Common Traffic Violations
Indiana law gives courts the authority to order the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to suspend a motorist's driving privileges when certain traffic violations have been committed.
- Failure To Appear / Failure To Pay
- Failure To Meet Insurance Requirements
- Habitual Traffic Violator
- Operating A Vehicle While Intoxicated
- Previously Uninsured Motorists Registry (PUMR)
Failure To Appear / Failure To Pay
Failing to respond to a traffic citation or failing to pay for tickets after a judgment has been entered will lead to the suspension of a motorist's driving privileges. Upon receipt of a certification from a court that a motorist has not appeared in court or paid for a traffic offense, the BMV is required to suspend that person's driving privileges.
The suspension is indefinite and ends only when the court provides the BMV with documentation to end the suspension.
Failure To Meet Insurance Requirements
Driving a vehicle without valid liability insurance is against the law. A motorist who operates a vehicle without a liability insurance policy is subject to a 90-day suspension of driving privileges or a one-year suspension if it is a repeat violation within a three-year period. To prevent the suspension of driving privileges, the driver must have his/her insurance provider electronically submit proof of insurance (Certificate of Compliance) directly to the BMV. The insurance company must note the vehicle involved and the date of the accident or ticket as requested by the BMV. If the driver is unable to provide proof of insurance (Certificate of Compliance) to the BMV, the motorist must serve the suspension, pay outstanding insurance and reinstatement fees, and have his/her insurance provider electronically submit an Affidavit Of Current Insurance SR50 to the BMV in order to be reinstated.
Operating a vehicle without insurance coverage is a Class A infraction. A motorist appearing in court on a traffic violation may be requested by the court to prove insurance coverage on the date of the offense.
All accident information sent to the Indiana State Police is provided to the BMV. A request for proof of financial responsibility (automobile liability insurance) will be sent to the motorist's mailing address as shown on the Official Driver Record.
Indiana motorists are required to provide proof of insurance (Certificate of Compliance) when they are involved in any of these situations. The Certificate of Compliance covering the date of the accident/ticket and vehicle operated must be electronically submitted to the BMV by the motorist's insurance provider.
- An auto accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage.
- A traffic ticket within one year of receiving two other traffic tickets.
- A serious traffic violation such as a misdemeanor or felony.
- Any traffic violation by a driver who was previously suspended for failing to provide proof of financial responsibility.
When a motorist receives a Financial Responsibility Verification request from the BMV, he/she must arrange for an insurance provider to complete the information for the request and submit the insurance information (Certificate of Compliance) electronically to the BMV within 40 days. Failure to return the information will result in a suspension of the individual's driving privileges.
Habitual Traffic Violator (HTV)
Indiana's Habitual Traffic Violator (HTV) law provides serious penalties for drivers who have committed repeat traffic offenses over a 10-year period. A HTV faces a five-year, ten-year, or lifetime suspension. A HTV is defined as any person who, within a 10-year period, is convicted of the following offenses:
Two major offenses resulting in injury or death, including:
- Reckless homicide resulting from operating a motor vehicle;
- Voluntary or involuntary manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;
- A driver involved in an accident which results in death or injury who fails to stop at the scene of the accident and provide the required information and assistance;
- Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, resulting in death;
- Operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or more resulting in death.
Three major offenses including:
- Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated;
- Driving while suspended, when the suspension was the result of a criminal act involving a motor vehicle;
- Operating a motor vehicle without ever having obtained a license to do so;
- Reckless driving;
- Criminal recklessness involving the operation of a motor vehicle;
- Drag racing or engaging in a speed contest in violation of the law;
- Leaving the scene of an accident or failing to notify authorities of an accident when required;
- Any felony under the Indiana motor vehicle statutes or any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used;
- Any of the offenses listed in the first section.
The BMV will suspend a motorist's driving privileges for five years if that person accumulates 10 moving violations in a 10-year period, one of which is a major offense from the sections above. For example, a motorist with nine speeding tickets and one reckless driving conviction in a 10-year period will be subject to a five-year suspension as a HTV.
Operating a vehicle while suspended as a HTV is a serious crime. Upon receiving a conviction for operating a vehicle while suspended as a HTV, a court can order the BMV to suspend the person's driving privileges for any period - up to and including a lifetime suspension.
Operating A Vehicle While Intoxicated
If a law enforcement officer suspects that a motorist is driving while intoxicated, the officer may ask the motorist to submit to a chemical test to determine the amount of alcohol in the motorist's bloodstream. Driving while intoxicated, or with a blood-alcohol content in excess of the legal limit is a criminal offense and has immediate consequences.
A motorist who fails a chemical test may have his or her driving privileges suspended up to 180 days. This suspension occurs upon receipt by the BMV of an affidavit from the law enforcement officer submitted to the court containing the results of the failed test. A motorist who refuses to submit to a chemical test conducted by a law enforcement officer will have his or her license immediately confiscated and will face a suspension of driving privileges for up to two years.
When a motorist is convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, or with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or more, the court is required to suspend his/her driving privileges for 90 days or up to two years. Suspension periods are longer for repeat offenders, or if the operating a vehicle while intoxicated offense involves injury or death.
If the motorist is eligible, the court may issue an order for probationary driving privileges. A person must be suspended for at least 30 days before the probationary driving privileges can take effect. The court may require the installation of an ignition interlock device, which mechanically tests the driver's blood-alcohol level before his or her car can be started, as a condition of the probationary driving privileges.
Previously Uninsured Motorists Registry (PUMR)
The BMV has terminated the suspensions of any and all persons whose driving privileges were suspended prior to November 5, 2012 because they were on the Previously Uninsured Motorist Registry and did not provide proof of financial responsibility upon request by the BMV. All references to the PUMR-suspension will be removed from the affected individuals' official driving records, and no reinstatement or other fees related to the PUMR-suspension will be assessed. Deletion of the PUMR-suspensions will have no effect on the driving privileges of individuals who are currently suspended, or will be suspended, for reasons unrelated to the PUMR-suspension. In the event that a person’s PUMR-suspension has been fully served, the BMV will still remove all references to the PUMR-suspensions from the individual’s official driving record and will notify the individual by mail that this has occurred.
Contact the BMV
