(Gray Louisiana/ Louisiana Illuminator ) – Louisiana drivers pay steeper penalties for letting their auto insurance lapse than for getting caught driving drunk, according to a new state audit .

The report says Louisiana’s $525 maximum reinstatement fee for insurance cancellations is higher than all but one state in the country, while its $100 fee for a first-offense DWI is below the national average of $187. The state’s minimum insurance lapse fee is $150.

Even repeat DWI offenses cost less to reinstate : $200 for a second offense, $300 for a third or subsequent offense. An underage DUI reinstatement costs only $60.

Only Delaware, which has no cap on its insurance reinstatement fee, exceeds Louisiana’s $525 ceiling.

Auditors evaluated all fees the state Office of Motor Vehicles c

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