How To Get Car Insurance Coverage With A Suspended License
Having your driver's license suspended can cause significant stress and inconvenience. You need a valid driver's license to afford you the privilege of driving to work, getting your groceries, and performing other important day-to-day tasks. Aside from stripping you of the ability to drive, having a suspended license can also affect your ability to get car insurance.
Continue reading to learn why you might need car insurance while your drivers license is suspended, and how you can get it.
Reasons for a Suspended Driver's License
Violations that result in driver's license suspensions include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Driving under the influence (DUI) conviction, or refusing to take a breathalyzer or other test for intoxication.
- Accumulation of unpaid traffic tickets or driving record points.
- Reckless driving charges.
- Lapse in auto insurance coverage.
Getting Car Insurance with a Suspended Driver's License
For most drivers, license suspension means no driving. However, there are a handful of reasons why you might still need car insurance while your driving privileges are suspended.
Driving with a Hardship or Restricted License
Depending on your state and the reason for your driver's license suspension, you may be eligible to drive on a hardship or restricted license during your license suspension.
These temporary licenses allow drivers to operate their vehicles under the following circumstances:
- To and from work.
- To and from school.
- To regular medical appointments, or to drive a household member to receive their regularly scheduled medical care, if that person is unable to drive due to their medical condition.
Of course, since most states require cars driven on public roads to be insured, you'll need car insurance while driving with a hardship driver's license.
When considering how to get car insurance while driving with a hardship license, first check with your current car insurance provider. If they are unable to continue providing you with coverage due to your possible new status as a high-risk driver, shop around for a new car insurance company. There are auto insurance providers who specialize in covering high-risk drivers.
NOTE: In several states, having your driver's license suspended will result in having to file an SR-22 in order to drive again.
Other Drivers
If you live with another driver (or drivers) while your license is suspended, you will need to maintain your car insurance.
The simplest solution is to have one of the other drivers purchase a car insurance policy under his or her name. However, you may run into problems if the other driver's name is not on your car's title.
You may have the option of purchasing a car insurance policy under your name and adding another driver as the primary driver. Speak with your car insurance representative to learn more about assigning other drivers to your policy.
NOTE: If at any point you live with a driver who will not be driving your car (regardless of whether your driver's license is suspended), your car insurance company may require you and the driver to sign an exclusion affidavit stating that the driver will not drive your car and therefore will be excluded from coverage under your car insurance policy.
Non-Operational Coverage
You may choose to garage your car for the duration of your driver's license suspension. While your car is non-operational, you should consider keeping it insured with comprehensive coverage while in storage.
Although several homeowners insurance policies will provide coverage to your car if it is damaged on your property, this coverage may not be sufficient to pay for all of your car's damages. It is possible to purchase only comprehensive coverage to help cover your car in case it is damaged while you have it garaged during your license suspension.
While most car insurance companies will not sell you collision coverage unless you also buy comprehensive coverage, several companies will sell you comprehensive without collision.
