Title 32. Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation

Chapter 5. Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law

Part I-a. Compulsory Motor Vehicle Liability Security

32:865     Criminal sanctions for operating motor vehicle not covered by security

A. Any person knowingly operating a motor vehicle and any owner allowing a motor vehicle to be operated, when such motor vehicle is not covered by the security required under R.S. 32:861 shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than five hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars.

B. (1) If the vehicle is in any manner involved in an accident within this state, when such motor vehicle is not covered by the security required under R.S. 32:861, the owner thereof shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than five hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars, shall have the registration of the vehicle revoked for a period of one hundred eighty days, and shall have his driving privileges suspended for a period of one hundred eighty days.

(2) Notwithstanding Paragraph (1) of this Subsection and except as provided in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, any person operating a motor vehicle when that person knows the vehicle is not covered by the security required under R.S. 32:861, and any owner allowing a motor vehicle to be operated which is in any way involved in an accident within this state in which any person is killed or injured or in which damage to the property of any one person in excess of five hundred dollars is sustained, when such motor vehicle is not covered by the security required under R.S. 32:861, the owner thereof knows or has been notified by the department of the absence of the required security, and at least thirty days has elapsed after such knowledge has been acquired or notification received by the owner, shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than one thousand dollars, nor more than ten thousand dollars, shall have the registration of his vehicle revoked for a period of twelve months, shall have his driving privileges suspended for a period of twelve months, and shall be required to perform not less than forty hours nor more than two hundred hours of community service. After deposit in the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, an amount equal to all fines collected under the provisions of this Paragraph shall be credited to the Crime Victims Reparations Fund, R.S. 46:1816.

(3) The criminal sanction provisions of Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, shall not apply:

(a) To the operator or the owner of a motor vehicle involved in an accident wherein no injury or damage was caused to the person or property of any one other than such operator or owner or the immediate family members of such operator or owner.

(b) To the owner of a motor vehicle if at the time of the accident the vehicle was being operated without his permission, express or implied, or was parked by a person who had been operating such motor vehicle without such permission.

(c) To the operator or the owner of a motor vehicle involved in a collision with another vehicle, in which the operator of the other vehicle is found guilty of or pleads guilty to a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, negligent injuring, vehicular negligent injuring, vehicular homicide, or negligent homicide.

(4) Any such owner or operator described in Paragraph (1) or (2) of this Subsection shall be able to use the procedures described in R.S. 32:415.1 to obtain a temporary driver’s license, registration, and plate, upon showing undue economic or personal hardship that would result from the suspension of his driving privileges.

Added by Acts 1981, No. 926, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1985, No. 891, § 1; Acts 1992, No. 1060, § 1; Acts 2014, No. 641, § 1, eff. July 1, 2014.