Drive through Kenner without insurance and you might not be driving home. Kenner police announced Thursday that officers will tow and impound vehicles operating without the state-required liability insurance and may also seize license plates from Louisiana-registered cars. Vehicles will only be released once drivers show valid proof of insurance, and the crackdown applies to out-of-state vehicles too. City officials are framing the move as a broad enforcement push meant to keep uninsured drivers from sticking crash victims with the bill, as per the Kenner Police Department's Facebook post.
What Kenner Police Said
In a post on Facebook, the Kenner Police Department said officers will tow and impound any vehicle "operated without statutorily imposed liability insurance" and will only release those vehicles after the owner presents valid insurance. The department also said license plates from Louisiana-registered vehicles will be seized and turned over to the Department of Motor Vehicles, and that officers are taking a consistent enforcement approach across the city, with very limited exceptions.
According to the post, Chief Keith Conley told the department that "driving without insurance is a risk our community should not have to bear," signaling that this is not a one-off blitz but a tougher long-term stance on uninsured drivers.
How State Law And The OMV Process Work
Louisiana law requires minimum liability coverage for registered vehicles, and the Office of Motor Vehicles can electronically verify whether a policy is active and suspend a registration if coverage lapses. Consumer tools such as DMV.org summarize how that verification and reinstatement works, including short windows for drivers to prove they are insured once a potential gap is flagged.
Title 32 of Louisiana's traffic code lays out when officers can remove plates and impound vehicles for registration and insurance violations. Anyone who wants the fine print can review the statute on Justia.
What This Will Mean For Drivers
For Kenner drivers, the takeaway is straightforward: if you are stopped and cannot show proof of insurance, your vehicle could be towed, impounded and have its plates seized. To get the car back, owners will generally have to present valid coverage and pay towing and storage fees.
Beyond the tow yard headache, penalties for driving uninsured in Louisiana can include fines and suspension of registration or driving privileges. Local towing, impound and reinstatement costs can stack up quickly, according to AutoInsurance.com. In its post, Kenner urged residents to "get insured and keep proof of insurance in your vehicle" to avoid turning a traffic stop into an expensive ordeal.
Legal Note And Next Steps
The department said there are "very limited exceptions" to the new enforcement push. Residents who believe they fall into an exception, or who have had plates seized, are being directed to contact the Office of Motor Vehicles or the Kenner Police Department for guidance on what to do next.
State statutes outline administrative routes to restore a suspended registration and reclaim plates once proof of coverage is provided, as described in Title 32 of Louisiana law. For local contact details and community resources, residents can visit the Kenner Police Department.
