Washington Car Insurance Requirements
In order to legally operate a vehicle in Washington you must carry minimum Washington car insurance policy or meet the requirements for financial responsibility set forth by the state. These requirements are listed as 25/50/10, which will be explained below. The penalty for not meeting Washington car insurance requirements includes a fine of $450 and the possibility of a suspended license.
Washington Car Insurance Requirements for Bodily Injury
This is to cover your passengers or others involved in an accident in which you are determined to be at fault. This does not include any coverage for you.
Washington Car Insurance Requirements for Personal Property
To meet the minimum requirements for auto insurance in Washington, you must also purchase liability insurance to cover damage you may do to personal property in the amount of $10,000 per accident. Again, this is only liability insurance and does not cover damage to your own property.
Other Washington Car Insurance Requirements
Many states also may require uninsured/underinsured auto insurance and/or personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. You do not have to purchase these policies in Washington. It should also be noted that Washington is known as a tort state, which means that someone will be determined to be at fault in an accident and that person (or their auto insurance company) will be liable for ALL damages.
Other Ways to Meet Washington Car Insurance Requirements
You do not have to purchase Washington car insurance in order to meet the financial responsibility requirements to drive in Washington. Instead of Washington car insurance, you may also do the following to establish financial responsibility.
- Deposit $60,000 in a Washington state bank account
- Send certificate of deposit for $60,000 to State Treasurer's office
- File a $60,000 liability bond with a state certified surety bond company
These are alternatives to purchasing Washington car insurance; however, they do require that you have $60,000 in cash available to cover damages from an accident.
Are Washington Car Insurance Requirements Enough for You
The Washington car insurance requirements are designed to make sure everyone has at least some amount of auto insurance, but it may not be enough for you. If you have a vehicle that still has considerable value or that you are making payments on, you will most likely need to add collision insurance as well as comprehensive insurance.
Even if you do not need collision or comprehensive insurance, it is recommended that you have liability limits of 100/300/100. The Washington car insurance requirements could leave you short if you are involved in an accident with significant damage to people and property. It is generally affordable to increase the minimum requirements to these amounts.
Shopping Around to Meet Washington Car Insurance Requirements
Even if you are simply looking to meet the Washington car insurance minimum requirements, it will pay for you to shop around to look for the best price from the best company. Auto insurance rates are not fixed, so there is a wide variation from one Washington car insurance company to the next. This means there is an opportunity for savings if you take the time to get Washington car insurance quotes and compare prices.
Using the free tool at the top of the page, you can research, compare rates and even purchase Washington car insurance.