2006 Minnesota Statutes

169.796 VERIFICATION OF INSURANCE COVERAGE.
    Subdivision 1. Release of information. An insurance company shall release information to
the Department of Public Safety or the law enforcement authorities necessary to the verification
of insurance coverage. An insurance company or its agent acting on its behalf, or an authorized
person who releases the above information, whether oral or written, acting in good faith, is
immune from any liability, civil or criminal, arising in connection with the release of the
information.
    Subd. 2. Receipt of data by electronic transfer. The commissioner may, in the
commissioner's discretion, agree to receive by electronic transfer any information required by this
chapter to be provided to the commissioner by an insurance company.
    Subd. 3. Sampling to verify insurance coverage. (a) The commissioner of public safety
shall implement a monthly sampling program to verify insurance coverage. The sample must
annually include at least two percent of all drivers who own motor vehicles, as defined in section
168.011, licensed in the state, one-half of whom during the previous year have been convicted of at
least one vehicle insurance law violation, have had a driver's license revoked or suspended due to
habitual violation of traffic laws, have had no insurance in effect at the time of a reportable crash,
or have been convicted of an alcohol-related motor vehicle offense. No sample may be selected
based on race, religion, physical or mental disability, economic status, or geographic location.
(b) The commissioner shall request each vehicle owner included in the sample to furnish
insurance coverage information to the commissioner within 30 days. The request must require
the owner to state whether or not all motor vehicles owned by that person were insured on the
verification date stated in the commissioner's request. The request may require, but is not limited
to, a signed statement by the owner that the information is true and correct, the names and
addresses of insurers, policy numbers, and expiration or renewal dates of insurance coverage.
(c) The commissioner shall conduct a verification of the response by transmitting necessary
information to the insurance companies named in the owner's response.
(d) The insurance companies shall electronically notify the commissioner, within 30 days of
the commissioner's request, of any false statements regarding coverage.
(e) The commissioner shall suspend, without preliminary hearing, the driver's license, if any,
of a vehicle owner who falsely claims coverage, who indicates that coverage was not in effect
at the time specified in the request, or who fails to respond to the commissioner's request to
furnish proof of insurance. The commissioner shall comply with the notice requirement of section
171.18, subdivision 2.
(f) Before reinstatement of the driver's license, there must be filed with the commissioner of
public safety the written certificate of an insurance carrier authorized to do business in the state
stating that security has been provided as required by section 65B.48. The commissioner of public
safety may require the certificate of insurance provided to satisfy this subdivision to be certified
by the insurance carrier for a period not to exceed one year. The commissioner of public safety
may also require a certificate of insurance to be filed with respect to all vehicles required to be
insured under section 65B.48 and owned by any person whose driving privileges have been
suspended as provided in this section before reinstating the person's driver's license.
History: 1989 c 321 s 15; 1992 c 571 art 14 s 6; 1Sp2003 c 19 art 2 s 30