2004 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. 

    HIST: 1989 c 321 s 15; 1992 c 571 art 14 s 6; 1Sp2003 c 19 art 
 2 s 30