All registered vehicles in New York are required to carry minimum amounts of several types of automobile insurance, in order to legally operate a vehicle on the roads. The minimum amounts of coverage are as follows:
A minimum of $25,000 for injury, per person; this means that you’ll need to carry a total minimum of $50,000 for the lowest possible number of people involved in an accident (the two drivers).
A minimum of $50,000 for the death of one person, which means you’ll need to carry a total of $100,000 for the lowest possible number of people who could be killed in an accident (the two drivers).
A minimum $10,000 for property damage liability
A minimum of $50,000 for no-fault car insurance, which pays for your medical bills in the event of an accident, regardless of who was at fault.
A minimum of $25,000 per person in uninsured motorists’ coverage, which pays for injuries resulting from a car accident involving a driver who did not carry the proper insurance. This means that you’ll need a minimum of $50,000, to cover the lowest possible number of people affected by a car accident (the two drivers).
This means that the total minimum amount of financial responsibility you will need is $260,000 to cover injury, death, no-fault insurance, uninsured motorists’ coverage, and property damage liability.
- New York law also allows for the purchase of Supplementary Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists’ Coverage, up to $250,000 per person, and $500,000 per accident.
Proof of insurance
When you register your vehicle with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, you will need to present proof of insurance. The insurance card given to you by your insurance provider is the acceptable proof of insurance, and is also necessary for traffic stops, or to present to authorities at the scene of an accident.
This card is not used as a verification document, but rather is used as proof of insurance. In order to verify your insurance, the New York DMV will use an electronic database that is up-to-date on the insurance status of all registered vehicles in the state.
Violation penalties
Your car’s registration and driver’s license can be suspended indefinitely in the following situations:
If you do not have car insurance, and are caught driving on New York roadways
If your lapse in car insurance is more than 91 days and you did not surrender your plates during this time
A fee of $100 will have to paid in order to reinstate your driver’s license
Additional fines can be issued in the event that your car’s insurance has lapsed. These include:
$8 for the first 30 days
$10 per day for days 31 through 60
$12 per day for days 61 through 90
For more information, or to apply for vehicle registration online, contact the New York Department of Motor Vehicles through their website.
