Missouri Auto
Insurance
MO law requires all auto owners to carry liability insurance.
Liability insurance covers your legal liability when injuries or property damage happen as a result of your
actions. The minimum level of coverage required by state law is:
* $25,000 per person for bodily injury
* $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
* $10,000 per accident for property
The law also requires you to have uninsured motorist coverage
of $25,000 for bodily injury per person and $50,000 for bodily injury per accident. Many persons also buy optional
collision or comprehensive coverage that would repair or replace their auto if damaged or stolen.
Missouri law requires that all motor vehicle drivers and owners
maintain some type of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage. Unfortunately, each year thousands of Missouri
citizens are involved in automobile accidents with drivers who have not maintained the required automobile
insurance. The result of this ranges from unpaid collision damage claims to higher insurance premium rates for all
Missourians.
Any person who registers a motor vehicle must have liability
insurance. Motor vehicle owners are required to show proof of insurance when registering a vehicle and renewing
their license plates. You must keep some proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times. If a law enforcement
officer asks for proof of insurance and you cannot show it, the officer will issue you a ticket.
There are several ways you can meet the requirements of the
Missouri car insurance law. You must have one of the following in effect on each motor vehicle you own or
operate. For each type of insurance, you will receive an identification card that must be kept in the vehicle at
all times.
* Motor vehicle liability insurance.
* Self-insurance ID card issued by the Department of Revenue. To be
self-insured, you must have more than 25 vehicles and be able to show you can and will pay for damage caused by
your vehicles.
* A surety bond, certificate of deposit of money, or other types of securities
in the amount of $60,000 filed with the Department of Revenue.
* A real estate bond filed with the Department of Revenue.
It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle in Missouri without
automobile liability insurance. The vehicle driver must show proof of insurance to any law enforcement official,
upon request, or a traffic ticket will be issued to the driver. If convicted of “failing to show proof of
insurance,” one of three things will happen to the driver:
1. The court will send the conviction to the Driver
License Bureau. The conviction will be entered on the driver’s driving record and four points will be assessed. It
only takes a total of eight points within an 18-month period to lose your driving privilege in Missouri.
2. The court may enter an order of supervision. This order is sent to the
Driver License Bureau so that the driver can be monitored to ensure automobile liability insurance is being
maintained.
3. The court may enter an order suspending the driver’s driver license for
failing to show proof of insurance. This order is sent to the Driver License Bureau at which time the driver is
notified of the suspension of his or her driver license.
Suspension/Reinstatement for Failure to Maintain
Insurance
If your driving privilege and/or license plates are suspended
for not having insurance, the following suspension periods will apply:
* 1st suspension = 0 days
* 2nd suspension in two years = 90 days
* 3rd and subsequent suspension = 1 year
After you serve the period of suspension, your driver license
and/or license plates can be reinstated if the Driver License Bureau receives the following:
1st suspension
* Proof of insurance
* $20 reinstatement fee
2nd suspension
* Proof of insurance
* $200 reinstatement fee
3rd and subsequent suspension
* Proof of insurance
* $400 reinstatement fee
Proof of insurance must be maintained and filed with the
Department of Revenue for a period of three years following the end of the suspension. If you fail to maintain
proof of insurance, the Driver License Bureau will again suspend your driver license and/or license plates. The
suspension will remain in effect for the remainder of the three years unless you refile proof of insurance and pay
a $20 reinstatement fee.
NOTE: If an accident is involved, an SR-22 filing is required
for proof of liability insurance. An identification card is not acceptable.
YOU MUST STOP if you are involved in an accident. Leaving the
scene of an accident is a crime. Move your vehicle if it may cause other drivers to have an accident. Otherwise, do
not move your vehicle until a law enforcement officer tells you to.
* Help anyone who is hurt.
* Contact the police.
* Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or
in bad weather to warn other traffic.
* Exchange name, address, driver license number, vehicle identification,
license plate number, name of insurance company, and policy number with everyone involved.
* Do not leave the accident until a law enforcement officer tells you that you
may.
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