MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WKRG) — The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced Wednesday it will begin to enforce the Alabama Mandatory Liability Insurance Law beginning Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Those who choose to drive without liability insurance will face a civil penalty.

During the 2016 legislative session, the law was passed and signed by the governor to mandate all Alabama motorists to have liability insurance.

The MLI law states that no person shall operate, register, or maintain registration of a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public road or highway unless it is covered by a liability insurance policy.

Alabama’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor said, “There has been a grace period in enforcing that law to give motorists time to obtain the proper insurance coverage.  Beginning Nov. 1, motorists are subject to a civil penalty if involved in a motor vehicle incident, the vehicle you are operating is not covered by the state’s mandatory liability insurance and you are not issued a citation for no insurance at the time of the incident.”

The first offense civil penalty will consist of a $200 fine, a second penalty would carry a $300 fine, and third and subsequent offenses would each bring a fine of $400.

In additions to those fines, Secretary Taylor said that those individuals will face a 90-day drivers license suspension if they do not pay the civil penalty within 45 days or request a hearing with the ALEA Driver License Division. The driver license reinstatement fee is $100. If a driver is issued a civil penalty, due process provides the option to appeal and a hearing will be conducted to determine whether the motor vehicle operated at the time of the motor vehicle incident was in compliance.

Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling said, “It just makes sense to have liability insurance on your vehicle because operating a motor vehicle without it drives up everyone’s rates. Do the right thing, and follow Alabama’s Mandatory Liability Insurance laws to help stabilize rates for Alabama insurance consumers.”