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To: Judiciary, Division B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Younger
SENATE BILL NO. 2073
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-16-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO INCREASE BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT THE FINE FOR A CONVICTION OF 2
OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE WITHOUT MANDATORY LIABILITY INSURANCE; 3
TO PROVIDE THAT A JUDGE SHALL NOT WAIVE SUCH FINE AND MAY 4
AUTHORIZE THE REINSTATEMENT OF A DEFENDANT'S DRIVER'S LICENSE ONLY 5
UPON PROOF OF MANDATORY LIABILITY INSURANCE AND PAYMENT OF ANY 6
FINES, ASSESSMENTS AND/OR FEES; TO AMEND SECTION 63-15-4, 7
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 63-16-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
63-16-13. (1) If the operator of a motor vehicle being 12
operated on the public roads, streets or highways of the State of 13
Mississippi or registered in the State of Mississippi has been 14
found failing to have motor vehicle liability insurance in at 15
least the minimum amounts required under Section 63-15-3(j), it is 16
a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine 17
of * * * Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and suspension of driving 18
privilege for a period of one (1) year or until the owner of the 19
motor vehicle shows proof of liability insurance that is in 20
compliance with the liability limits required by Section 21
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63-15-3(j) and has paid the fines and assessments imposed and the 22
driver's license reinstatement fees imposed by the Department of 23
Public Safety. A judge shall * * * not waive a defendant's fine 24
under this subsection (1) and may authorize the reinstatement 25
of * * * a defendant's driver's license only upon proof of 26
mandatory liability insurance * * * and payment * * * of any 27
fines, assessments and/or fees. If such fines are levied in a 28
municipal court, the funds from such fines shall be deposited in 29
the general fund of the municipality. If such fines are levied in 30
any of the courts of the county, the funds from such fines shall 31
be deposited in the general fund of the county. A person 32
convicted of a criminal offense under this subsection (1) shall 33
not be convicted of a criminal offense under Section 63-15-4(4) 34
arising from the same incident. 35
(2) (a) There is created in the State Treasury a special 36
fund to be designated as the "Uninsured Motorist Identification 37
Fund." The fund shall consist of monies deposited therein as 38
provided under subsection (1) of this section and monies from any 39
other source designated for deposit into such fund. Unexpended 40
amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall 41
not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or 42
investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to 43
the credit of the fund; however, one-half (1/2) of any monies in 44
excess of the amount needed to defray the expenses and costs of 45
the verification system created under Section 63-16-3 remaining in 46
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the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall be transferred to a 47
special fund created in the State Treasury for the purpose of 48
funding a Highway Patrol Trooper School, and one-half (1/2) of any 49
monies in excess of the amount needed to defray the expenses and 50
costs of the verification system created under Section 63-16-3 51
remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall be 52
transferred to the Mississippi Trauma Care Systems Fund created 53
under Section 41-59-75. 54
(b) Monies in the Uninsured Motorist Identification 55
Fund may be used by the Department of Public Safety, upon 56
appropriation by the Legislature, only for the purpose of 57
defraying expenses and costs for the motor vehicle insurance 58
verification system created under Section 63-16-3. In addition, 59
at any time during a fiscal year, if the Department of Public 60
Safety determines that funds in the Law Enforcement Officers and 61
Fire Fighters Death Benefits Trust Fund created under Section 62
45-2-1 are insufficient, the department may request the State 63
Fiscal Officer to transfer funds from the Uninsured Motorist 64
Identification Fund. The State Fiscal Officer may make an 65
appropriate transfer if he determines that the funds in the Law 66
Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Death Benefits Trust Fund 67
are insufficient and the funds in the Uninsured Motorist 68
Identification Fund will be sufficient for defraying the expenses 69
and costs for the motor vehicle insurance verification system 70
created under Section 63-16-3. Monies in the fund used for the 71
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purposes described in this paragraph (b) shall be in addition to 72
other funds available from any other source for such purposes. 73
SECTION 2. Section 63-15-4, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 74
amended as follows: 75
63-15-4. (1) The following vehicles are exempted from the 76
requirements of this section: 77
(a) Motor vehicles exempted by Section 63-15-5; 78
(b) Motor vehicles for which a bond or a certificate of 79
deposit of money or securities in at least the minimum amounts 80
required for proof of financial responsibility is on file with the 81
department; 82
(c) Motor vehicles that are self-insured under Section 83
63-15-53; and 84
(d) Implements of husbandry. 85
(2) (a) Every motor vehicle operated in this state shall 86
have a motor vehicle liability insurance policy that covers the 87
vehicle and is in compliance with the liability limits required by 88
Section 63-15-3(j). The insured parties shall be responsible for 89
maintaining the insurance on each motor vehicle. 90
(b) An insurance company issuing a policy of motor 91
vehicle liability insurance as required by this section shall 92
furnish to the insured an insurance card for each motor vehicle at 93
the time the insurance policy becomes effective. The insurance 94
card may be furnished in either paper or electronic format as 95
chosen by the insured. Acceptable electronic formats include 96
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display of electronic images on a cellular phone or any other type 97
of electronic device. Beginning on July 1, 2013, insurers shall 98
furnish commercial auto coverage customers with an insurance card 99
clearly marked with the identifier, "Commercial Auto Insurance" or 100
"Fleet" or similar language, to reflect that the vehicle is 101
insured under a commercial auto policy. 102
(3) Upon stopping a motor vehicle at a roadblock where all 103
passing motorists are checked as a method to enforce traffic laws 104
or upon stopping a motor vehicle for any other statutory 105
violation, a law enforcement officer, who is authorized to issue 106
traffic citations, shall verify that the insurance card required 107
by this section is in the motor vehicle or is displayed by 108
electronic image on a cellular phone or other type of electronic 109
device. However, no driver shall be stopped or detained solely 110
for the purpose of verifying that the motor vehicle is covered by 111
liability insurance in the amounts required under Section 112
63-15-3(j) unless the stop is part of such roadblock. If the law 113
enforcement officer uses the verification system created in 114
Section 63-16-3 and receives a response from the system verifying 115
that the owner of the motor vehicle has liability insurance in the 116
amounts required under Section 63-15-3(j), then the officer shall 117
not issue a citation under this section notwithstanding any 118
failure to display an insurance card by the owner or operator. 119
(4) Failure of the owner or the operator of a motor vehicle 120
to have the insurance card in the motor vehicle, or to display the 121
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insurance card by electronic image on a cellular phone or other 122
type of electronic device, is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, 123
is punishable by a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) and 124
suspension of driving privilege for a period of one (1) year or 125
until the owner of the motor vehicle shows proof of liability 126
insurance that is in compliance with the liability limits required 127
by Section 63-15-3(j) and has paid the fines and assessments 128
imposed and the driver's license reinstatement fees imposed by the 129
Department of Public Safety. A judge shall determine whether the 130
defendant is indigent, and if a determination of indigence is 131
made, shall authorize the reinstatement of that person's driver's 132
license upon proof of mandatory liability insurance subject to 133
compliance with a payment plan for any fines, assessments and/or 134
fees. Fraudulent use of an insurance card shall be punishable in 135
accordance with Section 97-7-10. If such fines are levied in a 136
municipal court, the funds from such fines shall be deposited in 137
the general fund of the municipality. If such fines are levied in 138
any of the courts of the county, the funds from such fines shall 139
be deposited in the general fund of the county. A person eligible 140
to be convicted of a criminal offense under * * * Section 141
63-16-13(1) shall not be eligible to be convicted of a criminal 142
offense under * * * this subsection (4) arising from the same 143
incident. 144
(5) If, at the hearing date or the date of payment of the 145
fine the owner shows proof that such insurance was in effect at 146
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ST: Motor vehicle liability insurance; increase
and make nonwaivable the fine for operating a
vehicle without.
the time of citation, the case shall be dismissed as to the 147
defendant with prejudice and all court costs shall be waived 148
against the defendant. 149
(6) No law enforcement officer may access any function, 150
feature or other electronic image on a person's cellular phone or 151
other type of electronic device when enforcing the provisions of 152
this section except for the electronic image of an insurance card 153
shown to the officer. 154
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 155
and after July 1, 2026. 156