Are the plates still active?
Peggy Claytor
There are several reasons why you may want to remove a vehicle from your auto policy. The vehicle may have been involved in a claim and is a total loss, it may be broken down and not able to be repaired any time soon, it may be in the shop for a long period of time, or it may have been sold. All good reasons to remove the vehicle.
One of the first questions our agents ask is "Are the plates still active?" There is usually a short silence before we receive an answer. As if they are wondering "Why are you asking that?" We ask that to protect you from a costly mistake.
If you need to remove a vehicle from your policy, DO NOT remove that vehicle or cancel the policy until you deactivate the plates or registration. If you have active plates for a vehicle and cancel the insurance, the DMV can, and probably will suspend your driver's license. In order to get your driver's license reinstated you will have to pay a costly fee to DMV and that's not all! You will need to carry an SR-22 filing for up to 3 years. (see our lesson on the Sr-22 filings). In most cases, having an Sr-22 filing will mean an increase in your insurance premium. No one wants that!
Taking a few minutes to deactivate the plates before removing a vehicle from your policy will save you a lot of time, headache, and money. You can deactivate the plates by turning them in to DMV, calling your local DMV or going online to DmvNOW.com
Peggy has been the Branch Manager in our Keysville location since 2001. She has lived in the area most of her life and has watched it grow. She is an expert in insurance exposures for South Side Virginia including Auto, Home, Farm, Mobile home, and Life. Peggy is very knowledgeable and dedicated to providing the best coverage and service to our clients.
In her spare time she enjoys camping, going to baseball games, socializing with friends and family, as well as spending time with her grandchildren. She also loves volunteering in the community whereas she is an active member of The Barksdale Cancer Foundation.
