Driving Without Insurance in Colorado

Driving (or letting your vehicle be driven) without required insurance, or failing to present proof when required, is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 for a first offense; the court may suspend up to half the fine if the person shows they have since obtained insurance. A second or later conviction within five years carries a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 (the statute says this minimum may not be suspended, though it also lets the court suspend up to half of the fine on proof that insurance has been obtained) plus any jail imposed under the misdemeanor traffic penalty statute. The court may also order at least 40 hours of community service. A person convicted of driving uninsured must file proof of future financial responsibility (SR-22) for three years; if it is not filed within 20 days of notice or lapses, the driver's license is suspended until proof is provided.

After an accident, or when asked during a traffic stop or investigation, the owner or driver must present to the officer immediate evidence of a complying policy or self-insurance certificate; this may be shown on a cell phone or other electronic device, and the officer may not look at other contents of the device. Insurers must give insureds a proof-of-insurance card or certificate, which may be paper or electronic. A charge is dismissed if the person produces in court a policy that was in effect at the time; the court clerk may also verify coverage through the state's uninsured motorist identification database.

A person convicted of driving uninsured must file and maintain proof of financial responsibility for the future (commonly an SR-22 filing from an insurer) for three years from the date of conviction. The Department of Revenue sends notice; if proof is not provided within 20 days, or if it later lapses or becomes invalid, the director suspends the driver's license until proof is provided. Proof may be given by a liability policy, a bond, a deposit of money, or securities, and generally must be kept for three years from the date last required (time when the person was not licensed counts toward the three years).