# In court for no insurance/registration what to expect? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232 "2017-04-25T18:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/41 "2017-04-26T03:24:40Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > While of course it’s bad to be admitting to crimes on the internet in reality the chances of it actually impacting him are ridiculously small. Even if the prosecutor happens to be member here and is reading this thread there are several legal steps that would need to be taken to prove the OP is the Jim Smith that was arrested. Those steps are way too time consuming for busy NYC prosecutor to bother with on a case like this. But still don’t do it, not a good idea. I didn’t actually mean that the admissions here would impact him - but I could just see him giving that whole explanation about driving why he was driving without insurance for four years (although he’s only had a license for two) to the judge or prosecutor if he’s not eligible for Legal Aid. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/42 "2017-04-26T03:30:56Z")
If the OP has the time, he can learn a lot just by going to traffic court and see what goes on. His ticket should say which court he is to appear in. If you sit through a few sessions, you are likely to see a case like his. Now, if there are lawyers involved, you don’t see the whole deal; most of the lawyers deals take place prior to appearance in court. But, my guess is there would be defendants who don’t want to pay for a lawyer (but can afford one) and you can see how the judge handles the case. I went through this a couple of months ago (but not in NYC). For me, I was just fighting a speeding ticket, which got dismissed, but I saw several cases where there was no registration and no insurance. In my state, getting registration and insurance prior to the court date would reduce the fines. It does not eliminate them, but it will reduce the fines. The stolen property charge is a bit more complicated. You need a lawyer. When you need a lawyer, they are generally much cheaper than not getting one. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/43 "2017-04-26T03:33:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That still sounds rather nuts to me, and I was wondering the same thing. Granted, it was about 20 years ago, but my insurance was more like $100/month when I was 22 living in Chicago, and that wasn’t even the bare bones minimum insurance. $950 seems crazy high to me. It doesn’t sound that crazy to me- my son who has had his license more than three years and gets a discount for a defensive driving class pays about $300 a month. Just for comparison, I paid a little less than $100 for minimum coverage in NYC thirty years ago - and my male friends paid plenty more than that. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/44 "2017-04-26T03:33:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That still sounds rather nuts to me, and I was wondering the same thing. Granted, it was about 20 years ago, but my insurance was more like $100/month when I was 22 living in Chicago, and that wasn’t even the bare bones minimum insurance. $950 seems crazy high to me. Seriously, something’s not adding up here. A quick Google search showed the following average rates for New York City: Liability Only – state minimum $891/yr Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD $973/yr Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $1,000 Comp/Collision deductible $1,725/yr Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible $1,923/yr. OK, so those are averages, but still. $950 a month (over 11 grand a year?!) for a beater that the OP says he purchased for $600 (and thus should be insured for liability only)? Absurd. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/45 "2017-04-26T03:41:47Z")
OK, sorry, just saw the OP’s comment that the $950/mo was apparently a quote after being charged for his offences. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/46 "2017-04-26T03:47:23Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Seriously, something’s not adding up here. A quick Google search showed the following average rates for New York City: > > Liability Only – state minimum $891/yr > Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD $973/yr > Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $1,000 Comp/Collision deductible $1,725/yr > Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible $1,923/yr. > > OK, so those are averages, but still. $950 a month (over 11 grand a year?!) for a beater that the OP says he purchased for $600 (and thus should be insured for liability only)? Absurd. Reading his post again, it sounds like he was including those charges when he was searching for insurance. Probably in the part where they ask you to voluntarily admit to any driving infractions. Driving without insurance/license are bad enough as is. Is there even a spot for ‘driving with a stolen plate’? On top of that, I know the longer you’ve been without insurance the more expensive it is when you do get it. I will admit to playing around with the ‘personal info’ options on insurance policies in order to get a cheaper rate. Thus my suggestion to list yourself as married with a college degree. But you have to be careful with your home address cause if that’s different than the address the car’s registration is linked to, the insurance company could easily find that out. And if NY is like any other state I’ve lived in, they won’t allow you to register the vehicle without proof of insurance either. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/47 "2017-04-26T03:54:34Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Seriously, something’s not adding up here. A quick Google search showed the following average rates for New York City: > > Liability Only – state minimum $891/yr > Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD $973/yr > Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $1,000 Comp/Collision deductible $1,725/yr > Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible $1,923/yr > > $950 a month for a beater that the OP says he purchased for $600? Absurd. Did you get that from [here](http://www.carinsurance.com/state/New-York-car-insurance.aspx)? That’s averages for NYS, not city. Same page says that for one zip code in Brooklyn the rates range from $2031 to $9,054, depending on the company (although it doesn’t specify the coverage, it has to be liability only) . Which is still not $950/month, but nobody gets car insurance in NYC for under $1000 a year. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/48 "2017-04-26T03:56:47Z")
Is it kosher for the OP to get insurance without mentioning these charges? He hasn’t been convicted yet, and isn’t that the actual question? “Have you been convicted of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_in the past \_\_\_\_\_years?” And stealing isn’t a moving violation, it’s a crime. That charge should never become the business of the insurance company. Am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/49 "2017-04-26T03:58:18Z")
> [@Oortcloud](#): > > So the cops were these two really hot chicks > . . . Oh. OK then. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/50 "2017-04-26T12:43:59Z")
Now, if the OP was hot, too, he could’ve asked “Well, officers, what can I do get off for good behavior…?” Oh, I just noticed the part where the Babes In Blue showed up again later! To chat him up afterwards, and admit they just run all Delaware plates (so getting pulled over was another thing that was not the OP’s fault). If these Hot Cops keep turning up, you know they’ll be at the arraignment with a fifth of Jack, a boombox and a disco ball. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/51 "2017-04-26T13:30:48Z")
Accept the plea bargain. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/52 "2017-04-26T13:59:54Z")
> [@digs](#): > > If these Hot Cops keep turning up, you know they’ll be at the arraignment with a fifth of Jack, a **boombox** and a disco ball. Bolding mine. I read that “bamboo” at first and thought “hey, whatever floats your boat.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/53 "2017-04-26T13:59:55Z")
> [@Oortcloud](#): > > edit: @Orwell, well technically I didn’t really officially hire a lawyer, I’ve talked to about 5 firms now using their free consultations so I’m kind of going off of what they tell me in a few minutes of me describing what I just described here. Most of them say that they’ll try to lower the misdemeanors to violations, most say it’s unlikely I’ll get time, but to be honest I think most of these guys are completely incompetent just based on the conversations I had with them. That is why I think anyone who has any invovment in law or 've been in a similar situation and is not just trying to say what suits me to get a check is much more valuable as a source. (aka you guys) OK, based on this my prediction is that you’re going to get jail time and a criminal record. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/54 "2017-04-26T14:35:05Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > OK, sorry, just saw the OP’s comment that the $950/mo was apparently a quote after being charged for his offences. Never mind. Yes, it was. I was still curious/incredulous based on the post that says he’s under 30 and lives in NYC, suggesting that it’s not that out-of-line. But, it seems, NYC never fails to amaze me if it, indeed, does cost $2.3-$9K/yr for insurance in some parts of the city. It just blows my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/55 "2017-04-26T14:40:24Z")
> [@Oortcloud](#): > > It was obviously irrisponsible however I needed it for work (I do furniture delivery privately) and over the years just kind of gotten at ease. The OP also mentions that he’s using the vehicle for commercial purposes. If he was honest with the insurance company about that, it might help to explain the extremely high quote for coverage. And if he wasn’t honest with the insurance company, he might find he gets a claim denied. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/56 "2017-04-26T14:55:08Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > But _why_ would a police officer run the plate number on a whim? The OP wasn’t charged with any sort of moving or parking violation, and even here, in a state with very little crime, **the cops don’t seem bored enough to run plates hoping to find a mismatch to stop someone over**. > > The cop had to have at least noticed a lack of current inspection sticker, right? In many locales (including the one I live in) police are hired to sit around and do exactly this. It is a very big revenue generator. Electronic plate readers + laptops do all the seeing and cross-checking – the meatspace cop is only needed to follow the offending car and issue the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/57 "2017-04-26T14:58:51Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Well-funded departments have automated license plate scanners. > > [Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Scanning Systems - Experienced Criminal Lawyers](http://www.experiencedcriminallawyers.com/articles/automatic-license-plate-recognition-alpr-scanning-systems/) > > Not all of the do an automatic look-up, but many do. > > [70 Percent of U.S. Police Departments Use License Plate Readers - IEEE Spectrum](http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/sensors/privacy-concerns-grow-as-us-police-departments-turn-to-license-plate-readers) It was easy to tell locally when these readers were deployed. People who had driven unregistered beaters for 20 years with no issue suddenly started getting pulled over constantly. This was about 4-5 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/58 "2017-04-26T16:44:52Z")
OP should have signed up with username **Sir Psycho Sexy**. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/59 "2017-04-29T18:19:29Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Oh. OK then. > > :smack: /unrelated Cops don’t like being around felons; they don’t like felons. Q: Why would any cop let a felon into their pants??? (I mean is ‘cops-hooking-up-with-felons’ a thing?) ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232/60 "2017-04-29T19:24:59Z")
I don’t know how it is in New York but I’ve had a close relative get arrested for a DUI within the last 10 years and after he paid bail and was released into the custody of an adult willing to sign him out, he was able to go to the court house where his first appearance was scheduled and meet with a guy who helped him fill out a worksheet to see if he was eligible for a public defender. Since he was in college and had minimal income from a 20 hr/week fast food job, he was well within the income thresholds and was given an attorney from a “pool” of private practice lawyers that do PD work in that jurisdiction (no formal Public Defender’s office there), he met with her prior to his first appearance. She met with the city attorney who offered him a pretty standard plea agreement for first offense “low” BAC DUI at the time (24 hours jail that can be served as community service in lieu of incarceration, $500ish in fines and court fees); by the time his first court appearance came around he already knew the plea deal and how it would go down. Maybe in New York you have to go through preliminary court appearances before you can get a PD, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-court-for-no-insurance-registration-what-to-expect/785232.md?page=4)