Underwriting

Effective immediately, the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles will no longer require, and will no longer accept, SR-22 financial responsibility filings.

Maine is now the fourth state to introduce the of option of a non-binary gender designation on driver’s licenses and identification cards. With the completion of a Gender Designation Form, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will now issue stickers for identification cards that will read “Gender has been changed to X- Non-binary.”

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is expected to sign legislation requiring vehicles registered out of state to be covered by liability insurance when driven in Illinois.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation authorizing the electronic delivery of certain notices and documents relating to insurance policies, including auto insurance ID cards.

When a crash occurs in Florida, the state sends an FR1/FR100 “Liability” Sanction Verification to the auto insurance carriers of the motorists involved in the incident. Florida advised carriers to confirm coverage for crash verifications if a motorist’s insurance policy meets the state’s minimum liability requirements, even if the VIN is registered in another state.

Oklahoma has contracted with the vendor Gatso USA to scan (using cameras) motorists’ license plates to determine whether auto insurance coverage is in place. The plates will be matched against the state’s verification system. If the vehicle is found to be uninsured, the owner will be mailed a citation with a penalty of $184. Motorists who pay the fine will not have a charge of driving without insurance on their permanent record.

The Insurance Research Council (IRC) estimated Oklahoma’s uninsured driver rate to be 26 percent in 2012, the highest in any state. Though this most recent estimate is five years old, there is little evidence the rate has dropped significantly.