Last updated: November 24th, 2022
Reviewed by
Grant Desselle
Licensed Insurance Agent
Table of Contents
Most states require you to supply proof of insurance before registering your vehicle for the first time after purchase. Thankfully, this can be done quickly and efficiently from your phone or computer before you leave the car lot with your new vehicle. Most insurance companies now let you receive quotes and purchase new policies directly online or over the phone with the help of a representative.
If you’re looking to renew your vehicle’s registration, most states will let you do this online with verification that your car is still covered under your initial insurance policy. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. These include:
Besides insurance, you’ll need a few other documents to register your vehicle. Whether online or in person, remember to bring your title, a valid state ID or driver’s license, and at least one other form of identification. Identification requirements vary by state and county, so ask or look online for relevant local information.
Minimum auto insurance requirements vary by state. However, generally, you’ll need liability insurance (at a minimum) to register your vehicle. The amount of liability insurance will also vary based on location.
Liability insurance helps cover legal fees and medical costs if you’re legally responsible for causing property damage to another vehicle or personal injuries to another driver while driving your vehicle. For example, if you rear end someone, most states automatically assign you fault. In this situation, your liability insurance will cover any damages to the other party’s vehicle caused when you hit them.
Although most states require insurance to register a car, this rule has a few exceptions. You can find proof of insurance requirements for each state in the table below.
| State | Proof of Insurance Requirements |
| Alabama | Before Registering |
| Alaska | Before Registering |
| Arizona | Before Driving |
| Arkansas | Before Registering |
| California | Before Registering |
| Colorado | Before Registering |
| Connecticut | Before Registering |
| Florida | Before Registering |
| Georgia | Before Registering |
| Hawaii | Before Registering |
| Idaho | Before Registering |
| Illinois | Before Registering |
| Indiana | Before Registering |
| Iowa | Before Registering |
| Kansas | Before Registering |
| Kentucky | Before Registering |
| Louisiana | Before Registering |
| Maine | Before Registering |
| Maryland | Before Registering |
| Massachusetts | Before Registering |
| Michigan | Before Registering |
| Minnesota | Before Registering |
| Mississippi | Before Driving |
| Missouri | Before Registering |
| Montana | Before Registering |
| Nevada | Before Registering |
| New Hampshire | No Requirements |
| New Jersey | Before Registering |
| New Mexico | Before Registering |
| New York | Before Registering |
| New Carolina | Before Registering |
| North Dakota | Before Driving |
| Ohio | Before Registering |
| Pennsylvania | Before Registering |
| Rhode Island | Before Registering |
| South Carolina | Before Registering |
| Tennessee | Before Driving |
| Texas | Before Registering |
| Utah | Before Registering |
| Vermont | Before Registering |
| Virginia | No Requirements |
| Washington | Before Driving |
| Washington, D.C. | Before Registering |
| West Virginia | Before Registering |
| Wisconsin | Before Driving |
| Wyoming | Before Registering |
If you try to register a car without insurance in a state that requires it, you won’t be able to obtain vehicle registration. However, you’ll be allowed to register your vehicle once you’ve purchased a policy. In states where insurance isn’t necessary before registration, you’ll be allowed to move forward with the process.
Brian is the founder and CEO of Insurist and carries Life, Health, and Property & Casualty licenses in all 50 U.S. states. Since 2013, Brian has been a member of Million Dollar Round Table, a designation for the top 1% of financial advisors worldwide. Brian has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Money.com, Entrepreneur.com, Life Happens, Forbes, MSN, and Good Financial Cents. Brian’s goal is to show customers the best products, the quickest answers to their questions, and provide expert advice.
Grant's past experience includes work as a licensed sales agent for Hagerty Insurance. He has reviewed thousands of existing auto policies across the nation and issued hundreds of new ones on everything ranging from classic cars undergoing restoration to modern exotics and motorcycles.
