Auto Insurance Violation Penalties & Payments

Maryland law requires every registered vehicle to have continuous auto insurance.
If the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) finds that your vehicle was registered without required insurance, you will receive an insurance violation notice and you may owe a penalty.

Reasons for insurance violation notices

You may receive a notice if:

• Your insurance coverage was canceled or lapsed while the vehicle was registered
• Your insurance company did not report coverage correctly
• The MVA could not verify that you had continuous insurance

Under Maryland law, insurance is required at all times while a vehicle is registered, even if the vehicle is not being driven.

What's included on an insurance violation notice 

Your notice will list:

• The violation period
• The total amount due
• Your payment deadline

Do not ignore the notice. Unpaid penalties may result in vehicle registration suspension, vehicle flags, or additional enforcement actions

Understanding your penalty amount

Insurance violation penalties are set by law and are based on:

• The length of time the vehicle was uninsured
• The information reported by your insurance companyHow penalties are calculated
• Insurance violation penalties are set by law and are based on:
• The length of time the vehicle was uninsured
• The information reported by your insurance company

Before you pay: Check your insurance 

If you believe the notice is incorrect, contact your insurance company right away. Ask them to:

• Confirm your coverage dates
• Correct and electronically submit any missing or incorrect information to the MVA

If the MVA receives corrected insurance information, your penalty may be reduced or removed, if applicable.

How to pay an insurance violation penalty

If the violation is correct or has not been resolved, you must pay the fee by the deadline on your notice. You may pay:

• Online using the payment instructions on your notice
• By mail using the address listed on the notice
• In person at an MVA branch office (if listed as an option)

Be sure to include:

• Your notice or reference number
• Correct payment amount

After you pay

Once payment is processed, the insurance violation will be cleared and any related vehicle flags may be removed, as long as no other issues exist.

Keep your payment confirmation for your records.

If you no longer have insurance

If you cancel your insurance and do not replace it, you must return your license plates to stop penalties from continuing. Keeping plates without insurance may result in additional fees.