As part of a package of laws affecting car owners, state lawmakers last month approved a provision that will allow the Department of Revenue to electronically verify whether a vehicle is insured.

The measure, which awaits approval by Gov. Mike Parson, would allow the department to suspend the registration of any vehicle that is determined to be in violation of the state’s insurance requirement.

Missouri law requires drivers to maintain coverage. But a driver can drop coverage after renewing license plates and drive around for the next two years. They will go penalty-free — unless they are pulled over by police or have an accident.

According to the Insurance Research Council, one in eight drivers on the road nationally in 2019 was driving without insurance, which can raise costs for those who have insurance by an estimated $78 per vehicle.

“Uninsured drivers increase the cost of insurance for those who comply with their state’s insurance requirements and that’s not fair,” IRC vice president David Corum said in a statement.

The council estimated that is 2019, more than 16% of Missouri motorists were not insured, which ranked 12th highest in the nation. Mississippi was No. 1 at 29.4%, while New Jersey was best at 3.1%.

The sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, did not respond to a request for comment.

Under the plan, the department will give motorists 30 days to provide proof of insurance before a registration is suspended.

State law requires vehicles to be insured for $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $10,000 per accident for property.

The legislation is one part of a larger motor vehicle bill that also bans cellphone use while driving and will make it easier to pay sales taxes when a car or truck is purchased.

Currently, motorists may have to make multiple stops to collect the various documents needed to get licensing and title work approved. That could involve a trip to the county collector’s office to get proof of personal property tax paid on a vehicle before going to a license office.

The proposal awaiting Parson’s signature would require car dealers to collect and remit sales taxes, rather than forcing motorists to pay the tax to the department directly after they drive their vehicles off the dealer’s lot.

But, the computer system first needs to be upgraded for both the tax issue and the insurance provision, said Revenue spokeswoman Anne Marie Moy.

A $65 million contract to upgrade the system was issued in March. Moy said a full system implementation isn’t expected to be ready until July 2026.

The legislation is Senate Bill 398.