If you have been involved in a car accident and you have the proper insurance coverage, but you don’t have your vehicle registration, you might be wondering how your case will proceed. When you get on the road, there are specific documents that you must have with you, including your valid driver’s license, a valid vehicle registration, and proof of active auto insurance coverage.
If you don’t have any of these documents with you, you could face fines and citations. There are different laws that come into play for operating a vehicle that isn’t registered or operating a vehicle without the current registration or proof that it is registered.
What Are the Penalties?
You will most likely face a citation and a fine for driving will result for driving without a registration. If you are driving your vehicle with a lapsed registration, then you are most likely going to face a penalty based on how long the registration has been expired.
If the registration expired fewer than six months before the accident, then in many states that is considered a non-moving violation. If the registration expired longer than six months ago, you might be charged with a moving violation, which will in turn lead to points accruing on your driving record and increase the insurance rates you pay for your automobile liability coverage.
Your Insurance Coverage
If you have insurance coverage on the vehicle, it will most likely cover the accident. Expired registration doesn’t usually affect your car insurance coverage or void your policy. You should, however, get your registration renewed as soon as possible to avoid additional fines and citations.
Since the expired registration will most likely lead to a non-moving violation, and those violations don’t lead to any points accumulating against your driving record, so your insurance premiums will not be affected and increase. You should be sure to pay any fines as quickly as possible, so additional fees and penalties don’t accumulate.
What Should I Do If I Can’t Get a Registry Appointment?
As you learn about what happens if you have insurance but no registration, keep in mind you should attempt to address this situation sooner rather than later. Contact your nearest DMV or RMV office to set up a registry or registration appointment right away.
You may find it’s sometimes difficult to get an appointment in a timely manner. The DMV or RMV is often busy, and depending on where you live, the earliest available appointment might still be some time from now.
Don’t panic! Tips to remember when you can’t get a DMV or RMV registry appointment include:
- Check every day: People cancel and change appointments with the DMV or RMV for a variety of reasons. Even if there were no convenient available appointments the last time you checked, if you check every day, you may find there are surprise openings.
- Check different DMV and RMV locations: It’s possible the RMV or DMV location nearest to you is a particularly busy one. Check for appointments in other locations in your region. Again, even if you don’t find any appointments now, it’s wise to check regularly to confirm that none open up.
- Explain your situation: Getting a DMV or RMV registry appointment to register your vehicle as soon as possible may help you avoid citations. If you explain this to an individual working at the DMV, they may be able to help you out.
What’s most important is that you be proactive about this matter. Getting your vehicle properly registered could save you money and simplify your case.
Consult With a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been involved in a car accident and have insurance, but no registration, you should consult with a personal injury attorney. Your car accident lawyer will know how your case will be affected and can determine how to proceed with your claim.
These kinds of cases can be challenging, and you want to make sure your rights are protected and that all the details of the case are revealed. Your personal injury claim shouldn’t be affected by your negligence to renew your auto registration, but it is always wise to make sure your documentation is current and readily available should it be needed.
Your lawyer will not be paid until you are awarded compensated for your damages. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form to have the details of your case reviewed today, so you can get your claim on track.
