Verified MCL 500.3102; MCL 257.328 · Checked October 2026 · 7 sources
What a no-insurance ticket costs in Michigan
First offense MCL 500.3102; MCL 257.328
$200 to $500 fine, up to 1 year, or both
Verified October 2026 against the sources on this page
Michigan can charge driving without no-fault insurance two ways. As a misdemeanor under MCL 500.3102(2), a conviction carries a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $500, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. As a civil infraction under the Vehicle Code, MCL 257.328(1) covers both failing to produce proof of insurance when an officer asks and failing to have the required insurance; the general civil infraction limits in MCL 257.907 then apply, a civil fine of not more than $100, costs of not more than $100, and a $40 justice system assessment.
By Mario Bailey
What to do now
- 1
Were you insured at the time? Get proof to the court before your appearance date
Under MCL 257.328(3) and 257.907(14), proof that the vehicle was insured when the violation occurred means no fine or costs, no report to the Secretary of State, and at most a $25 court fee, which the court may also waive.
- 2
If you were uninsured, get a no-fault policy now
Driving without no-fault insurance is a misdemeanor under MCL 500.3102(2), a fine of $200 to $500, up to one year in jail, or both; as a civil infraction under MCL 257.328 the civil fine is up to $100 plus costs of up to $100 and a $40 assessment.
- 3
Expect the plate hold and plan for a six-month policy
After a §328 finding the Secretary of State will not renew, transfer, or replace that vehicle’s plate until you show a certified six-month prepaid noncancelable policy at a branch office and pay a $50 fee (MCL 257.227a).
- 4
Know what being uninsured costs after a crash
An owner or registrant of a vehicle without the required security cannot collect personal protection insurance benefits for their own injuries in a crash involving that vehicle (MCL 500.3113(b)), and an uninsured driver of their own vehicle cannot recover noneconomic damages from the other driver (MCL 500.3135(2)(c)).
Insurance impact: A §328 civil infraction finding can cost your license for 30 days or until you show proof, whichever is later, plus a $25 service fee, and it puts a hold on the vehicle’s plate that only a six-month prepaid policy certificate and a $50 fee release.
Note: amounts vary by court for the civil infraction: each district and municipal court may set its own schedule of civil fines and costs within the MCL 257.907 limits, the figures above are the statutory frame, not a quote.
Repeat offenses
Neither statute escalates for a repeat offense. MCL 500.3102(2) sets one range, $200 to $500, up to one year, or both, for every conviction, and MCL 257.328 has no separate repeat penalty. What compounds instead is the administrative side: each responsible finding under §328 is reported to the Secretary of State with the vehicle’s plate number, and the plate cannot be renewed until the owner meets the insurance certification requirement described below.
Is driving without insurance a misdemeanor in Michigan?
It depends on the charge. Under MCL 500.3102(2) it is a misdemeanor, and unusually for a no-insurance offense, up to a year of jail is on the statute’s face alongside the $200 to $500 fine. Under MCL 257.328(1) the same conduct is a civil infraction, which is not a crime and carries no jail. Separately, knowingly producing false evidence of insurance is its own misdemeanor under §328(6), punishable by up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
Can it be dismissed?
If you were insured and simply could not show proof, yes. MCL 257.328(3) says that if, before the appearance date on the citation, you submit proof to the court that the vehicle had the required insurance when the violation occurred, the court shall not assess a fine or costs and shall not forward the record to the Secretary of State; it may charge a fee of not more than $25. MCL 257.907(14) adds that the court shall waive any fine, costs, and other fees or assessments once it verifies that proof, and may waive the $25 fee too. Insurance bought after the stop does not qualify.
What happens beyond the fine
On a civil infraction finding under MCL 257.328, the court may require you to surrender your license unless proof of insurance meeting MCL 500.3101 and 500.3102 is submitted to it. If the court takes the license, the Secretary of State suspends it for 30 days or until you submit proof of insurance, whichever is later, and submitting that proof costs a $25 service fee (§328(4)). The court must also report the vehicle’s registration number to the Secretary of State, which then will not renew, transfer, or replace that vehicle’s plate until the owner meets MCL 257.227a, unless the vehicle is sold to someone outside the immediate family (§328(5)). No points go on your driving record for a §328 violation (§328(7)).
To clear the plate hold, MCL 257.227a(1) requires the owner or the owner’s representative to appear at a Secretary of State branch office, show a certified statement from an insurer that the vehicle is insured under a prepaid noncancelable policy for at least six months, and pay a $50 fee on top of any other fee required by law. The Secretary of State may also cancel the registration after notice and a chance to be heard if a court finds the vehicle was uninsured at the time of registration or that a forged or fraudulent insurance certificate was presented (§227a(2) and (3)).
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to jail for driving without insurance in Michigan?
The misdemeanor statute allows it: MCL 500.3102(2) punishes a conviction with a $200 to $500 fine, up to one year of imprisonment, or both. The same conduct can instead be charged as a civil infraction under MCL 257.328, which carries no jail.
How much is the fine for no insurance in Michigan?
As a misdemeanor, not less than $200 and not more than $500 under MCL 500.3102(2). As a civil infraction under MCL 257.328, the general limits in MCL 257.907 apply: a civil fine of up to $100, costs of up to $100, and a $40 justice system assessment, with each court free to post its own schedule within those limits.
What if I had insurance but could not show it to the officer?
Submit proof to the court before the appearance date on your citation. If the vehicle was insured when the violation occurred, MCL 257.328(3) bars any fine or costs and bars the court from reporting the case to the Secretary of State; the court may charge up to $25, and MCL 257.907(14) lets it waive that too. A policy bought after the stop does not count.
Will a Michigan no-insurance ticket suspend my license?
It can. On a civil infraction finding under MCL 257.328(4), the court may require you to surrender your license unless you submit proof of insurance; if it does, the Secretary of State suspends the license for 30 days or until you submit proof, whichever is later, and you pay a $25 service fee to submit that proof. No points are added to your record for this violation.
Why can I not renew my plate after a no-insurance ticket?
After a §328 finding the court reports the vehicle to the Secretary of State, which will not renew, transfer, or replace the plate until the owner appears at a branch office with an insurer’s certified statement of a prepaid noncancelable policy of at least six months and pays a $50 fee (MCL 257.328(5) and 257.227a(1)).
Does driving uninsured affect my no-fault benefits after a crash?
Yes. Under MCL 500.3113(b), a person who owned or registered a vehicle involved in the accident without the required security in effect is not entitled to personal protection insurance benefits. Under MCL 500.3135(2)(c), damages for noneconomic loss are not assessed in favor of a party who was driving their own vehicle without the required security when the injury occurred.
Sources
This summary was checked against the following sources on the date shown above. Fines and fees change, verify before relying on specifics.
- MCL 500.3102, official text (Michigan Legislature)
- MCL 257.328, proof of insurance, civil infraction and dismissal (Michigan Legislature)
- MCL 257.907, civil infraction fines, costs and waiver (Michigan Legislature)
- MCL 257.227a, plate hold and $50 fee (Michigan Legislature)
- MCL 500.3101, required security (Michigan Legislature)
- MCL 500.3113, PIP benefits barred for uninsured owners (Michigan Legislature)
- MCL 500.3135, noneconomic damages barred for uninsured drivers (Michigan Legislature)
Read next
- No Proof of Insurance Ticket: Cost and How to Dismiss It
- Florida license suspension for no insurance: the timeline, the fee ladder, and the way out
- Can you go to jail for driving without insurance? Where jail is on the statute's face, and where it is not, in 14 states
- Accident without insurance: what happens to your license
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General legal information, not legal advice. Statutes and penalty schedules summarized from the sources above as of October 2026.