Insurance Requirements for Car Registration in Connecticut

All Connecticut drivers are required to carry automotive insurance, or “financial responsibility,” in order to operate a vehicle legally and maintain vehicle registration. The current laws state that you must retain three types of insurance in order to drive legally: liability, uninsured motorist, and property damage.

The minimum financial responsibility requirements for private individuals under Connecticut law is as follows:

  • A minimum of $20,000 per person for liability, to cover bodily injury or death. This means you’ll need to carry a minimum of $40,000 to cover the lowest possible number of people involved in an accident (the two drivers).

  • A minimum $10,000 for property damage

  • A minimum of $40,000 for uninsured or under-insured motorists

This means that the total minimum amount of financial responsibility you will need is $90,000 for all three types of required mandatory insurance coverage.

Proof of insurance

If at any point you must provide proof of insurance, Connecticut only accepts these documents as acceptable proof:

  • The permanent insurance card from your authorized insurance provider

  • The declaration page from your insurance policy

  • An SR-22 Certificate of Financial Responsibility, which is a specific type of proof of insurance that is required only from drivers who have previously been convicted of reckless driving.

If you do not carry a proof of insurance card with you when you are operating a vehicle, you could face a $35 fine, which increases to $50 for subsequent offenses.

Violation penalties

If you operate a vehicle in Connecticut without insurance, you could face several types of penalties:

  • A fine of anywhere between $100 and $1,000 for passenger vehicles, as well as a one-month suspension of the registration and your driver’s license.

  • A fine of up to $5,000, and possible imprisonment for up to five years, for commercial vehicles.

  • Repeat offenders may have their registration and license suspended for up to six months.

In order to clear your registration of a suspension, you’ll have to present acceptable proof of insurance, and pay a $200 restoration fee.

If you fail to maintain insurance on your vehicle in Connecticut, you could also face these penalties:

  • A class C misdemeanor charge

  • A fine of up to $500

  • Imprisonment for up to three months

If you fail to respond to a request from the DMV to prove that you carried the proper insurance, your car could be towed, and you could have your license suspended. The DMV is alerted monthly by all auto insurance providers in the state of any changes to insurance policies held by Connecticut drivers.

The only time it is acceptable to not carry insurance on a vehicle is when you have turned in your marker plates to be placed on hold, typically during a time when your car is being restored or is in storage for a season.

For more information, contact the Connecticut DMV through their website.


The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Need Help With Your Car?

Our certified mobile mechanics make house calls in over 2,000 U.S. cities. Fast, free online quotes for your car repair.

GET A QUOTE

Related articles

How the Demerit Point System Affects Car Insurance Rates
Traffic infractions such as speeding and DUIs add points to your driving record which car insurance companies use to calculate your insurance rates.
How a DUI Affects Car Insurance Rates
Drivers convicted of a DUI will face a suspended license and increased car insurance rates. DUI convictions stay on record for at least five years.
How to Rent a Car while Visiting the U.S.
Visiting America for a short trip? Whether it's for work or pleasure, know the ins-and-outs of renting a car in the United States.

Related questions

Is it Legal to Drive With a Damaged or Missing Mirror?
According to the California Vehicle Code, Section 26709 (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=26001-27000&file=26700-26712), every motor vehicle that is subject to registration in the state of California, except motorcycles, must have two mirrors (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-adjust-car-mirrors-for-your-height) that reflect to the driver a view of the highway for...
My 2003 Subaru WRX crashed and my insurance is giving me two options.
I would recommend taking the $6000 and getting another car with the money. The body damage is only an estimate of the damages the body shop can see and estimate. There is always hidden damage the body shop cannot see...
Flooded car please help, potential damage? write off?
When the under vehicle got soaked and sat in the water the brakes tend to lock up after that if you had the parking brake on and then when you go to release it the rear drum brakes may stick...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com