Utah Auto Insurance Guide

Utah laws regarding proving financial responsibility are very specific - you must have liability insurance. Further, the state requires its citizens to obtain an additional insurance policy designed to provide self-protection in the event of an accident that requires you to be medically treated. Thus unlike most states where it is enough that you have liability insurance and can pay for the damage to someone else's car or medical expenses, in Utah you must be able to manage your own medical expenses as well to some degree.

Utah Insurance Regulations

In Utah, driving without insurance can be an expensive and risky proposition. If you are asked for proof of insurance by a police officer and cannot provide it, you will be fined $400 for the first offense and be guilty of a class B misdemeanor. Beyond that, your car's registration and/or your driver's license may also be suspended, and you will not be able to get either reinstated until you can provide proof of insurance and pay a hefty fee.

The state keeps track of insured vehicles, so if you allow your insurance to lapse, you can expect to receive a letter in the mail from the state demanding that you provide proof of current coverage or you risk the penalties described above.

Mandatory Minimum Coverage in Utah

Utah requires the following insurance coverage in order to legally operate an automobile in the state.

• $25,000 - of bodily injury liability insurance to pay for the medical expenses or for the death of any one person you are involved in an accident with.
• $65,000 - of bodily injury liability insurance to pay for the medical expenses or for the deaths of more than one person you are involved in a single accident with.
• $25,000 - of property damage insurance to pay for repairs to a vehicle or property that you damage in an accident.
• $3,000 - Personal Injury Protection, which pays for your own medical expenses if you are involved in a car accident - even if you are a pedestrian and are hit by someone else.

It is important to keep in mind that these are minimum coverage requirements, not necessarily sufficient coverage requirements. Speak with an insurance agent to make sure you have enough coverage for life's possibilities or you may wind up personally financially responsible to pay for those amounts not covered by insurance.

Motorcycle Coverage Requirements

While some states do give motorcycle riders a "pass" in the form of reduced coverage requirements for insurance (since motorcycles typically cannot cause nearly the amount of damage a vehicle can), Utah is not one of those states. In order to legally operate a motorcycle in Utah, riders must purchase and maintain an insurance policy with the same minimums as automobile drivers.

Utah State Auto Insurance Advice

While you will want to make sure you have enough coverage (probably over the minimums) for liability insurance, if you have personal health insurance, you probably don't need to worry so much about increasing your minimums on the PIP insurance as it may be redundant. Check your health insurance policy for more information.