New law means higher penalties for drivers without car insurance

By Cy Ryan

Friday, July 1, 2011 | 9:22 a.m.

CARSON CITY – Drivers who don’t carry required insurance on their vehicles are going to be paying higher penalties starting today.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles said a new law will raise the fines of those who let their auto insurance lapse.

The previous law required a motorist to pay a reinstatement fee of $250 if caught without coverage. That fee will still apply on the first offense if the insurance lapse is less than 30 days.

If the car owner hasn’t had coverage for 31-90 days, the penalty will increase to $500. It will rise to $1,250 for those caught without insurance for more than 181 days.

The penalties are also increasing for second- and third-time offenders. For a car owner caught a second time without insurance, the initial penalty is $500 and rises to $1,500 depending on the length of time the car has been without coverage.

The third offense carries a $750 reinstatement fee, plus a minimum suspension of 30 days of a driver’s license. The maximum penalty for the third and subsequent offenses is $1,750, plus the driver’s license suspension.

The department said its computer program checks coverage on every vehicle several times a year. A lapse in coverage results in a suspension of the vehicle registration.