The Insurance Suspension
75 Pa.C.S. 1786 — three months for the registration, three months for the owner who drove, and a $500 civil penalty in place of one
Two suspensions of three months. The department suspends the registration of a vehicle for a period of three months if the required financial responsibility was not secured, and suspends the operating privilege of the owner or registrant for three months if the owner or registrant operated, or permitted the operation of, the vehicle without it.
A civil penalty instead of the registration suspension. In lieu of serving the registration suspension, an owner or registrant may pay the department a civil penalty of $500 and the restoration fee, and furnish proof of financial responsibility. The option is available no more than once in a 12-month period.
The suspension subsection does not apply in three circumstances.
- The owner proves a lapse of less than 31 days during which the vehicle was not operated.
- The owner is a member of the armed services whose coverage lapsed during temporary, emergency duty while the vehicle was not operated, for 30 days after returning from duty so long as the vehicle is not operated until coverage is in place.
- The coverage ended with or after the expiration of a seasonal registration.
The appeal. An appeal of the registration suspension acts as a supersedeas, so the suspension is not imposed until the matter is decided. Notice of a lapse, or a failure to provide requested proof, creates a presumption that the vehicle lacked coverage, which may be overcome by clear and convincing evidence that it was insured.
The phone. When electronic proof is shown to a police officer, the officer views only content reasonably necessary to demonstrate proof of financial responsibility.
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 Pennsylvania attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- 75 Pa.C.S. 1786 — Required financial responsibility
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.