Car Insurance Rate Washington
Reader’s Question:
If I received a ticket from another state and not in my home state in Washington, will that increase my car insurance rate?
Henry
Bellevue, WA
Your insurance rate may increase if you received a conviction for a traffic violation outside of the states you live in. However, a rate increase due to out-of-the-state violation depends upon the different factors such the rating system of the insurance provider and the how the state deals with outside traffic citations.
Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Michigan and Wisconsin are the only states in the US that are not members of the Drivers License Compact. As DLC members, states are required to report out-of-state convictions of drivers to the state where the person is licensed. The 5 states
that are not DLC member still share this information with other state since these states have their own set of agreements.
An out-of-state tickets may or may not be placed on your homestate driving record. If state opts to place the ticket on your driving record, your insurance provider will eventually find
out once they see your MVR. If the state chooses not to place the ticket on your homestate driving record, the insurance company will not see this unless they do an extensive ticket search where you will have to list this out-of-state citation
Whether or not your insurance rate will increase because of this out-of-state offense will depend upon the rating system of the insurance provider. You can contact your agent for more information about the rating system. You can contact your state DMV to check if an out of state offense will be placed on your driving record.
Do I Need to Have Proof Of Auto Insurance in Seattle Washington
Reader’s Question:
What will be the fine for driving with insurance but without your proof of insurance card in your car? I live in Seattle, Washington.
Rose
Seattle, WA
If you fail to provide proof of motor vehicle insurance in Seattle Washington, its is a traffic infraction and is subject to penalties as set by the supreme court under RCW 46.63.110. According to RCW 46.63.110 an individual found to have committed a traffic infraction shall be assessed a monetary penalty. No penalty may exceed $250 for each offense but there are other associated fees that may be added to the penalty amount.
So If you drive without proof of insurance in Seattle Washington, it is punishable by a minimum of $250 fine. There are other assessments and fees that can be added to this fine so it typically costs about $450.
So it looks like that with proper documentation that you were insured at the time of your citation for operating a vehicle without insurance then the court should dismiss the ticket and you will only need to pay administrative costs of $25. You may also contact the WA court listed on your ticket to find out what insurance documentation you will need to bring and to make sure that the fee amount has not changed.
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