December 27, 2011
By: Jana Bell
Over the past several months, numerous Virginia drivers have reportedly been given a ticket for an offense which isn't actually against the law.
Many drivers in the state have been given tickets for driving without proof of having auto insurance coverage in their vehicle, Virginia Lawyers Weekly reports. However, while it's been the topic of multiple bills, driving without proof of insurance isn't against the law.
According to Virginia law, drivers can either pay a $500 fee to drive their car uninsured or carry car insurance. However, as long as one of those conditions is met, not having proof of insurance, experts said, isn't against the law. They say law enforcement officers may have misread the regulation.
"Not having proof of insurance is not an offense in Virginia. It's just incorrect," G. Barton Chucker, a traffic defense lawyer in Richmond, told the source.
Other lawyers did tell the paper that if a driver admits to an officer they don't have insurance and haven't paid the fee, then a ticket is valid.
Auto insurance requirements and minimum coverage levels vary from state to state, so drivers may want to review the specific rules and regulations which apply to their situation so they don't run into any legal trouble.
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