State Coverage Requirements
Coverage Type
New York Requirements
Bodily Injury Liability
$25,000 limit per person / $50,000 limit per accident
Property Damage Liability
$10,000 limit
Collision
Not required, but recommended
Comprehensive
Not required, but recommended
Medical Expenses
Not required, but recommended
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
$50,000 limit
Uninsured Motorist
$25,000 limit per person / $50,000 limit per accident
Underinsured Motorist
Combined with uninsured motorist coverage
Property Protection (PPI)
Not required
Average rates vs National Average
Cellphone/Texting
New York
Explained
Hand-Held Cell Phone Ban:
Yes
In the state of New York, an officer can give a driver a citation for holding a cell phone even if no other driving offenses are taking place.
All Cell Phone Use Ban for Novice Drivers:
Yes
There is a ban.
Texting Ban:
Yes
In New York, text messaging is banned for all drivers.
DUI Laws
New York
Explained
The legal limit for a blood alcohol concentration (BAC):
0.08
The legal limit for a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) while driving is 0.08. It is a crime to drive with a BAC at this number or above it.
Increased penalty for high BAC:
0.18
There's an increased penalty for drivers with a BAC of 0.18 or above.
1st offense Suspension:
6 months for offenders under 21 / 90 days for offenders 21 and over
Administrative license suspension on the 1st offense: In New York, law enforcers can confiscate a first-time offender's driver's license for 6 months for those under 21 and for 90 days for those 21 and over, if he or she exceeds the legal limit. Limited driving privileges, such as to and from work, are permitted.
Ignition Interlocks:
Mandatory for all offenders
These are devices installed in the cars of convicted drunk drivers, which analyze the breath or the driver before starting the vehicle and disable the ignition if alcohol is detected. New York made the installation of ignition interlocks mandatory for all offenders.
Repeat Offenders:
Yes
Minimum penalties for repeat offenders include suspension of driving privileges for no less than one year, impoundment or immobilization of any and all of the offender's vehicles, or the installation of ignition interlocks to all vehicles owned by the offender, mandatory alcohol assessment and treatment, and a sentence of at least five days of imprisonment or 30 days of community service for a second-time offender. Third-time and further offenders can see at least ten days of imprisonment or 60 days of community service.
Open Container Law:
Yes
No driver or passenger can have any open container of alcohol in any area of the vehicle where it would be easily accessible by the driver or passengers. Open containers of alcohol must be transported in the trunk of a vehicle.
Graduated Drivers License
New York
Explained
Learner Stage:
Min. Age: 16 Min.
Duration: 6 months Required Supervised
Driving Hours: 50 (15 at night)
(Supervised driving, to be completed with a driving test): At 16 years of age, individuals can begin driving with supervision for a period lasting a minimum of six months. In this stage, the new drivers are required to get 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of which need to be at night.
Intermediate Stage:
Min. Age: 16.5
Night Driving Restriction: 9pm-5am
Passenger Restriction: No more than 1 passenger under 21
(Some limits are applied to unsupervised drivers in high-risk situations): Drivers who passed the driver's test at 16 and six months are now unsupervised drivers in the intermediate stage. These drivers are not allowed to drive between the hours of 9pm and 5am and cannot drive with more than one passenger under the age of 21.
Full Privilege Age:
Age: 17 (with driver's ed), 18 (without driver's ed)
(Full driver's license): At the age of 17, New York drivers can now get a standard driver's license without any restrictions if they took driver's education. For those who do not take driver's education, the age is 18 to get a full license.
Speed Limit
Rural Interstates:
SPEED LIMIT
65 MPH
SPEED LIMIT
65 MPH
Urban Interstates:
SPEED LIMIT
55 MPH
SPEED LIMIT
55 MPH
Other Limited Access Roads:
SPEED LIMIT
55 MPH
SPEED LIMIT
55 MPH
Page Source: ghsa.org
New York
Department of Insurance
Website: www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/dfs_insurance.htm
Address: Empire State Plaza, Agency Bldg. # 1, Albany, New York 12257
Phone: 800-342-3736 or 212-480-6400
Call Center Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
New York
DMV Information
Website: dmv.ny.gov/
Phone: 212-645-5550 or 718-966-6155 or 718-477-4820 or 518-486-9786 or 518-473-5595
Call Center Hours:
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. weekdays (except state holidays)
UPDATED: Oct 16, 2014
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