Insurance Requirements for Car Registration in Kentucky

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet requires that all drivers in Kentucky carry liability automotive insurance, or “financial responsibility” in order to operate a vehicle legally and maintain vehicle registration.

The minimum financial responsibility requirements for drivers under Kentucky law are as follows:

  • A minimum of $25,000 per person, for bodily injury or death. This means you’ll need to carry a minimum of $50,000 to cover the lowest possible number of people involved in an accident (the two drivers).

  • A minimum $10,000 for property damage liability

This means that the total minimum amount of financial responsibility you will need is $60,000 to cover bodily injury and property damage.

Other required insurance

In addition to the liability insurance types listed above, Kentucky law requires that every insurance policy includes a Personal Injury Protection coverage, which pays up to $10,000 per injured party, regardless of who was at fault in the accident.

This type of insurance guarantees that your own bodily injury costs will be covered by your insurance. This is important because Kentucky is a no-fault state, meaning that the other party’s insurance isn’t required to pay for your bodily injury even if they were at fault.

Recovering damages

In the state of Kentucky, drivers have the option to sue parties at fault in an accident to recover the costs of damages they accrued due to the accident. By carrying an insurance policy that includes Personal Injury Protection, your right to sue, and the amount you can be sued for, is limited to only damages to property. Medical bills, loss of wages, or pain and suffering cannot be recovered in court unless they exceed certain requirements:

  • More than $1,000 in medical costs

  • Broken bones

  • Permanent injury or disfigurement

  • Death

If any of these circumstances occurred due to the other party’s fault, a driver in Kentucky can sue to recover the costs. You can choose to reject the Personal Injury Protection requirement, which will release the limitations on your right to sue. This must be submitted in writing to the Department of Insurance.

Proof of insurance

You must be able to provide proof of insurance when you register a vehicle, and when asked by a police officer at a traffic stop or the scene of an accident. An insurance card from an authorized insurance provider is an acceptable proof of insurance.

Kentucky state law does not require that those who have been convicted of DUIs or other reckless driving charges file an SR-22 Proof of Financial Responsibility document.

Violation penalties

If a driver in Kentucky fails to carry the minimum required insurance on a vehicle, there are several penalties that may be issued:

  • A minimum fine of $1,000 and a possible sentence of up to 90 days in jail for the first offense

  • Vehicle registration suspension

For more information, contact the Kentucky Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing through their website.


The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Need Help With Your Car?

Our certified mobile mechanics make house calls in over 2,000 U.S. cities. Fast, free online quotes for your car repair.

GET A QUOTE

Related articles

The Most and Least Expensive Cars to Insure
Car insurance quotes depend on the car make and model. The Honda Odyssey is the least expensive and the Dodge Viper is the most expensive to insure.
Cheap Car Insurance For an 18 Year Old Car Driver
Car insurance for young drivers is expensive due to their higher risk. Illinois has the cheapest car insurance and Rhode Island the most expensive.
How Bad Credit Affects Your Car Insurance Rate
Bad credit scores can increase how much you pay for car insurance. Monitor your credit rating and make regular payments to lower car insurance rates.

Related questions

Advice on buying the first car
Unfortunately, I don't want to jinx you, but the first car people get is the first car they wreck. I would say get a nice, used Toyota (https://www.yourmechanic.com/cars/toyota). You pay less, your insurance will be a lot cheaper. As time...
Advice on buying a car with hail damage
Realize that hail damage is just pieces of ice falling down on the car and denting the heck out of everything. It may look horrible but the actual hail itself doesn't damage the car. So as long as it runs...
My park 2003 Cadillac Escalade was hit on the front driver side knock a foot from where it was parked and back up on the center is.
Due to the collusion on the vehicle, the exhaust system was damaged and causing excessive air to get into the exhaust before the oxygen sensors. If the engine light was not on before the accident and now it is on,...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com