Neilson bill for online insurance verification expected to be signed by Gov. Shapiro
Rep. Ed Neilson February 6, 2026 | 4:58 PM
Gov. Shapiro this week received Chair of the House Transportation Committee, state Rep. Ed Neilson's bipartisan legislation that will require the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation (PennDOT) to create an online system for verifying vehicle insurance.
The legislation, House Bill 710, co-authored alongside minority Chair of the House Transportation Committee, state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, recently passed both the House and Senate unanimously.
Shapiro is expected to sign the bill into law sometime next week. It will take effect in 2027.
Currently, if a driver cancels their vehicle insurance within six months of the policy's start date, the insurance company must report the cancellation to PennDOT. PennDOT then sends a written notice requiring the driver to provide proof of insurance or face the suspension of their vehicle registration.
"Oftentimes, vehicle owners don't respond to PennDOT's letter because it was lost in the mail, ignored, or misunderstood. As a result, they may face a three-month registration suspension without even knowing it," Neilson said. "In many cases, drivers only learn of the suspension when pulled over by police, which adds an additional three-month driver's license suspension and a fine on top of everything else."
Additionally, PennDOT would often send written notices to drivers about non-existent lapses in insurance, where the driver simply changed insurance companies or policies. According to Rep. Neilson's office, of the thousands of written notices sent out by PennDOT each month, it is estimated that about 31% were sent to drivers where there was no actual lapse in coverage.
Neilson said his legislation aims to address the issue by requiring PennDOT to develop an online system for verifying auto insurance. Through this system, PennDOT and law enforcement will be able to electronically confirm a driver's insurance status directly with the insurance company, eliminating the need to send letters to drivers.
"This bill is the result of over three years of bipartisan negotiations between all four caucuses, PennDOT, and the automobile insurance companies to reach a solution," Neilson said. "This new law will provide real relief to Pennsylvania's drivers."
"I want to thank Gov. Shapiro, PA Sec. of Transportation, Mike Carroll, state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, state Sens. Judy Ward, Marty Flynn, and everyone who helped push this over the finish line," Neilson said.