In Oregon, as with all other states, you are legally required to have auto insurance in order to operate a vehicle in the state. Additionally, you cannot register a vehicle in the state of Oregon if you do not have the necessary insurance. You have to get insurance from a company that is licensed to provide auto insurance in the state of Oregon. In the event that you are a new resident of Oregon, it is important you get Oregon auto insurance as soon as possible. After all, you have to have Oregon auto insurance to title and register your vehicle and you must title and register your vehicle within 30 days of becoming an Oregon resident.
Minimum Insurance Requirements in Oregon
In Oregon, you must have the following types of auto insurance: bodily injury liability, property damage liability, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist coverage. In terms of the liability insurance, you must have at least $25,000 of liability insurance for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for total bodily injury to others per accident, and $20,000 for property damage per accident. Personal injury protection is another required part of your auto insurance.
Your insurance policy has to include at least $15,000 of personal injury protection coverage per person. As far as uninsured motorist coverage goes, this protects you if you are in an accident with a driver who does not have current auto insurance or has insufficient auto insurance to cover your costs. You must have at least $25,000 per person of uninsured motorist coverage and $50,000 per accident of uninsured motorist coverage.
Optional Insurance Coverage
In addition to the required bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability coverage, personal injury protection coverage, and uninsured motorist coverage, you can further supplement your auto insurance. You can add comprehensive coverage which covers expenses not related to collisions such as theft, fire damage, and vandalism expenses. You can also get rental reimbursement which helps you pay for a rental car when your car is getting repairs after an accident. You can add uninsured motorist property damage coverage, too. This covers the costs of damage to your property from a driver who is either uninsured or underinsured.
Proof of Insurance
As an Oregon driver, you have to be able to show proof that you have met the minimum car insurance requirements for the state. You will have to provide proof of insurance during certain transactions related to your vehicle like when you register it. Valid proof of your car insurance comes in many forms such as a current insurance card, a current liability insurance binder or policy, a signed letter from an insurance agent or company official on company letterhead, and a DMV certificate of self-insurance that names the vehicle owner. It is a good idea to have proof of your insurance in your vehicle at all times so you can show this proof if necessary.
Oregon DMV Insurance Verification
One thing that the state of Oregon does is that the Oregon DMV verifies the insurance status of drivers in the state every month by requesting that a random selection of drivers provides some information. This information is the name of their insurance company and their policy number. The Oregon DMV then takes this information and verifies it with the insurance company identified by the driver. You need to provide this information if you are selected for insurance verification or your Oregon driver’s license will be suspended.