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Difference between revisions of "Driving Without Insurance"
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Driving Without Insurance (view source)
Revision as of 00:23, 11 December 2014
, 00:23, 11 December 2014→If you get a Violation Ticket
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*'''Pleading guilty''' | *'''Pleading guilty''' | ||
If you want to plead guilty, which means you admit you committed the offence, you can pay your fine by mail or in person. Make sure your payment reaches the court within the 30 days allowed to pay – then you pay the reduced amount explained above. Once you pay the fine, your driving record shows a conviction for the offence | :If you want to plead guilty, which means you admit you committed the offence, you can pay your fine by mail or in person. Make sure your payment reaches the court within the 30 days allowed to pay – then you pay the reduced amount explained above. Once you pay the fine, your driving record shows a conviction for the offence. | ||
*'''Pleading not guilty, or fighting the amount of the fine''' | |||
:If you want to plead not guilty or dispute the amount of the fine, you must deliver a Notice of Dispute to the court within 30 days. You can personally deliver the notice to the court or mail it to the address shown on the ticket. Then you will get a hearing date. It could be weeks or even months until the hearing, depending on the court’s schedule. | |||
If you go to court on the charge of driving without insurance, the court can fine you any amount from $300 to $2,000 (instead of the usual $598). Although a judge could send you to jail, it would be extremely rare and only if you had multiple convictions for the same offence. If you have a good driving record, tell the judge, because this may help you get a lower penalty. | :At your hearing, the police officer who stopped you will testify (tell the court what happened). You get a chance to question the officer and then you may give your evidence (tell the court what happened). You may also call other witnesses to testify for you. The judge or justice of the peace will decide whether you’re guilty and if you are, fine you and possibly prohibit you from driving. You don’t need a lawyer to represent you at your hearing, but you can hire one. | ||
If you had insurance when stopped | |||
If you had vehicle insurance when the police stopped you, but just didn’t have your documents with you or didn’t have a decal on your license plate, you should take both the documents and decal to court. Explain that you want to plead not guilty to the charge of driving without insurance. In most cases, if you can prove that the vehicle was insured, the charge will be withdrawn. But you’ll still have to deal with the other charges of failing to produce the insurance document and failing to display the decal. The fact that the vehicle was actually insured doesn’t matter for these charges. You’ll have to choose whether to plead guilty and pay the fine, or plead not guilty and ask for a hearing date. | :If you go to court on the charge of driving without insurance, the court can fine you any amount from $300 to $2,000 (instead of the usual $598). Although a judge could send you to jail, it would be extremely rare and only if you had multiple convictions for the same offence. If you have a good driving record, tell the judge, because this may help you get a lower penalty. | ||
If you ignore or forget a Violation Ticket | |||
If you ignore a ticket and don’t pay the fine or dispute the ticket within 30 days, you will be automatically convicted. But if you had planned to dispute the ticket, but were not able to do so (and that wasn’t your fault), you can go to the provincial court registry and apply to have your case go ahead. | *'''If you had insurance when stopped''' | ||
If you get an Appearance Notice or a Summons | :If you had vehicle insurance when the police stopped you, but just didn’t have your documents with you or didn’t have a decal on your license plate, you should take both the documents and decal to court. Explain that you want to plead not guilty to the charge of driving without insurance. In most cases, if you can prove that the vehicle was insured, the charge will be withdrawn. But you’ll still have to deal with the other charges of failing to produce the insurance document and failing to display the decal. The fact that the vehicle was actually insured doesn’t matter for these charges. You’ll have to choose whether to plead guilty and pay the fine, or plead not guilty and ask for a hearing date. | ||
*'''If you ignore or forget a Violation Ticket''' | |||
:If you ignore a ticket and don’t pay the fine or dispute the ticket within 30 days, you will be automatically convicted. But if you had planned to dispute the ticket, but were not able to do so (and that wasn’t your fault), you can go to the provincial court registry and apply to have your case go ahead. | |||
==If you get an Appearance Notice or a Summons== | |||
If you get an Appearance Notice or a Summons for driving without insurance, you must go to court on the date shown on the notice or summons. If you’re found guilty, the penalty is the same: a fine ranging from $300 to $2,000 and possibly jail time up to 6 months. Further, the court may prohibit you from driving for a certain time. If you don’t go to court, a warrant can be issued for your arrest. | If you get an Appearance Notice or a Summons for driving without insurance, you must go to court on the date shown on the notice or summons. If you’re found guilty, the penalty is the same: a fine ranging from $300 to $2,000 and possibly jail time up to 6 months. Further, the court may prohibit you from driving for a certain time. If you don’t go to court, a warrant can be issued for your arrest. | ||
More information | ==More information== | ||
Check ICBC’s website at www.icbc.com and the following scripts: | Check ICBC’s website at [http:www.icbc.com www.icbc.com] and the following scripts: | ||
*script 194, called “Traffic Tickets”. | |||
*script 210, called “If you receive an Appearance Notice or Summons”. | |||
*script 185, called “Insurance Benefits and Compensation for Accident Victims”. | |||
[updated June 2014] | [updated June 2014] | ||