Car insurance for New York drivers is much more pleasurable to find than other states since New York operates under the no-fault car insurance law. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles requires all vehicles to have liability insurance and emphasizes the law by the simple rule of …
“No Insurance, No Plates”
No fault car insurance simply means that in the event of an accident each parties respective car insurance company will pay damages.
Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Requirements for New York
New York liability insurance requirements cover all vehicles registered in New York State. Any car with New York plates must have liability insurance regardless of whether or not the vehicle is in use. Although no fault car insurance does limit your ability to sue another driver there are still many ways you can be party to a lawsuit – especially if the accident was caused from extreme negligence or damages exceeding the amount of your car insurance coverage. Minimum New York car insurance requirements for each vehicle are as follows:
- $25,000/$50,000 in Bodily Injury Liability
- $10,000 for Property Damage Liability
- $25,000/$50,000 of Coverage for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury
- $50,000 in Coverage for Personal Injury Protection
Although these requirements are higher than most no fault states its highly recommended to always get more coverage.
What happens if I have no car insurance in New York?
Most drivers do not want to experience this as fines can be very stiff and your car registration and/or drivers license suspended should you be caught driving with no car insurance. Even a lapse in car insurance can pose a stiff financial penalty as car insurance companies automatically notify the New York Department of Motor Vehicles anytime a lapse in coverage occurs. If the lapse is less than 90 days then you may have an option to simply pay a civil penalty however this can be only done once. Any lapse more than 90 days and your plates must be turned into the DMV. The civil penalty is as follows:
- Lapse in Coverage between 1-30 days is $8 per day
- 31-60 Days is $10 per day
- 61-90 Days is $12 per day
As you can see if your car insurance is lapsed for 75 days for example your fine would be around $700 – ouch!
Who is the Best New York Car Insurance Company?
This is an impossible question to answer as a wealth of New York car insurance companies exist who offer affordable car insurance. Defining who the best is when all drivers have unique needs is not very likely to help you find the best provider. The key to finding the best car insurance company is to learn about auto insurance and compare car insurance rates from at least a handful of providers. Luckily, New York is one of the most competitive markets for auto insurance so you will have a lot to choose from.
Sources – New York Department of Motor Vehicles (August 2010)
