Pay insurance lapse civil penalty [1] 


Determine if you can pay 


You can pay (and remove a suspension) if 
your insurance lapse is for 90 days or less 

You cannot pay if 
you already paid a civil penalty in the past 36 months 3 years your insurance lapse is 91 days or more Your payment does not guarantee that the DMV will restore your registration, or close other suspensions or revocations you have. It is your responsibility to know if the DMV restored your registration before you drive the vehicle. You can check the status of your driving privilege and vehicle registrations through MyDMV [2]. The DMV will not automatically send you a new registration document in the mail. If you do not want to pay the civil penalty , you can surrender your vehicle registration and plates [3] until the suspension period ends. 

Online 
You need a Suspension Order that states you are eligible to pay a civil penalty see a sample insurance letter [4]. Your order will have the 10 digit document ID number your vehicle plate number vehicle type (also called class e.g. PAS, COM) the first 3 letters of the registrant s name Pay insurance lapse civil penalty online [5 ] 

By mail 
Follow the instructions on your suspension order. Send the bottom part of the order along with a certified check, personal check, or money order payable to Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for the penalty to NYS Department of Motor Vehicles Financial Security Bureau PO BOX 2725 Albany NY 12220 - 0725 

At a DMV office 
You may pay this fee in person at any DMV office with a certified check, personal check or money order, payable to Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. 

How much do I need to pay? 
Your Suspension Order from the DMV shows how much you must pay. The amount depends on how long you did not have insurance coverage. Your payment is calculated based on the following table Example 1 : If your insurance lapse is 25 days , you may pay a civil penalty of $200 $8 per day for 25 days and not turn in your plates

user: I let my insurance lapse and DMV has suspended my registration. I need to know how much I'll have to pay to have the suspension removed.

assistant: Sorry to hear that. I'll be happy to help you with this. Your Suspension Order that you received from the DMV will show you how much you will need to pay. The amount owed will depend on how long your insurance was lapsed.

assistant: Has your insurance lapsed for more than 25 days?

user: Yes, it's been longer than that.

assistant: Okay. For future reference, an insurance lapse of less than 25 days will require you to pay a civil penalty of $200. In this case, you would get to keep your plates. If you choose to surrender your plates, the penalty would be a 25 day suspension of your registration.

user: Thanks for the information. Can I pay the penalty online?

assistant: Yes, but you will need the Suspension Order that states you are eligible to pay a civil penalty. 

user: What is the penalty for letting my insurance lapse for 90 days?

assistant: An insurance lapse of 90 days will result in a $900 fine. Again, you would have the option to pay the penalty and keep your plates or surrender them and serve a 90 day registration suspension.

user: How can I find more information about this topic?

assistant: You can find more information on our website under Insurance.

user: So, if I pay the civil penalty, I would be allowed to keep my plates?

assistant: Yes, that is correct.