The Insurance Suspension
Veh. & Traf. Law § 319 — a traffic infraction, a fine of $150 to $1,500, and a civil penalty of $750
The infraction. An owner who operates a motor vehicle, or permits it to be operated, without the financial security the chapter requires, and any other person who operates it knowing the owner does not have it, is guilty of a traffic infraction and on conviction may be fined not less than one hundred fifty dollars or more than one thousand five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than fifteen days, or both.
A civil penalty on top. On conviction the person also becomes liable to the department for a civil penalty, which is seven hundred fifty dollars.
The card. When the commissioner's regulations require it, an operator produces an insurance identification card on a police officer's request, and failing to produce one is presumptive evidence of operating without the required security.
A card for coverage not in effect. Producing an insurance identification card showing coverage that is not in effect is a misdemeanor. It is an affirmative defense that the person did not know the insurance on the card was not in effect.
A finding without a conviction. Where the commissioner finds a violation other than through a certificate of conviction, the civil penalty and any revocation order are stayed on request until after a hearing, unless the person was both the operator and the owner.
How much coverage the law requires, and anything more that reinstatement takes, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular charge applies is a question for a licensed New York attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Veh. & Traf. Law § 319 — Operating without financial security, and the civil penalty
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New York attorney.