So, I was in an auto accident back in mid-June; very minor stuff. I was stopped at a red light, and a guy rear-ended my car, some healthy damage to the back corner of my car, but nothing else really. It was a hassle, but everyone in the chain has performed admirably; with one notable exception.
The guy who hit me, apologized, was very nice, and was insured. The Lafayette Police Department officer was on the scene promptly, and took care of business efficiently. I called and reported to my insurer but indicated that I was going to get my car repaired under the other guy’s insurer, State Farm. The State Farm claim rep didn’t give me any hassles, just asked where I wanted to get my car fixed and hooked me up with a rental vehicle. It was a Saturn, so I took it to Bob Rohrman Collision, and they took a look, wrote up an estimate, and got it fixed within a couple of days.
The LPD officer had advised me that I’d be getting a notice from the Indiana BMV asking for proof of financial responsibility – apparently they are requiring that of everyone who gets in an accident under IC 9-25-5-2, regardless of fault or lack thereof. Eventually, on July 30, I got the notice from the BMV with the form for providing proof of insurance. It instructed me to give it to my insurer who was to complete the form and provide it to the BMV prior to September 7, 2010 to show that I was, in fact, insured at the time of the accident. On August 16, I called my insurance adjuster on the claim and faxed the form to her. On August 17, she faxed and mailed the verification.
So, imagine my surprise this weekend to receive a Notice of License Suspension dated September 7, indicating that they had suspended my license because they had not received proof of financial responsibility. First thing this morning, I called my adjuster with some concern. Her response, “Oh, they do this all the time.” She provided me with a copy of the fax confirmation sheet, showing that she had, in fact, faxed the copy to the BMV. They got it 3 weeks early, couldn’t process their paperwork, but could spit out a license suspension notice.
So I have absolutely followed every rule in this situation – I had insurance, I was not at fault for the accident, I turned in proof of insurance well advance, and the Indiana BMV is still screwing with me.
Any legislators who happen to read this thing – here is a nice hanging curve ball to knock out of the park politically. Nobody likes the BMV, they have a system that appears to be very broken (from my adjuster’s reaction, I am far from the first person in this situation), and an angry electorate would presumably enjoy seeing an unresponsive bureaucracy raked over the coals a bit. As for a good legislative fix – perhaps mandate that the BMV is not permitted to suspend any licenses under this provision until they have processed all certificates of compliance received by the bureau on or before the particular due date.
Bastards.
Doug: I’d just about given up, thinking that maybe something was wrong with either your site or my internet connection concerning this thread on the BMV. Your “That’s insane” comment above first attracted my attention today, and so I clicked on it in the right hand column and it led me to your original post, (dated September 13th) and then down the long thread of (then) 50 comments, and thinking to myself: “Wow, how could I have missed this one…..this is just awful.”, I signed out but then a little later went back to it, scrolled down and your post was nowhere to be seen. FINALLY (dah!) I realized that your initial post is dated September 13, 2010, and the whole thread is now over a year old. I now see your own comment on that date seeming to say that your own situation was resolved. But from the year’s worth of comments since then it would appear that nothing has changed. If so, what a shame. (From now on I’ll check my dates more carefully, too!)
Yup, my situation arose out of a fender bender where I was rear-ended the day I was moving across town to a new residence — June 15, 2010. Seems that the financial responsibility verification operation is pretty much unchanged since that date.
Hi, something similar happened to me. I found this blog after a google search, it was the first result. I’m book marking this – I got more results to read. But we need to stand up together and cut the BMV down to size. Thanks for posting this blog. I’ll be back!
If anybody is wondering, this is still happening! My certificate was submitted on January 6, 2014 (less than 24 hours after my Sunday afternoon accident). I returned home from being out of town to find a letter from the BMV that my license was suspended, meaning I had been driving with a suspended license for a week. After having my insurance agent resubmit the certificate, the BMV, which is conveniently closed on Monday except for their incompetent customer service line, informs me I will have to wait 24-48 hours for the electronic form to be processed. This system is beyond broken. Now I have to deal with the inconvenience of having someone else chauffeur me around since I am currently without a valid license. Like Doug, I only did everything I was supposed to do. And still got screwed.
Wish I would have got a letter. I got pulled over last night and come to find out my license was suspended.Never got letter. My accident was on 12/24/2014 and no one said one word about a damn form.02/01/2014 got a letter saying they were suspended 2/08/2014, so I went to bmv and asked why.They said ins company was suppose to send a form. So by this time it was 2/07/2014 and i had my ins electronically file that day.The form was turned in a day before,and its on file at the ins company.3 weeks later get pulled over and cop comes up and says your licenses are suspended and tried impound my truck.Oh it also cost 65$ for the tow charge.
65$ psshht this exact same thing happened me 2nights ago over tail light out on phone now with bmv. But my tow and impound cost 245$, the cops left me in a diff town with two dogs. It then cost 25$ for the cops tp give a realease…then to add they still show suspended till hopefully very soon… So my truck is on a curb 2 towns away cause had no driver to bring home but tow yard charge was 45$ a day. I even reported the accident to my ins thinking they would submit so no worry, then 2 weeks later after a postal box truck hit me and was given 1400 for repaira get letter saying they needed coc. So i called again and said please send this they assured me ok we will…never did so after a light out was boom suspended, impounded, took my id.
Mandatory auto insurance should be repealed or found unconstitutional.
Why, do deadbeat idiotlouges like you can transfer the losses you create to someone else? Don’t ever speakl about responsibility again.
What?
How ironic to be a microbrew drunk, smug and pretentious about “buying local,” then hopping on line and making a car wreck of your comments.
Post again in the morning.
I do not drink, clown. I posted this from my Iphone key pad. Think again in the morning, if that is ever possible.
It’s not mandatory to have car insurance. Try again in the morning.
It absolutely is, which is why you get suspended when you dont get the form submitted in time… thats what this entire thread is about.
This is really bad but I bet I just read an article that tops this! a gentlemans x wife went into the license bureau and told them that her x husband had narcolepsy and they suspended his license! He had to go thru years of testing and the BMV constantly sent him requests for him to give them his weight and how many hours he had been sleeping! The BMV responded that anyone can report another for medical problems that may hinder their driving and the BMV will supsend their license until they have proof it is not true! Unbelievable! I had my license suspended for a ticket that was over 20 years old and I paid it ! Then when I paid it again, they asked me to prove insurance 20 years ago and when I couldnt, they suspended it again! The Indiana BMV does more than suck! They are the poorest excuse for a government agency that I have ever seen! They think they are God and seem to have control issues! I think they are judge wanna bees!
Got my notice of suspension today! Wth, I did everything right! Even followed up with my insurance company making sure they sent the COC! Complete crap! And they don’t open till 8:15 tomorrow! I hope I don’t have to pay to reinstate this is such a burden!
Glad I found this through a Google search and relieved to know I am not alone. A guy ran his truck into my car 02/15/18, acknowledged fault, New Albany police officer shows up and writes report, including taking down my insurance info, and the other driver’s insurance pays for my repairs with no hassle, and one would think — end of story. Nope. I get the BMV notice to provide SR-22 within 2 weeks and I paid $14.00 to have my USAA insurance carrier electronically send it to BMV on 03/05/2018 and get a confirmation it was successfully submitted. I come home yesterday on 05/12/2018 and have BMV notice that tells me they suspended my license TWO days ago due to failure to provide the requested documents!! WTH!!! Today is Sunday, Mother’s Day, and I am distressed beyond belief, not knowing how I am going to drive to work tomorrow and scared to death to take my kids to school and sports activities. This is beyond ridiculous.
Same experience here. Was rear ended. My insurance sent a COC to the BMV. They returned it for having incomplete information, insurance sent something back. . weeks later I receive a suspension notice and have to spend a work day sorting the whole thing out. Every other state DMV (BMV) receives validation of insurance compliance from the Police Incident Report. I wonder what the deal is with Indiana.
Having to prove myself innocent and not given my day in court before they suspended my license. I was pulled over in Alabama in a rented car from Alamo. The DMV provided no instructions on how to provide proof of coverage on a rental. After spending a lot of time researching, I found the document and had it filled out by Alamo. But I guess this was not good enough. In America, we are innocent until proven guilty. Their needs to be a class action lawsuit against Indiana and its unconstitutional treatment of its citizens. This feels like a civil rights violation. Where are the libertarian attorneys that are supposed to protect us?
And it continues on in 2019– SAME story as all above. My son hit a deer, we followed EVERY step correctly with the Insurance and BMV– and 2 mos later, he is suspended. It’s ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE how often this is happening…. the time and effort it takes to get EVERYONE ELSE to do their jobs is disgusting, ESPECIALLY considering the high costs we all pay to HAVE insurance, and license/ plates/etc thru the BMV. BEYOND INFURIATED here….
How about all of us who have been abused by Indiana BMV in this manner get together and file a class action suit against the state for stress and elevated blood pressure caused by their negligence? Anyone?
I’m in on the class action thing. I feel like I’m living in Russia.
Can count me in have had this happen twice and took my vehical both times!!!!
Why have we not gotten together yet for a class action suit against an inept state government?
You guys think thats bad 04-24-19 i was heading to work im a truck driver and pull double trailers at night for fed ex ground 6 days aweek working 70 hrs a week. I was behind a straight truck that so happens to also work for fed ex she jumped out into the middle of the intersection and desides to slam on her brakes, i barley tapped her not even a scratch on my car!! I knew her contractor and ofc he makes a police report. Officer never gave me a ticket, i had just gotten outta a divorce and we was on mutual ground with it and even remained friends and since i worked so much an made more we agreed id pay some of his bills and in return hes pay some of mine from the money i gave him seeing he knew the bill information! Well he decided not to pay it and now im looking at a 90 day suspension and i been working non stop 6 days a week and didnt even use vacation an was about to so know with the suspension i wont get to ill lose my job and have this on my mvr for like 3 years have no family or friends at all that help me so now ill be homeless bc ima lose everything all bc i cant get a hearing bc the lady said that since i had no ticket they can throw it out a lawyor wont touch me or take it since again i got no ticket so if me and the contractor agreed we was ok then why the hell cant the dmv work with me ive been droving for years and no accidents no tickets!! Im so lost and not sure what to do im not saying im not guilty i should have checked but he never gave me a reason to not trust him all i wanna do is see a hearing officer and try to py a fine even if its 5k o dont care i need my job but noone will work with me and 3 months is alil much for a first offense!!! I can see if it was injuries or damage but nothing
I’m in for the law suite!! I haven’t had a no insurance ticket in 21 years but got one in 04\19 paid my ticket only to see I did have insurance an now I’m suspended for 90 days and they want $500.00 for reinstatement…. They won’t work with me on this.. Doesn’t any one at the bmv make an honest mistake?? I’ve showed them everything proving I had insurance.. They don’t care , I paid my ticket and that’s all they see.. And im quilty!!!! God forbid don’t make a mistake.. The over use of their control they have on a persons finances should be against the law..
I will flip if they dont fix mine, I just got my notice of suspension and had FULL COVERAGE. Police took my insurance INFO and said as long as I had insurance all would be well. I just got a check from my Insurance e company as they totaled and paid me for my truck yet IM Suspended for not having Insurance!!!! BS Lets make something change
Similar thing just happened to me today. Was pulled over by a cop who told me my license was suspended. I was out of town at the time. Cop told me to get out of my car, towed it, and dropped me off at the nearest Marathon gas station. I had no idea why my license was suspended or that it was. Called my insurance company. Come to find out when I got rear ended in an accident awhile back my insurance company never sent in the certificate of compliance. They said they received it but closed the case and that the agent should have sent and they don’t know why she didn’t! They said that because it was not my fault and that the other persons insurance was paying out that they expected the other persons insurance company to send my certificate. Makes no sense to me. Why was I paying Progressive?!
I don’t know if you’ll see this reply, but was the other insurance company able to send in your certificate. I have progressive and I’m going through the same thing. They told me to contact the other insurance company – I called and they had no idea why I was calling them. This is absolute hell and I don’t know how to fix it.
Still a thing… Rear ended in August, notified Progressive not once, but twice (in August), got a the suspension notice yesterday, that they were suspended two days ago. Agent says they aren’t sure why it wasn’t sent through the electronic system, but she would take care of it Monday… Monday??? The BMV’s electronic COC is available now, and it’s Friday afternoon… da fuq man? Class Action!!!!!
Is all this happening with just Progressive?? My son hit a deer Feb 9 and insurance has already paid the body shop. Just got a letter from BMV stating they need copy of coc or he will be suspended. Is this something that progressive is failing to do or is it an Indiana BMV thing???
Its an indiana bmv problem. I just got a suspension letter today for an accident on november 29th. I have state farm and they sent the elctronic coc on dec 2nd…i still got suspended so they sent it again today…this crap has got to stop. Im a truck driver so now i cant work because the state is a bunch of idiots
Same bro just happened to me and the cop was super understanding because he knows it happens all the time
I have a different company and it happened to me
This crap is still happening, I just got suspended after sending my certificate of compliance to the BMV for an issue that happened back in October. We need to file a class action suit.
I’ve been trying to get license reinstated for a year and a half. I have proof the car was insured, with VIN number on it, and they’re saying it’s not the same car. Had officer change ticket from Toyota to Scion, had another officer do vehicle inspection to verify the VIN. Insurance says I drive a Scion, BMV says I drive a Toyota. Only in Indianer can something so simple be so ridiculous! I can’t get my license unsuspended because of this. Why can’t they go by the VIN number? How can they say it’s not the same car? This is really sad and preventing me from getting employment. I’f I don’t get it straightened out in a week, I’m suing them due to the fact I can’t get employment over this!
My vehicle has full coverage. I let my daughter use my vehicle and a man backed up into my car. Police were called & the officer took down her information & the guys. We let our insurance provider know. A few weeks later my daughter got her license suspended. She called the bmv & they said they needed documentation stating we had insurance. So she did & then the bmv said the insurance company had to send a document to the bmv…Needless to say bmv screwed her over.. 3 month suspension & a 253.00 which she paid. She has done everything required of her & they still haven’t reinstated her license…It’s Bullcrap..Insurance companies & bmv both suck…I wish we all had options to go around all this bullcrap.. Bmv sucks
I’m going through hell on this same issue. Suspended and now I’m screwed because my Geico policy ended back in 2015 because I now have a new insurer. Geico says they can’t send a COC. They did send a letter to Indiana BMV indicating that there was coverage on the vehicle and BMV said they can’t accept it.
Bmv sent me a letter stating that my pending suspension was canceled for non file of financial responsibility and then months later completely into the next year suspend my license anyway under the same cause number that they told me the pending suspension was cancelled.
Exact thing happened to me, I received the cancelation letter and they corrected it in my bmv website to look like a different letter was sent!
Going thru the same shit but it wasn’ty truck it was a friend of mine was a friend we had a falling out n now I can’t get proof of insurance or a COC cuz he won’t hit me back n I don’t no his insurance company or anything this suck I got my license back on my birthday the 6th and the next day the spend them I just spent alot of money for a sr22 and everything n they do me like this and they want the proof of insurance for when I got pulled over on 5/18/20 this is bs I had insurance for my self cuz I didn’t own a ride and I drove other ppl ride but the bmv said that won’t work I got 2 show proof of insurance on that truck smh that bs I shouldn’t have 2 if I had insurance on myself 2 be able 2 drive
Still sort of happening. In December I got pulled over went through a whole process, had my license suspended. Then I had to reinstate it. I was told all I needed was an SR-22 from my insurance and to pay all my related fines. I did so, got it all taken care of, or so I thought. I got a letter yesterday 6/3/21 saying my license had been suspended. I was like??? I wasn’t aware why? Reading further it’s because I didn’t provide proof of insurance for the time of the incident. I was insured I even showed the officers my insurance card. I had someone drive to my local BMV only to find out I had to call because they don’t handle suspensions on a local level. So I called, and they assured me if I had my insurance provider supply a Certificate of compliance they would drop the suspension and the fine tacked onto my license. My question is why didn’t they just ask for this the first time I asked all of the things I needed to supply in order to reinstate my license and be in compliance with them? They reinstated it when I filed my SR-22 in February. Why wouldn’t they catch I needed that before giving me my license back? This is just one giant headache that could have led to worse outcome.
Reading these makes me feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. My husband got a speeding ticket in January. He gave them the insurance information and his license no problems. Paid the ticket (I thought we were supposed to?) and now we have a letter saying his license is suspended. Contacted insurance and they sent it out so we’ll see. It’s been 6 months since the ticket.
I was in an accident (Single vehicle) a few months ago. Had full coverage and gave info to the police who showed up and again when another officer asked. Insurance paid me for the tow and wrote a large check to pay for my now totaled truck yet got notice of suspension today for not proving I had insurance? How does this work when my insurance paid the city for damages my truck caused to the road and fence, etc. ?? I have to have a license for my business and now its all at risk over this! And can prove ten times over I had FULL Coverage and EVERYTHING was paid for by my INS. Company! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
This BS just happened to my sister. We want a Class action lawsuit!!!
Yeah this and now they have a neat little new trick for when you actually pay your tickets. You get two a year, then you have to take a class, which would be perfectly fine if they actually did what was expected and notified you. Drove around not knowing anything was up until i received notification in the mail i was suspended. This problem comes from the corruption that keeps being elected. It’s to be expected when you sacrifice freedom for an authoritarian government. Thankfully mine is only a 35$ fix, but this assault on driving privilege isn’t going to be fixed with a lawsuit or by cozying up to politicians who are mentally 12 and aren’t self aware enough to care that extortion is wrong. This entire state from local to federal is broken and all i hear coming from either side is, throw more money at the problem instead of maybe gee using the checks and balances that were already established years ago to maintain a system that hasn’t been even touched in over a decade.
A lawsuit is just another way for the people who cause this to sweep it under the rug, i do not want money I want to see people actually held accountable. Otherwise the laws only exists for people who can’t afford to ignore them!
My license hasn’t been suspended, but I am concerned this is a violation of unlawful search and seizure. How can the gov’t require this certificate without probable cause? Isn’t this a mandatory “search” of sorts? It’s enough to be rear-ended against your will, have to turn in your car to be repaired and go through all the hoops for that. Why add another burden to the mix, adding insult to injury.
And To hear that people who comply with the request are still receiving suspensions because the BMV’s incompetence or slowness is really disconcerting.