From Trussville Tribune staff reports
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is set to begin enforcing the Alabama Mandatory Liability Insurance Law.
Last year, during the 2016 legislative session, the law was passed and signed by the Governor to mandate all Alabama motorists have liability insurance. Beginning Nov. 1, those who choose to drive without liability insurance will face a civil penalty.
The MLI law provides that no person shall operate, register or maintain registration of a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public road or highway unless it is covered by a liability insurance policy.
Alabama’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor said, “There has been a grace period in enforcing that law to give motorists time to obtain the proper insurance coverage. Beginning Nov. 1, motorists are subject to a civil penalty if involved in a motor vehicle incident, the vehicle you are operating is not covered by the state’s mandatory liability insurance and you are not issued a citation for no insurance at the time of the incident.” (First offense: $200; second offense: $300; third or subsequent offenses: $400 each.)
In addition, Secretary Taylor said, those individuals will face a 90-day driver license suspension if they do not pay the civil penalty within 45 days or request a hearing with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Driver License Division. (Driver license reinstatement fee: $100.) If a driver is issued a civil penalty, due process provides the option to appeal, and a hearing will be conducted to determine whether the motor vehicle being operated at the time of the motor vehicle incident was in compliance.
In a press release, Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling stated, “It just makes sense to have liability insurance on your vehicle because operating a motor vehicle without it drives up everyone’s rates. Do the right thing, and follow Alabama’s Mandatory Liability Insurance laws to help stabilize rates for Alabama insurance consumers.”
17 Comments
Josh Kloepfer
So that means “suspicious activity” will be on the rise.
Tjo Johnson
Good
Cliff Bagwell
About time
Heather Peacock
I’m okay with this
Eddy Bonner
Now maybe some real penalties for distracted driving.
Donna Santos Griffith
What about driving without a valid driver’s license? I know plenty who are driving everyday without one. When did a non-drivers ID become the same as a driver’s license?
Faye Palumbo
Exactly what I was thinking. Steep fines for texting and driving.
Scott Landers
Keep in mind this only applies to us American citizens…. the dreamers walk free.
Patricia Gabler
about time.
Anthony Busby
How is it even possible to be uninsured this day and age. Have to have it renew tags and the moment you drop it they notify the dmv
David Garrard
Not true. I have a son with an undocumented woman in Blount county. When they were pulled over, their tickets were triple. For example, driving without a license which is normally 500, was 1500. Or they would be threatened with deportation. So they payed. I know. I sit there and watched this many times.
Melanie Black
Still much more lenient than Ga. There, you would risk jail time, immediate license suspension, mandatory driver’s education, and reinstatement. And every step of the way, the fees rack up.
Dale Taylor
Easy to see who is buying auto insurance next week by the comments. Lololol
Tamara Pitts Mahaffey
https://cochranfirmdothan.com/resources/alabama-automobile-insurance-law/
This has been a law since 2013. WHY is this a thing now? And why are the fines lower than originally when it FIRST became a law. (See attachment.)
Tracy Layfield
people buy insurance to get a tag therm drop it until is time tho get a tag.
Dave Williams
All for it. Legal, always been legal.
Dave Williams
But… a $40.00 tic in this town = $200+ after court costs. Cop said I was driving 19mph over limit… Speedometer had stopped working on way to work. Truth, fact, and i proved it at stop! Did that legit excuse matter? No! Scamming speed trap city! Judge not worthy to serve.