Anamarie Waite, Car Insurance Writer
@anamarie.waite
No, you cannot register a car without insurance in most states. The only states that allow you to register a car without proof of insurance are Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin. Even though you don’t need insurance to register a car in these states, all but New Hampshire require you to have coverage in order to drive.
In other states, you almost always need proof of insurance to register your vehicle in person. If you’re registering the car online, you may be able to provide proof of insurance at a later date. In California, for example, drivers have 30 days to submit insurance documents to the DMV after registering their vehicle online. But if you don’t follow up with proof of insurance within that period, your registration will be suspended.
State Requirements for Car Registration & Insurance
State | Allows Registration Without Insurance? |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
Yes, but proof of insurance is required within 30 days | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
Yes | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
Yes | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
Yes | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
Yes | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
No | |
Yes | |
No | |
Yes | |
No |
Finally, it’s important to remember that even if you don’t need to have insurance when you register your car, you still need it in order to drive legally in nearly every state. The penalties for driving without insurance can be steep, so it’s in your best interest to get auto insurance right away and have proof of coverage at all times.
People also ask
Did we answer your question?