No Insurance on a Newly Purchased Car - Any Leeway

[hologrammer]

My question involves insurance law for the state of: Alaska.

I bought a used car on sunday (3 days ago). I have not yet taken the title to the DMV. I was pulled over today due to a malfunctioning tail light and i did not yet have the vehicle insured. I was given a correctable ticket for FAIL TO PROVIDE PROOF OF INSURANCE. I am insured for another vehicle, and have of course added the new one to the policy.

-Is there a grace period for obtaining insurance for a recently bought vehicle?

-If the previous owner has not yet canceled their insurance for the vehicle am i some how covered?

-Should my insurance company cover me?

-Are there any other scenarios by which i can correct this ticket?

-If I can not correct this, should i plead not guilt and choose the optional trial?

thank you to anyone who can offer help or suggestions.

[M'sta Mikey]

1. Usually No. You drive off the lot, you need to be insured
2. Vehicle is covered under the previous owner's name, not yours.
3. Most likely they'll back-date the coverage
4. If it's a correctable ticket and you can prove you were covered, most likely it will be dismissed. (See #3)
5. You can plead not guilty but what would be your arguement/defense for not having insurance? Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[jk]

why do people do this?

Any insurance company I have been with will insure a vehicle with a phone call. You buy the vehicle, call them up and they place insurance on the vehicle and you are good to go.

Best of luck getting your insurance company to state you had insurance at the time of the ticket. They would be dishonest, to say the least, to sign a paper stating you had insurance at the time of the ticket.

[M'sta Mikey]

why do people do this?

Ignorance and apathy; they don't know and they don't care