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Late last month, the famous rapper Ice-T – real name Tracy Marrow – appeared in a crowded Manhattan courtroom, where a judge dismissed charges that he had been driving without car insurance. “That’s what I’m talking about – dismissed!” Ice-T shouted as he left the building.

It turned out that Marrow’s records had been mixed up at the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, and he was properly licensed and insured. However, for some drivers who are caught with insufficient insurance coverage, the consequences can be quite serious.

New York’s Department of Insurance, for example, says that there are three basic components of required auto insurance policies in the state. First is no-fault personal injury protection, which must cover medical and health-related expenses of up to $50,000 per person injured as a result of a crash. Next is liability insurance, which pays for the property damage and medical costs of cars and people hurt in an accident where the policyholder is found to be at fault.

Finally, New York also requires a policy to cover any costs incurred by uninsured motorists, and only proof that all three types of policy are active will be sufficient to secure registration and license plates from the state’s authorities. Failure to keep these policies up-to-date can result in what the state Department of Insurance calls “substantial” fines, as well as the loss of one’s license.

Given these strict rules, it seems clear that one of the first things motorists thinking of moving to that state must consider is finding a New York auto insurance quote from a reputable source.