OR State Law

In Oregon, you are legally required to carry several types of car insurance coverage: liability, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist coverage.

You cannot register your car without carrying the required insurance, and if you’re caught driving without current insurance coverage, you’ll face harsh consequences.

Car Insurance Requirements

Oregon requires all drivers to hold ALL of the following types of insurance:

Bodily injury liability.
Property damage liability.
Personal injury protection.
Uninsured motorist.

New Residents

If you’re new to Oregon, you have 30 days from the time you become a resident to title and register your car. You must have proof of Oregon car insurance to do so.

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance helps cover costs incurred by injuries to another person or by property damage in an accident that you cause.

In Oregon, you’ll need to have at least the following minimums of liability insurance:

$25,000 for bodily injury, per person.
$50,000 for total bodily injury to others, per accident.
$20,000 for property damage, per accident.

Personal Injury Protection

Your car insurance policy must include personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP helps pay for medical expenses incurred up to 1 year after an accident.

Your policy must include a minimum $15,000 of PIP coverage per person.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured motorist coverage protects you in the event that you are involved in a crash with a driver who does not have current auto insurance or whose insurance is too low to adequately cover your costs.

The minimum requirements for uninsured motorist coverage are equal to that of the liability insurance minimums:

$25,000 per person.
$50,000 per crash.

Proof of Insurance

As a driver in Oregon, you must be able to show proof that you have met the basic minimum car insurance requirements. You will need to show this proof during certain vehicle-related transactions, such as registering your car.

Valid proof of car insurance includes:

A current insurance card.
A current liability insurance binder or policy.
A signed letter from an insurance agent or company official (on company letterhead).
A DMV certificate of self-insurance that names the vehicle owner.

DMV Insurance Verification

The Oregon DMV will verify the insurance status of drivers in the state every month by requesting that a random selection of drivers provide:

The name of their insurance company.
Their policy number.

The DMV takes and verifies this information with the insurance company identified by the driver.

If the DMV selects you to provide this information and you don’t respond, your license will be suspended.

If you respond with false information, you’ll be required to hold an SR-22 for 3 years (see “OR Insurance Violations” below).

OR Insurance Violations

Driving without insurance in Oregon can be costly. If you’re found to be operating a vehicle without the required minimum car insurance, you face the following penalties:

Fines
Driver’s license suspension
Towing of your vehicle.

You’ll be responsible for any towing fines/storage fees.

If you are involved in an accident while uninsured, you’ll face license suspension for 1 year. Once you’ve reinstated your license, you’ll be required to file an SR-22 for 3 years (see below).

SR-22 Proof of Responsibility

If you’ve been driving without insurance and you’re found to be guilty of doing so by a judge, you can be ordered to file an SR-22 with the DMV for 3 years.

An SR-22 acts as proof of financial responsibility, meaning a guarantee that you’ll hold at least the minimum required car insurance for a full 3 years.

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