All drivers who are residents of Utah, or who have been in the state of Utah for at least 90 days are required to carry liability insurance or “financial responsibility,” through a Utah insurance provider, in order to cover the costs associated with a car accident.
The minimum financial responsibility requirements for Utah drivers are as follow:
A minimum of $3,000 per person on your policy for personal injury protection. This insurance is also called “no-fault car insurance,” and pays your medical bills after an accident regardless of who was at fault.
A minimum of $25,000 per person, for bodily injury or death. While this typically means you will need to carry a minimum of $50,000 to cover the lowest possible number of people involved in an accident (the two drivers), Utah requires that the minimum total for bodily injury or death be $65,000.
A minimum $15,000 for property damage liability
This means that the total minimum amount of financial responsibility you will need is $80,000 to cover bodily injury or death, and property damage liability, as well as the additional $3,000 per person on your policy for no-fault insurance.
Electronic monitoring
Utah maintains an electronic verification system that keeps track of the insurance status of all registered vehicles in the state. If your insurance provider cancels your insurance, the electronic system will send a letter to your address. You must provide a copy of your insurance policy to prove that you have the required liability insurance in this case.
Proof of insurance
If a driver in Utah is pulled over for a traffic violation, they must provide a proof of insurance to the police officer. Acceptable forms of insurance include:
An insurance ID card from an authorized insurance provider
An insurance policy binder
The declaration page of an insurance policy
Violation penalties
Driving without the legally required liability insurance is a class B misdemeanor in Utah. This charge carries several penalties that may include:
Fines of at least $400 for a first offense
Fines of at least $1,000 for future offenses
Suspension of driver’s license
Suspension of vehicle registration
If your driver’s license has been suspended due to an insurance violation, you must follow these steps to reinstate it:
Purchase car insurance, and provide proof to the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles.
Pay a $30 reinstatement fee
If your vehicle’s registration was suspended due to an insurance violation, you must follow these steps to reinstate it:
Provide evidence that proves you own the vehicle
Present a photo ID card
Present proof of insurance in the form of a current insurance policy, an insurance card, an insurance binder, or a copy of the declaration page of an insurance policy.
Pay a $100 reinstatement fee
For more information, or to renew your registration online, contact the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Utah State Tax Commission through their website.
