Driving Without Insurance in Alabama

An owner or operator convicted of a mandatory liability insurance violation may be fined up to $500 for a first violation; a second or later violation carries a fine of up to $1,000 and/or a six-month driver license suspension. Separately, if a vehicle is registered or operated without liability insurance, the vehicle's registration is suspended, and reinstating it requires proof of current Alabama insurance and a reinstatement fee of $200 for a first violation or $400 for a second or later violation. A vehicle may not be driven while its registration is suspended or revoked.

Drivers must show evidence of insurance to any law enforcement officer on request; the driver license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration are the documents required at traffic stops. Alabama uses the State of Alabama Online Insurance Verification System (OIVS): county license plate officials check it when issuing or renewing registrations, and officers check it during traffic stops and crashes. If insurance cannot be verified through OIVS, the owner must show proof; the insurance card is the most common evidence, and it must show the current effective date, the insurer's NAIC number, the VIN and the policy number. The Department of Revenue may also mail insurance verification requests to vehicle owners.

Alabama's driver manual lists failure to maintain SR-22 insurance, when it is required, as a ground for suspension or revocation of a driver license. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Safety Responsibility Unit handles financial-responsibility matters after crashes: if a crash causes injury, death, or $500 or more in damage and the at-fault party was uninsured, the driver involved must send a written report (Form SR-31) to the Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days.