Any person operating a motor vehicle in Ohio needs to carry Proof of Financial Responsibility.  This is Ohio’s way of assuring, in the case of an accident, that a person can pay for injuries or damages resulting from a driver’s negligence or the negligence of anyone operating a vehicle that a person owns.  Since 1995 anyone operating a motor vehicle is required by state law to provide a Proof of Financial Responsibility document to a police officer in the event of a traffic violation or safety check.  Proof of Financial Responsibility can be established by a variety of means, including owning Ohio auto insurance.

You will need to determine what YOUR Proof of Financial Responsibility will be.  It could involve having a ,000 bond issued by an authorized surety or insurance company, ,000 in money or bonds on deposit with the Ohio Treasurer, or a certificate of bond issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles signed by two individuals who collectively own at least ,000 in real estate.  Most likely, however, it will involve the one real option for most drivers – purchasing Ohio auto insurance.  Most vehicle owners probably don’t even realize they have the other options, because liability insurance is so common.

After purchasing Ohio auto insurance, your insurance provider will give you an “insurance identification card” which will work as Proof of Financial Responsibility.  A driver needs to carry the ID card in the car it’s purchased for, and provide it to a police officer who requests it.  If a driver cannot provide an insurance identification card or other Proof of Financial Responsibility upon request, they will be written a ticket.  They will have another chance to produce the proof when they pay the ticket or appear in court.  If the driver cannot provide the proof then, they are subject to substantial legal consequences.

The driver could be subject to any and all of several potential punishments.  This could include losing their drivers license for a minimum of 90 days, and up to two years.  Ohio could impound your license plates and/or your vehicle.  A driver could be responsible for court costs.  Finally, a driver will lose all driving privileges during a suspension of their licenses.  Rather than experience one or more of these results, a vehicle owner and driver needs to acquire and carry Proof of Financial Responsibility, which will most likely be Ohio auto insurance.  If you don’t get and provide the right documentation, it could cost you more than you realize!

Jim recommends visiting this updated site about Ohio Car Insurance information and proof of financial responsiblilty.

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