What Happens If I Don't Register My Car On Time In Colorado

Rachael Brennan has been working in the insurance industry since 2006 when she began working as a licensed insurance representative for 21st Century Insurance, during which time she earned her Belongings and Prey license in all 50 states. After several years she expanded her insurance expertise, earning her license in Wellness and AD&D insurance equally well. She has worked for small wellness insuran...

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Licensed Agent for 15 Years Rachael Brennan

Chris Harrigan has an economical degree from Limestone Higher and an MBA from Clemson Academy. He previously managed auto insurance claims for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Currently, he is using his business and insurance expertise to provide insurance data assay and visualizations to raise the user experience.

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Reviewed by Chris Harrigan
Sometime Auto Insurance Claims Director

UPDATED: May two, 2022

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Here's what yous need to know...

Canceling your insurance is very risky
You cannot file claims while the vehicle is in apply
Some states will only require liability insurance

When you purchase automobile insurance, you take the correct to cancel your policy at any time every bit long as you are one of the named insureds.

It is common for policyholders to shop the marketplace, find more affordable plans, and then submit their car insurance cancellation when they take found the best value.

While the most mutual reason that policyholders cancel their personal insurance is to switch carriers, at that place are other reasons why a cancellation may be requested.

For example, if yous have stopped driving your vehicle, y'all cannot only automatically allow your insurance to lapse.

You lot may no longer have that risk of getting into an accident, but you do still take the obligation to comply with mandatory insurance laws that dictate the minimum corporeality of coverage that yous tin can comport.

This is why yous really need to understand your options when you have a vehicle you practice not plan on driving or that is going to be inoperable for an extended period of time.

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Why You Cannot Cancel Insurance on a Registered Vehicle

It might audio reasonable that you lot can cancel insurance on a vehicle that yous know for a fact will not be driven throughout the term of your policy.

Subsequently all, if a machine does not start or you no longer have a license, y'all are non going to be at hazard of filing a claim for tertiary-party holding harm or bodily injury losses.

Since all states take their own requirements regarding insurance, you need to follow the rules for as long every bit you are the possessor of the car.

You may not file whatever claims that are associated with vehicles when they are being driven, but y'all are still obligated to follow the vehicle lawmaking like every other resident in the state that owns a auto with an active registration.

If at that place is no insurance on a motorcar, the person who the car is registered to will be fined.

This is a major reason why the insurance should be in the same name every bit the name of the registered owner.

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Practise you need an active vehicle registration?

In most states, your vehicle registration will last for a term of 1 year. After the 12-calendar month flow, you should receive a registration renewal discover.

When the registration is up for renewal, yous must pay registration fees for the new registration menu and license plate sticker to be sent. Your vehicle may need to laissez passer a smog cheque before you can renew.

If yous do not need a smog inspection, filing by mail service should be an option. Send the vehicle registration renewal notice and fees to the DMV. Check your local DMV website for information almost acceptable forms of payment.

If yous do not pay your renewal fees before the vehicle registration expiration date, you will incur late penalties.

As long as your registration is active, the Department of Motor Vehicles is under the impression that the vehicle is being used.

Since the car can legally be driven, it must legally be covered past a personal machine insurance policy. Nearly states will only require you to have liability insurance.

Planned Non-operational Vehicle Status

When your registration is up for renewal, your discover volition requite y'all the choice to register your car as non-operational.

In insurance terms, a non-operational registration is called a not-op.

By selecting Planned Non-Operation (PNO) status, you will pay a lower rate but cannot legally drive the vehicle.

You also cannot store, tow, or park the car on any public roads or highways if it has non-op status.

Earlier the motorcar tin can be driven or stored in a public expanse, it must be re-registered.

Since the car cannot be driven and the Department of Motor Vehicles is aware that the possessor has no intentions of driving the automobile, the owner does not have to maintain liability insurance.

This is one circumstance where yous can cancel your car insurance on a parked car without having to worry about any repercussions.

Simply be certain you find out when you must file the vehicle as non-op earlier you plan for a cancellation.

Many states will only give you up to 90 days post-obit your renewal date to notify the DMV of the new status.

How will the state know you practise not accept insurance?

You lot might be tempted to take the chance and cancel your coverage early fifty-fifty when you cannot change the status of your registration.

No matter how tempting it might exist, y'all should avoid doing this at all costs.

Information technology does not have beingness cited for no insurance simply to get caught.

At present that well-nigh states take electronic verification systems in identify, any vehicle owner with a registered car that allows their insurance to lapse will be caught and fined.

This reporting system makes it mandatory for licensed insurers to tell the DMV when there is any type of policy lapse.

Equally long every bit the automobile has a registration, the owner tin can be fined.

If you ever decide that you want to operate the vehicle again, y'all will be left paying steep fines.

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What are your options to avoid fines and fees?

The most effective way to avoid being penalized for failing to carry insurance is to change the status of your car to Planned Non-Operational.

Past changing the status, you tin can still easily re-annals the motorcar when it is repaired or when yous return home from out of the country.

If yous prefer to keep your insurance, in that location is e'er the option to lower the coverage to but those required by law, and so the premiums will go down.

If you are outside of the window to change the status, you lot can e'er plow your plates in entirely and abolish the registration.

By doing this, you lot will have to go through all of the steps of registering the car as if it were new when you programme on operating information technology.

If your car holds any value, be certain to continue comprehensive coverage then that you will have the ability to file a claim for incidents that can happen while it is parked.

If you exercise not take insurance on your stationary vehicle that you plan to drive in the near time to come, it is time to start comparing rates.

You can hands do this via the Internet by using a convenient online quoting tool.

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