Penalties & Fines For “No Insurance” Ticket in Missouri

When you borrow a friend’s car, make sure you have proof that the car is insured, in case you are pulled over by a police officer for a traffic violation. Even though the car may be insured, if you can’t find the insurance card at the time of the traffic stop, you may receive a ticket for “No Insurance,” “No Proof of Insurance,” “Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility,” or “Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance.”

$300 Fine, 15 Days in Jail, and 4 Points on Your Driving Record for Missouri “No Insurance” Ticket  

It is illegal to drive a vehicle in Missouri that is not insured, and a judge can fine you up to $300, put you in jail for 15 days, suspend your license, or enter an order of supervision against you for each violation.

4 points will also be added to your driving record if you are convicted of driving without insurance. If you accumulate 8 points within 18 months, your driver’s license will be suspended for 30 days (if it’s your first suspension), and if you accumulate 12 points within 12 months, your license will be revoked for 1 year. See my previous blog post about Missouri traffic ticket fines, points, and penalties.

In addition, “No Insurance” traffic tickets stay on your Missouri driving record forever and will never be eligible for removal.

Proof That You Have Insurance On Your Own Vehicle Won’t Help

You may have insurance on your own personal vehicle, but that won’t matter if you are caught driving a friend’s car that is not insured. A police officer can issue a ticket for “Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance” or “No Insurance” to both the driver and the owner of the vehicle, if the driver was not the owner.

“No Insurance” Tickets Will Be Dismissed or Reduced to a Lesser Charge if You Provide Proof of Insurance to the Court

The good news is most courts will dismiss “No Insurance” traffic tickets if you provide proof that the car you were driving was insured at the time you were pulled over.

It’s possible that you you can avoid a court appearance by bringing proof of insurance to the court clerk prior to the court date and paying the court costs, which can range anywhere from $25 to $75, depending on the court. Some courts require you to come to court and show proof of insurance to the judge before the court will dismiss the ticket. Other courts refuse to dismiss or reduce a “No Insurance” ticket unless the defendant hires an attorney to negotiate with the prosecuting attorney for an out-of-court disposition of the case.

Some Courts Reduce “No Insurance” Tickets If You Purchase Insurance After the Traffic Stop

If your car was not insured at the time you received the traffic ticket for “No Proof of Insurance,” some courts will reduce the ticket to a lesser charge if you provide proof that you purchased insurance after the traffic stop. Call the court clerk to find out their policies and procedures regarding dismissal of “No Insurance” tickets.

An Attorney Can Negotiate a Plea Bargain to Get Your “No Insurance” Ticket Reduced to a Lesser Charge

If you hire an attorney to negotiate a plea bargain with the court to get your “No Insurance” ticket reduced to a lesser offense, you won’t have to appear in court. Most likely, the judge will either dismiss the ticket or reduce the charge to a non-moving, no-point infraction such as “Illegal Parking.” You will have to provide proof of insurance and pay a fine and court costs, but no points will be added to your driving record.

How Much is the Fine For a “No Insurance” Ticket in St. Louis?

Each court establishes its own rules regarding how it handle tickets for driving without insurance. Here are some examples of the fines and procedures in some St. Louis area courts for “No Insurance” or “No Proof of Insurance” traffic tickets:

In Ladue Municipal Court, if you receive a traffic ticket for failing to provide proof of insurance at the time of the traffic stop, you can bring a copy of your insurance card to the court clerk prior to the court date and the court clerk will dismiss the “No Proof of Insurance” ticket, and all you will have to pay is $26.50 in court costs. If you receive a “No Proof of Insurance” ticket but are unable to provide proof that your car was insured at the time of the traffic stop, an attorney can negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor to have the “No Proof of Insurance” ticket reduced to “Illegal Parking” with a fine of $150.50 plus $26.50 in court costs.

In Edmundson Municipal Court in St. Louis County, if you receive a ticket for “No Insurance” but you purchase insurance afterward and bring proof to the court clerk, the ticket will be dismissed, no points will be added to your driving record, and your total fine and court costs will be $225. If you had insurance when you were pulled over but couldn’t find your insurance card, then you can bring proof of insurance to the court clerk and your “No Proof of Insurance” ticket will be dismissed upon payment of a $75 fine.

Normandy Municipal Court will dismiss your “No Insurance” ticket upon payment of $26.50 in court costs if you had insurance at the time of the traffic stop but you were unable to provide proof of insurance to the police officer. If you did not have insurance when you were pulled over but you purchased insurance afterward, you will have to go to court and the judge will assess your fine. In some cases, the judge in Normandy Municipal Court has fined drivers as much as $350 for driving without insurance, even if they provided proof that they purchased insurance after the traffic stop.

In Florissant Municipal Court, if you had insurance when you were pulled over but didn’t have your insurance card with you at the time, you can bring proof of insurance to court and show it to the judge. The judge will then dismiss your “No Insurance” ticket and you will only have to pay $24.50 in court costs. If your car was not insured at the time of the traffic stop, Florissant Municipal Court will fine you $127 but the Court will not report it to the Missouri Dept. of Revenue (DOR), so no points will be added to your driving record.

In St. Louis City Municipal Court, if you receive a “No Insurance” ticket, you can bring proof of insurance to court and the judge will probably dismiss the ticket upon payment of $50.50 in court costs. This applies even if you did not have insurance at the time of the traffic stop but you purchased insurance afterward.

See my previous blog post for more information about fines for “No Insurance” tickets in St. Louis courts.

If you have received a “No Insurance” or “No Proof of Insurance” ticket and want to hire an attorney to get your ticket reduced or dismissed, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 for a price quote, or email Andrea at [email protected].