It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle that is not insured. The law requires that every motor vehicle be insured with at least third party liability coverage. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that they are properly insured. You can obtain more information about auto insurance from the Consumer Law section of Legal Line, under the heading Auto Insurance.
If you are stopped by the police, you must show them your insurance card if they ask for it. If you do not have your insurance card with you, as a courtesy the police will sometimes give you 48 hours to go to the police station and show them your card, but they have no legal obligation to do so.
The penalty for driving with no insurance is a fine of between $5,000 and $25,000. Your licence could be suspended for up to one year, and your car could be impounded for up to three months.
It is very difficult to defend yourself if you are charged with driving with no insurance. It is no defence that you thought you were insured or that you did not know you had to be insured, although that may help to redue the amount of the fine imposed. Also, if you are involved in an accident you may have to personally pay for injuries and damages. If you do not have enough money to pay these costs, you may be forced to sell some of your property. If you do not have any money or any property that you could sell, then the people who were injured in the accident may not be able to get the medical attention they require.
It is very important that you make sure that your vehicle is insured.