle or registering a vehicle for public use if it is not covered by at least a minimal amount of third-party liability coverage.
The minimum limits that you’re required to carry are set and changed by state officials. The current minimum limits of liability insurance required are:
- $25,000 per person in Bodily Injury
- $50,000 per accident in Bodily Injury
- $25,000 per accident in Property Damage
Some individuals question why auto insurance is considered mandatory, but most other types of insurance are optional.
In the eyes of the state, making at least third-party coverage mandatory is necessary to protect everyone on public roads.
If you’re operating your vehicle and you collide with someone, there’s a good chance there will be some injury or damage involved.
Since the state can’t always look into a vehicle owner’s finances to see if they have the capacity to pay for claims out-of-pocket, the only way to ensure that victims will be paid is to make auto insurance mandatory.
Kansas, therefore, only requires vehicles to be covered with third-party liability coverage and not other first-party coverage options.
– How will law enforcement know I am driving without insurance?
States must have a process in force to ensure that residents are obeying the law. If residents in Kansas or any other state were able to self-govern, there would be no need for the courts and law enforcement officers.
The state monitors whether or not you continuously carry insurance. There are a few ways that the status of your insurance can be verified:
- Request to furnish proof of active insurance which should be carried at all times by law in Kansas
- Provide proof of insurance when registering your vehicle and when renewing your registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles in Kansas
- Electronic verification of existing auto insurance coverage provided by Kansas auto insurance companies in real-time to the Kansas Department of Revenue to ensure insurance is active at all times
What happens if you’re caught driving without insurance?
The last thing you want to do is get caught driving without insurance. Some of the more severe penalties are assessed when an officer pulls you over and cites you for being uninsured.
While being pulled over can be scary, many residents in Kansas aren’t aware that you could also face penalties if you let your insurance lapse and you’re not stopped.
Penalties vary from state to state. The penalties that are assessed are dependent on how big the problem of uninsured drivers is in the state.
In Kansas, the number of uninsured motorists is relatively low — about 9.4 percent of drivers in the state do not have coverage.
If you fall into this demographic, you could face the following penalties:
– First Offense
The first time that you’re stopped for driving without insurance you can’t expect to get just a slap on the wrist. One of the reasons why the uninsured motorist rate is so low in Kansas is because of how harsh the consequences are for breaking the mandatory insurance law.
Here are some of the penalties that could be assessed:
- A fine of between $300 and $1000
- Suspension of your driver’s license until you furnish proof of insurance with the DMV and it is approved by a director
- Suspension of your license plates
- Requirement to pay a $100 reinstatement fee for your registration
- Requirement to file proof of insurance for a year
- Imprisonment for no longer than six months
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– Second Offense
If you have a subsequent offense of driving without liability insurance within three years of your first conviction the penalties could be harsher.
Here is what could happen if you make the same mistake twice:
- A fine of $800 to $2500
- Suspension of your license until you can provide proof of insurance to the DMV that is approved by the director
- Suspension of your license plates until you provide proof of insurance
- Requirement to pay a $300 fee to reinstate your plates since they will be considered revoked
- Requirement to provide proof of insurance for one year
– Third Offense
If you have three or more convictions of driving without insurance in Kansas within a five-year period you’ll be classified as a habitual offender.
You can even meet this definition if you’re convicted of driving without insurance or vehicle homicide in another state.
Penalties include:
- Your driving privilege will be revoked for three years
- Suspension of registration until your insurance is approved by a director
- Requirement to pay a $300 reinstatement fee
- Requirement to provide proof of insurance for one year
The effects of driving without insurance in Kansas go beyond just losing money because you’re ordered to pay the court. In addition to hurting yourself financially, a citation for being without liability insurance will lead to a blemished driving record.
Having a tainted record can quickly turn you into a high-risk driver. High-risk drivers must pay high-risk insurance premiums.
Don’t Let Your Policy Lapse
The only way that you can prevent being fined is to buy insurance and pay it on time. The moment that you miss a payment, your policy will end, which is referred to as a policy lapse.
As soon as the policy lapses and it is no longer affording you coverage, you could face a penalty.
It’s common to discover that your policy lapsed when you pay your premiums manually or when you’re switching to another carrier and you don’t choose the right effective date. To prevent this, sign up for automatic payments and switch coverage when the policy is set for renewal.
You don’t have to wait to shop for insurance just because you’re in the middle of your term. Comparing premiums well before your policy is set to expire will give you time to find the best deals.
Use an online rate comparison to see if you’re paying more than you should for your coverage and then you can make a move when it makes sense.
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