Who Does and Does Not Have to Have Seattle Car Insurance

The Emerald City of Seattle welcomes you and your vehicle, as long as there is insurance on it.

Unless you are travelling by waterway, you need Seattle car insurance.

Patience is one of the most important requirements when driving in Seattle, that and Seattle car insurance. Without both of these you will never make it out of the city still behind the wheel of your own vehicle.

Seattle Car Insurance

The state of Washington requires that you carry no less than $25,000 in coverage for the costs associated with the injuries or death of a person involved in a car accident you caused that was not in your vehicle. For the injuries or deaths of two of more people, the coverage needs to be no less than $50,000. Coverage to pay for damages to another person’s property that is damaged by your vehicle has to be at least $10,000.

Because the state is who sets the insurance coverage requirements for the entire state, Seattle car insurance requirements are the same.

When You Can Skip the Seattle Car Insurance

There are cases where you don’t have to carry Seattle car insurance for the vehicle you are using. Now, some of these make sense like the motor-driven cycle, and the state or publically-owned vehicles. But then there are others that make you just want to scratch your head as to why insurance is not required for them, like motorcycles and mopeds. These vehicles may be small, but they can also cause car accidents.

Finally there are the vehicles that I am completely relieved that they aren’t going to make me carry car insurance for, and that is if I own a horseless carriage that is over 40 years old. (Aren’t these vehicles illegal to drive on the road anyway because they can’t get up to the speed limit?)

You can also skip the Seattle car insurance if you are from another state. However, if you are pulled over the officer will verify that you have the minimum car insurance required for the state you are from. If you do not, you will be subject to penalties and fines.

Seattle Car Insurance Enforcement

If you are caught driving around the city without Seattle car insurance they are going to make you feel it in your wallet. The fine for not carrying the required amount of Seattle car insurance is a traffic fine of no less than $450.

There are other added fines and fees for not having Seattle car insurance, but the $450 is smallest amount you can expect to be fined, no matter if it is your first offense or not.