It is a crime to drive a car on Utah roadways without car insurance. See Utah Code 41-21a-302.
Here are 3 Things You Need to Know.
(1). No insurance will suspend your license.
(2). You will have high rate SR 22 insurance with a no insurance conviction in Utah.
(3). No insurance tickets are enhanceable. Meanings the fines and penalties get worse the more you get.
First offense is $400. Second and subsequent offenses are $1,000. Upon a conviction, the court may waive up to $300 of the fine if proof purchasing insurance is filed with the court prior to sentencing.
In order to reinstate your driver’s license after a “no insurance ticket” you have to acquire high risk, high rate SR 22 insurance. SR 22 insurance is generally required for the probation term of three years.
Court Probation. Sometimes you can pay and close a Class C Misdemeanor in Utah without any further court probation or oversight. But often a Class C Misdemeanor will require up to 12 months of informal court probation. Informal court probation is the lowest type of probation possible in Utah. There are no reporting requirements and no persistent oversight. You just have to keep your address updated with the court and not break any laws.
Department of Public Safety Probation. Any conviction for no insurance will also place you on probation with the Department of Public Safety for a three year period. Failure to maintain and file proof of insurance will revoke your license. In order to get your license back you are required to show proof of insurance and pay a $100 reinstatement fee.
It is a Class C Misdemeanor. Many times you can get it reduced to an Infraction because justice courts and justice court prosecutors don’t want you asserting a jury right.
Class C Misdemeanors carry up to 90 days in jail. Most judges will not order jail time for a first offense.
Your Utah driver’s license will be suspended for a no insurance conviction. Your suspension is lifted when you show proof of insurance and pay reinstatement fees. The letter suspending your license will go to your address listed with the driver’s license. If you have moved, you may never receive notice of you suspension. If you are caught driving without license, another like term suspension is applied. Effectively doubling your suspension period.
Driving without insurance is an enchanceable fine. Second or subsequent offenses have a higher fine and the judge could start putting you in jail, even on a Class C Misdemeanor.
No insurance tickets are expungeable, but the waiting period is 3 years from the time the case successfully closes.
Hire an effective attorney to plea bargain down or around the no insurance ticket. Another good method is to immediately obtain insurance immediately after the ticket. Pleas in abeyances are good moves if you can get one. Dropping the no insurance ticket down to a no proof of insurance as an infraction is better than a Class C misdemeanor of no insurance. See 4-12a-303.2
