Do You Have to Carry Liability Car Insurance In Maryland?
Maryland law requires that you carry 30,000 of bodily injury liability insurance coverage, or “another form of security in place of a vehicle liability insurance policy if … the other form of security adequately provides the benefits required” Most states have similar provisions. Arizona, Florida, New Hampshire, Virginia, may not require that you carry bodily injury liability insurance. That does not mean you are not responsible for your conduct or don’t have to prove or provide other forms of security. As Attorney Eric T. Kirk will tell you.
There are criminal and administrative penalties for not having insurance on your vehicle, as well as potentially far-reaching civil and financial ramifications for a person, who, operating without insurance, causes a significant motor vehicle accident. Md. TRANSPORTATION Code Ann. § 17 -106 provides that the owner of an uninsured car may not drive it, or allow another to drive it. The punishment can be harsh, commensurate with the risk created.
- for a first offense, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $ 1,000 or both; and
- for a second or subsequent offense, imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $ 1,000 or both
Moreover, the MVA will fine you $ 150 for each vehicle without the required security for a period of 30 days. On the 31st day, the fine increases $ 7 for each day. The fine is capped at $2500.
Additionally, but most consequentially, if you cause or contribute to an accident while operating an uninsured vehicle, you are responsible for your actions, and the results. If property is damaged, you pay to fix it. If someone is hurt, you are responsible for their lost wages and medical bills, and non-economic damages. The fact that another insurance company pays the injured or damaged person does not help the uninsured driver. That paying insurance company will most often sue the uninsured driver for what they have paid out.
