Washington Car Insurance

If you were wondering, no, you don’t have to have Washington car insurance on your horseless carriage.

Not every motorized vehicle has to be insured in the state of Washington.

To clarify, the Washington car insurance talked about in this particular post is for Washington State, not Washington D.C. Now that we have that cleared up and our readers in the state of Washington are smiling in appreciation, let’s get to the information.

Alternatives to Washington Car Insurance

You don’t have to purchase Washington car insurance in order to drive; the state does allow you to choose other forms of financial responsibility. They will also accept:

• A certificate of deposit

• A liability bond

• Self-insurance

Self-insurance is only for vehicle owners that own 26 or more vehicles; which doesn’t pertain to most of our readers.

A certificate of deposit can be a replacement for Washington car insurance as long as it is for no less than $60,000. The deposit has to be made into a bank account for the state of Washington or with the State Treasurer. If you are ever asked for proof of insurance, you have to be able to provide proof of this certificate of deposit. The proof has to have the name of the driver covered for it and also the certificate number that was issued to you by the State Treasurer.

The liability bond is very similar to the certificate of deposit in that it also must be for no less than $60,000. It has to be filed by a surety bond company that is authorized to conduct business in Washington. Again, you have to be prepared to show proof of this liability bond if asked for proof of insurance. The proof must have the name of the company that issued the bond, the bond number and the name of the driver covered under the bond.

Washington Car Insurance Limits

While having alternatives to Washington car insurance is nice, most people just purchase the required car insurance. Washington car insurance requires that the drivers in the state purchase no less than $10,000 in property damage coverage.

Bodily injury liability coverage also has to be purchased with the property damage liability coverage. The coverage can be no less than $25,000 for the medical expenses of one person and $50, 000 for all medical expenses that may result from two or more people being injured.

Vehicles that Don’t Have to Have Washington Car Insurance

Some motorized vehicles are not required to carry Washington car insurance. They include:

• Motor-driven cycles

• Mopeds

• Motorcycles

• Horseless carriages over 40 years old

Yes, you read that last one correctly. So, if you were worried that you wouldn’t be able to find adequate car insurance for your horseless carriage, you can sleep peacefully now.

For the motorcycles, I know you don’t have to carry insurance, but I would seriously think hard before riding off into the sunset on your bike without this protection. There are inexpensive Washington car insurance policies for motorcycles that your agent can help you with; to protect both you and your bike on the road.