Law enforcement agencies across the United States have access to a variety of databases, including the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) database, that store information about vehicle insurance policies. When a police officer runs a license plate, they can access this database to see if there is a valid insurance policy associated with the vehicle.
In some cases, a police officer may be able to tell if a vehicle does not have insurance by simply looking at the license plate. For example, in many states, vehicles with expired registration are required to display a sticker or placard indicating this. If a police officer sees a vehicle with expired registration, they may assume that the vehicle does not have insurance and may conduct a further investigation.
