An affidavit of no insurance is a sworn, notarized statement confirming that a driver had no active auto insurance policy on the date of a specific accident. You’ll typically fill one out when filing an uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) claim with your own carrier, which needs written proof the other driver lacked coverage before it will release payment. Because the document is signed under oath, a false statement qualifies as perjury under federal law and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1621 – Perjury Generally
When the Form Is Required
The most common trigger is a UM or UIM claim. After a collision with a driver who had no coverage, your own insurer wants documented proof of that gap before paying out. A Connecticut legislative analysis described the typical practice: the carrier requires an affidavit from the at-fault driver stating they either had no insurance at the time of the accident or specifying the coverage amount they carried.2Connecticut General Assembly. HB-05730 – An Act Concerning the Presumption of Uninsured Motorist Status of a Tortfeasor After Reasonable Search by the Insured Without this document, the claim stalls. Adjusters treat it as a prerequisite before moving to evaluation and settlement.
Hit-and-run accidents create a harder version of this situation. When the other driver is never identified, your insurer still needs evidence that no coverage existed for that vehicle. Some states require physical contact between the vehicles or an independent witness statement before UM benefits apply, so the documentation burden on the claimant goes up in these cases.
Where to Get the Form
Your insurance adjuster is the most direct source. Once you open a UM/UIM claim, the adjuster handling your file will either mail or email the blank affidavit. Some state motor vehicle agencies also publish their own versions. Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles hosts Form HSMV 83330 on its website,3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Insurance Affidavit and Tennessee’s Department of Revenue publishes a similar Insurance Verification Affidavit.4Tennessee Department of Revenue. Insurance Verification Affidavit If your adjuster hasn’t sent the form and you want to get moving, call your claims department and ask for it by name.
What to Gather Before You Start
Pull these details together before sitting down with the blank form. Missing even one can mean a rejection or a request to redo the document, which adds weeks to your claim timeline.
- Date of loss: The exact date of the accident, matching the date on the police report.
- Vehicle details: Year, make, model, and the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the uninsured vehicle. The VIN is printed on the driver’s side dashboard and the driver’s door jamb.5National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. VIN Decoder
- Full legal names: The name of the person signing (the affiant) and, if different, the name of the vehicle owner.
- Current address and contact information: Street address, phone number, and sometimes a Social Security number or driver’s license number.
- Claim and policy numbers: Your insurer’s claim number and the policy number under which you’re filing.
- Household member information: Names, dates of birth, and relationships of everyone living at the affiant’s address at the time of the accident.
The household member question trips people up more than anything else on the form. Insurance policies commonly include an “omnibus clause” that extends coverage to anyone who drives the insured vehicle with the policyholder’s permission. Your insurer wants to confirm that no one in the at-fault driver’s household held a policy that might have covered the vehicle. A sample form from Plymouth Rock Insurance asks the signer to list every household member by name and confirm that neither the signer nor any relative in the household held automobile liability insurance.6Plymouth Rock Insurance. Affidavit of No Insurance
Filling Out Each Section
Forms vary slightly between insurers and states, but the structure is consistent.
Header and Identifying Information
The top of the form collects the administrative details tying the affidavit to your claim: the claimant’s name, the insured’s name (if different), the claim number, the policy number, and the date of loss.6Plymouth Rock Insurance. Affidavit of No Insurance Copy these exactly from your claims paperwork. A mismatched claim number is the easiest way to delay the process for no good reason.
Sworn Statements
The core of the form is a series of numbered declarations. You’re affirming, under oath, specific facts about your insurance status at the time of the accident. Typical statements include:
- Your address at the time of the accident.
- That you were involved in an accident involving a private passenger vehicle.
- That you did not own an automobile or hold any automobile liability insurance, and that no relative in your household owned a vehicle or held such insurance.
- That you are not entitled to no-fault benefits or coverage from any other source for this accident.
Read each statement carefully before signing. The form is asking you to confirm negatives, that coverage did not exist. If you had any policy at all, even one that lapsed the day before the accident, disclose it. An expired policy is different from no policy, and your insurer may need to investigate whether lapsed coverage can be reinstated or whether a grace period applied.
Personal Details and Household Roster
Below the sworn statements, expect fields for your date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, and phone numbers. The household roster section asks for the full name, date of birth, and relationship of every person living at your address. “Household” in this context means people physically residing at the same address on a consistent basis, not relatives who visit occasionally.
If you lived alone, write “NONE” in the household member section rather than leaving it blank. An empty field looks like you skipped it; a written “NONE” shows you read the question and answered it.
Getting the Form Notarized
The affidavit has no legal force until it’s notarized. A notary public verifies your identity, watches you sign, and applies their official seal. The signer must appear before the notary in person. Notarizing an affidavit over the phone or by mail is not permitted.7New York Department of State. Notary Public License Law Bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport.
Notary fees are regulated by state and generally stay low. Most states cap the charge between $2 and $15 for a jurat (the notarial act used for sworn statements), though a handful allow up to $25.8National Notary Association. 2026 Notary Fees By State Banks, UPS stores, law offices, and AAA branches commonly offer notary services. Many banks notarize documents free for account holders.
Remote Online Notarization
If getting to a notary in person is difficult, perhaps because you’re recovering from injuries, remote online notarization (RON) may be an option. Currently, 47 states and the District of Columbia have laws permitting remote electronic notarization, where you appear before the notary over a live video call instead of in person.9National Association of Secretaries of State. Remote Electronic Notarization Affidavits are among the document types commonly handled through RON. Confirm with your adjuster that the carrier accepts remotely notarized affidavits before scheduling the appointment, because some still insist on wet-ink originals.
Submitting the Completed Affidavit
Send the notarized affidavit directly to your insurance adjuster. Some carriers accept a scanned PDF uploaded through their online claims portal; others want the original hard copy mailed to a claims processing center. Ask your adjuster which method they prefer before sending anything. Uploading a scan when the carrier wants an original just creates another round trip.
Keep a photocopy or high-quality scan of the notarized document for your own records. If the original is lost in transit, you’ll need proof that you completed and signed it. Retain this copy at least until the claim is fully settled and any release has been signed.
There’s no universal statutory deadline for submitting the affidavit, but your insurance policy almost certainly includes a notice requirement, often a matter of days after the accident. The longer the affidavit takes to arrive, the longer your UM claim sits idle. Adjusters treat this document as a gate: nothing moves forward until it’s in the file.
When the Other Driver Won’t Sign
Here’s where most claims hit a wall. The affidavit ideally comes from the at-fault driver, but an uninsured driver who just caused an accident has little incentive to fill out paperwork for your benefit. If the other driver refuses to sign or simply disappears, you have options.
Ask your adjuster what alternative documentation the carrier will accept. Many insurers will move forward with a police report confirming the other driver had no proof of insurance at the scene, combined with a database search showing no active policy on the vehicle. Most states maintain insurance verification databases that law enforcement and insurers can query.
In hit-and-run situations where the driver is completely unidentified, the claimant typically signs their own sworn statement describing the accident and confirming they have no information about the other driver’s insurance. Some states require physical contact between the vehicles or independent witness corroboration before UM benefits apply in phantom-vehicle cases, so gathering dashcam footage, witness contact information, and photographs of the scene immediately after the accident is critical.
Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection
Adjusters send affidavits back for correction more often than you’d expect. The most frequent problems are avoidable:
- Blank fields: Every field needs an answer. If a question doesn’t apply, write “N/A” or “NONE” rather than skipping it.
- Mismatched dates: The date of loss on the affidavit must match the date on the police report and the claim file. Even a one-day discrepancy can trigger a rejection.
- Wrong VIN: Transposing digits in the 17-character VIN is easy to do and hard to catch. Double-check each character against the vehicle registration or the plate on the dashboard.
- Missing notary seal: A signature without a notary seal makes the document a regular letter, not a sworn affidavit. Ensure the notary completes their section, stamps the seal, and includes their commission expiration date.
- Incomplete household disclosure: Listing yourself but forgetting a spouse or adult child living at the same address raises a red flag. The insurer may suspect undisclosed coverage and delay the claim while investigating.
If your affidavit is rejected, the adjuster will usually tell you exactly what needs to be corrected. Fix the issue and have it re-notarized. A corrected affidavit with a fresh notarization is standard practice and won’t hurt your claim.