Title 32 — Title 32

This chapter may be cited as the Mandatory Liability Insurance Act. History: (Act 2000-554, p. 1005, §1.)

(a) If any insurance company shall fail to consistently allow access through an online insurance verification system to verify coverage of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage, the department shall notify the Insurance Commissioner of any and all violations by an insurer of…

Penalties. (a)(1) When the department is unable to verify that liability insurance coverage exists for a motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in this state, the department shall send the registrant notice via U.S. mail at the last known address as reflected on th…

(a) The department shall suspend the vehicle registration of any motor vehicle determined to be in violation of Section 32-7A-4, including any motor vehicle operated in violation of Section 32-7A-16 by an operator other than the owner of the vehicle. Neither the fact that, subseq…

All officials authorized by law to register motor vehicles, issue motor vehicle license plates, and to perform other duties in connection with the issuance of motor vehicle license plates shall refuse to register or re-register a motor vehicle or refuse to transfer the license pl…

A person who, whether present or absent, aids, abets, induces, procures, or causes the commission of an act which, if done directly by him or her, would be a felony or a misdemeanor under a provision of this chapter, is guilty of the same felony or misdemeanor. History: (Act 2000…

A person is guilty of a Class C felony who, with fraudulent intent: (1) Alters, forges, or counterfeits an insurance card to make it appear valid. (2) Makes, sells, or otherwise makes available an invalid or counterfeit insurance card, or other evidence of insurance. History: (Ac…

(a) A person is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor who: (1) Operates a motor vehicle without a liability insurance policy, a commercial automobile liability insurance policy, a motor vehicle liability insurance bond, or deposit of cash in accordance with this chapter. (2) With notic…

(a) License plate issuing officials shall not register or re-register a motor vehicle or transfer the license plates if the registration is suspended pursuant to Section 32-7A-12. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), upon the request of the registrant, the license plate issuing of…

No verification procedure established under this chapter shall include individual inspections of vehicles on the public streets or highways solely for the purpose of verifying the existence of a valid liability insurance policy or a commercial automobile liability insurance polic…

No state or local governmental unit and no government official or employee acting in the course of his or her official duties in the administration or enforcement of Section 32-7A-4 and related provisions of this chapter shall be liable for any damages brought directly or indirec…

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section, except in those instances where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (1) CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE. A document issued by an insu…

Whenever a court convicts a person of a violation of Section 32-7A-15 or Section 32-7A-16, the clerk of the court, within 10 calendar days, shall forward a report of the conviction to the department in a form prescribed by the department. History: (Act 2000-554, p. 1005, §1; Act …

The following penalties are applicable to violations of this chapter: (1) FELONIES. A person convicted of a felony for the violation of a provision of this chapter is guilty of a Class C felony and is subject to punishment as defined by the Criminal Code of Alabama. (2) MISDEMEAN…

No person shall present evidence of insurance to a law enforcement officer, court, officer of the court, the Department of Revenue, or office of the licensing official charged with motor vehicle registration and titling responsibilities, knowing there is no valid liability insura…

No person charged with violating the requirements of this chapter to maintain or present, or both, evidence of insurance shall be convicted of a Class C misdemeanor in accordance with subsection (a) of Section 32-7A-16 if such person produces in court satisfactory evidence that, …

Information regarding the motor vehicle registration suspension or reinstatement status of any person is confidential and shall be released only to the person who is the subject of a suspension or possible suspension, or to law enforcement agencies, courts, and other governmental…

This chapter is supplemental to other laws relative to motor vehicles and a liability insurance policy, commercial automobile liability insurance policy, liability insurance bond, or deposit of cash, and insofar as possible shall be construed in pari materia with such laws. Histo…

The department may establish rules pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act regarding procedures to send notices, prescribed in this chapter, in an electronic format. Notices sent in electronic format shall be allowed only if the content satisfies all of the requirements of t…

The department shall provide the licensing plate issuing official the ability to dispose of unused and surrendered license plates in a uniform manner as prescribed by the department and provide guidance to registrants on the disposal and surrender of a license plate when a licens…

(a) The department shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter and shall make such reasonable rules and regulations concerning any matter administered in this chapter and shall provide for hearings upon the request of persons aggrieved by orders or acts of the dep…

(a) No person shall operate, register, or maintain registration of, and no owner shall permit another person to operate, register, or maintain registration of, a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public highway unless the motor vehicle is covered by a liability insurance pol…

(a) This chapter shall not apply to any of the following vehicles or operators: (1) Trailers as defined in Section 40-12-240, including, but not limited to, semitrailers, travel trailers, boat trailers, pole trailers, and utility trailers. (2) Motor vehicles owned and operated by…

(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle subject to the provisions of Section 32-7A-4 shall carry within the vehicle evidence of insurance. The evidence shall be legible and sufficient to demonstrate that the motor vehicle currently is covered by an Alabama liability insurance polic…

(a) The department may review registrations of motor vehicles subject to Section 32-7A-4, or owners thereof, for the purpose of verifying whether or not the motor vehicles are insured through an online insurance verification system. If the department cannot verify the insurance s…

When the department determines that an owner has registered or maintained the registration of a motor vehicle without a liability insurance policy or a commercial automobile liability insurance policy in accordance with Section 32-7A-4, the department, following the expiration of…

An insurer shall allow access through an online insurance verification system to verify insurance status in accordance with Section 32-7A-7. History: (Act 2000-554, p. 1005, §1; Act 2001-344, p. 446, §1; Act 2006-221, p. 381, §1; Act 2010-716, p. 1775, §§1, 2; Act 2011- 688, p. 2…