Learn About Car Insurance in Missouri

Each state, including Missouri, has its own unique set of requirements when it comes to car insurance.  If you are close to driving age in Missouri or you’re moving to Missouri from another state it makes sense to learn about these requirements. Once you learn about car insurance in Missouri you’ll find that it has a few similarities and some differences from other states.One of the most important requirements you will want to be aware of is that Missouri requires you to maintain financial liability for your vehicle.  Of course, unless you are moving to Missouri from Wisconsin, Florida, or New Hampshire you should already be familiar with the concept of mandatory car insurance.  Basically the law in Missouri states that you must always maintain financial responsibility for your vehicle at all times, to insure an injured party is protected.So, what else should you know about car insurance in Missouri?  One important fact is that you must provide proof of insurance at all times, including while registering your vehicle with the DMV.  Some acceptable proofs of financial responsibility include a current insurance card, a receipt from your insurance carrier showing name and vehicle information, the actual insurance policy, or a self-insured card from the Driver and Vehicle Services Bureau (applicable to dealers).  You are considered exempt from providing proof of insurance if your vehicle is an official state, federal, or municipal vehicle or you have a commercial vehicle and a "motor carrier's" card instead.You should also know that the state of Missouri not only requires you to maintain liability insurance on your vehicle, they also require a minimum amount of insurance you must maintain.  All states are different in this regard, so it pays to know the minimum limits for your state.  For instance, in Texas the limits are 30/60/30 (liability/property) but in Pennsylvania the limits are 15/30/5 (liability/property).  So, as you can see, the required amounts vary greatly.  If you are a resident of Missouri the minimum limits of insurance are 25/50/10, meaning you must maintain $25,000 in liability for a single person, $50,000 for a single accident, and $10,000 in property damage per accident.  All car insurance policies written in Missouri must conform to these minimum limits, but it's important to verify this with your insurer to confirm you are following the law.  If for some reason your policy does not adhere to the minimum limits you should contact your agent immediately!Okay, so you know you must legally maintain car insurance in Missouri.  But, what happens if you decide to take a risk and forgo purchasing insurance?  If you get caught without proof of insurance you may be subject to one of the following penalties - 4 points on your driving record, an order of suspension that subjects you to monitoring, or suspension of your license.  If you are in an auto accident and cannot provide proof of insurance you will have to file an SR-22 with the DOR for three years.  So, you can see that keeping the proper insurance is vital!You now have a basic familiarity with car insurance in Missouri.  Hopefully you will now be able to obtain insurance quotes and other information as an informed consumer, along with preventing any legal ramifications from your failure to maintain insurance.