Almost every state requires its licensed drivers to have a minimum amount of insurance coverage. The required insurance generally includes bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage in certain minimum amounts.

You are required to show proof of the minimum insurance coverage to a police officer when you are stopped for a moving traffic violation or involved in a traffic accident—and you may receive a citation if you are not able to show proof of insurance. And in some states you are required to show proof of insurance to register your car. In those states, the failure to register your car may result in an additional citation.

In New York State, drivers are mandated to carry a minimum amount of auto insurance coverage. This includes both bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. The minimum requirements are $25,000 for bodily injury and $50,000 for death for a person involved in an accident, $50,000 for bodily injury and $100,000 for death for two or more people in an accident, and $10,000 for property damage in any one accident. New York operates under a no-fault insurance system, which means that drivers must also carry personal injury protection (PIP) to help cover medical expenses, lost earnings, and other reasonable and necessary expenses up to $50,000, regardless of who is at fault in an accident. Additionally, New York requires uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury, subject to the same minimums. Proof of insurance must be shown at the request of law enforcement officers during traffic stops or after an accident. Failure to provide proof of insurance can result in fines and vehicle impoundment. Furthermore, proof of insurance is required to register a vehicle in New York, and driving an unregistered vehicle may lead to additional penalties.