Financial Responsibility Overview

Pennsylvania law requires all Pennsylvania motor vehicle owners to maintain vehicle liability insurance (financial responsibility) on a currently registered vehicle. Vehicle liability insurance covers the property damage or injuries you may cause others in a crash.

A lapse in insurance coverage results in the suspension of your vehicle registration privilege for three months, unless the lapse of insurance was for a period of less than 31 days and the owner or registrant proves to PennDOT that the vehicle was not operated during this short lapse in coverage. If PennDOT determines that you operated your vehicle without the required insurance, your driver's license will also be suspended for three months. The registration plate, sticker, card and driver's license must be surrendered to PennDOT in order to serve the suspension. Restoration fees of $50.00 and proof of insurance must be submitted prior to having either registration or driving privileges returned.

Please note that insurance companies are required to notify PennDOT when an insurance policy is cancelled by the insured. Insurance companies are NOT required by law to notify PennDOT when a vehicle owner acquires a new insurance policy with the same or different insurance company. It is the vehicle owner's responsibility to notify PennDOT of the new insurance after receiving a proof letter from PennDOT. Failure to respond to PennDOT's proof letter will result in the suspension of the vehicle registration. A suspension may be avoided by the return of the registration plate, sticker and card to PennDOT at the time the insurance policy is cancelled or financial responsibility lapses. Registration plates, stickers and cards must be received by PennDOT no more than 30 days after insurance was cancelled. Registration plates, stickers and cards received by PennDOT after 30 days will result in a three-month registration suspension. To surrender the registration plate, sticker and card, mail them to:

Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Return Tag Unit
P.O. Box 68597
Harrisburg, PA 17106-8597

Important: Any vehicle which is currently registered MUST have insurance (financial responsibility). Customers should always surrender their registration plate to PennDOT when insurance is not in effect, even if the vehicle is in for repairs or being stored and not being driven. Otherwise a suspension of the registration may occur.

Other Items

If a customer transfers their plate to another vehicle before or within 30 days of the cancellation, the record will be rescinded.
If a customer transfers their plate after 30 days of the cancellation, credit will start from the date the plate was transferred. The suspension is imposed against the vehicle, not the plate.
The customer has the right to appeal the registration suspension within 30 days of the mail date of the official notice. They cannot file the appeal after the 30 days.
If a suspension has been issued and the customer's plate has been destroyed, a notarized statement indicating the disposition of the plate and the date it was destroyed must be submitted. If the plate has been stolen, a copy of the police incident report must be submitted. In both cases upon receipt of the requested information, credit for the three-month suspension will begin. The credit will begin from the date the plate was destroyed or stolen.
If the motorist has moved to another state, a copy of either the registration or certificate of title from the new state must be provided in order to release the suspension.
If the vehicle has been sold to a motorist in another state, submission of a notarized statement indicating the name of the owner, the state it is being registered in and the date of sale will release the suspension.
If the motorist returned the license plate, card and sticker and PennDOT has no record of receiving it, submission of the receipt issued by PennDOT or a notarized affidavit stating the date the plate was mailed will begin credit for the three-month suspension.
If the plate was lost or left on a vehicle that was traded in or repossessed, submission of a notarized affidavit indicating it is no longer in your possession and the reason is required. The date of the notarized affidavit will begin credit for the three-month suspension.
If the plate was taken from the customer by a police officer, the customer should submit a copy of the seized report issued by the police officer or a notarized affidavit stating the date the plate was taken, in order to begin credit for the three-month suspension. The date provided on the copy of the seized report and the date the police officer took the plate is one in the same.