Driving Without Insurance in Utah

Do you know the driving and insurance regulations in Utah?

If you plan to move to the state of Utah or if you already live there, you need to know the laws that apply to you. You also need to know the state minimum requirements so that you will know the amount of insurance coverage to get so that you are in compliance with the law.

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Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements in Utah

The minimum mandatory requirements for liability in the state of Utah are as follows:

• $25,000 per person bodily injury
• $65,000 per accident bodily injury
• $15,000 per accident property damage

You need to remember that this is usually noted as 25/65/15. Notice the middle number. This is a higher amount of coverage than is usually required in other states. The middle number is the amount per accident total on bodily injury.

This amount covers the driver for all injuries of all passengers per accident. If you carpool or often take others in the car with you, you would want this number to be high anyway. But this is the minimum mandatory requirement in the state of Utah.

Other Mandatory Coverage in Utah

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance is also a requirement in the state of Utah.

While most states only suggest that you carry this coverage, Utah requires it. Utah is a no-fault state, so this means that you may need PIP insurance if you are in an accident so that your medical expenses and other unforeseen expenses are covered in the event of an accident.

The minimum required PIP amount in Utah is $3,000.

Additional Coverage Options

– Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is an optional coverage that you can carry if you want to make sure you are covered if you are in an accident in which the other driver does not have sufficient insurance coverage to cover your accident.

Remember though that Utah is a no-fault state.

This means that it doesn’t matter whose fault it is in an accident. The driver’s insurance is always going to pay for the basic costs of the accident regardless of who is at fault.

However, if the damages were to supersede the amounts on the basic policy, that’s when you might need to use this optional extra form of coverage.

– Collision

Another type of optional coverage that may be worth looking into is collision coverage. This coverage works to protect you if you are in an accident, regardless of fault. It covers most damages caused by a car accident and will protect you if another motorist is driving uninsured.

– Comprehensive

Comprehensive auto coverage protects you in the case of random acts. Unlike collision, comprehensive coverage works for you in many situations that occur to your vehicle, including hail, fallen trees, rodents, flooding, damage from debris.

Consequences of Driving without Insurance

It is possible to get by without having insurance for awhile. If you are never stopped for anything else, they may never know until it is time to renew your license tags and you have to produce your proof of coverage to your local revenue office.

However, if you get pulled over for any reason in Utah and are asked for evidence of insurance and cannot produce this, you could suffer grave consequences.

These consequences include:

• Legal fines – The legal fines for driving without insurance in the state of Utah start at $400 for the first offense and work up to $1000 or more.
• Suspended license – In addition to the stiff fines, you could also get your license suspended for up to a year. If this happens, you will have to apply for a new registration in order to get it reinstated.
• Jail time – While jail time is not the norm, some judges may get tired of people who commit repeated offenses for failure to offer proof of insurance. In such cases, they may sentence you to a jail term of 30 days or more to prove the point.
• Seizure of your vehicle – In some cases, you may also have your vehicles seized. The Utah code of driving regulations gives the details here.

What are the effects of driving without insurance?

We’ve already stated the reasons why you need to make sure you have insurance. But here are a few other reasons to consider if you are currently driving without coverage or thinking about doing so.

• Blemished Driving Record – If you fail to pay your premiums or drive without insurance, you risk damaging your driving record. You also run the risk of a financial disaster and higher personal liabilities if you have even a small accident while uninsured.
• Increase in Premiums – Insurance companies will see you as a risk since you were uninsured during the period that you had no coverage. This can cause them to raise your premium rates.
• High-Risk Insurance Policies – Depending on the number of times you have driven without insurance and for how long, some insurance companies will no longer accept you on their standard insurance plan. Instead, they may put you on a high-risk plan which will cost more.

What is a lapsed policy?

A lapsed insurance policy is one in which you have let the coverage lapse due to nonpayment of premiums.

This can happen for many reasons, such as changing your bank without remembering to tell your insurer, forgetting to pay the bill, and other reasons. You should never let your policy lapse.

There are a few legitimate reasons for not carrying insurance. If you do not qualify for any of these situations, there is no reason why you should let your policy lapse.

Tips to Prevent a Policy Lapse

To prevent your policy from lapsing, consider setting a reminder on your calendar to remind you of when your payment is coming due.

Also, be careful when switching providers. It’s fine to shop around for better insurance, and you should do that. But make sure that you have your new policy in hand before canceling any previous coverage.

Benefits to shopping for car insurance online

If you want to get started shopping for a new policy, you are in the right place. Feel free to shop and compare policies and companies to find what you need. But check the status of your current policy first and make sure you are covered at all times.

Even a lapse of one day puts you at risk for that period that you are on the road. And who’s to say that won’t be the day when you need it most?

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