Strict Washington D.C. Car Insurance and Traffic Laws

Being its own city and state, Washington D.C. gets to make their own traffic laws.

Keep driving beautifully in Washington D.C. just like this sunset and you will have no worries.

Washington D.C. is in the unique situation of being both a large city and technically its own state. So unlike other cities where they get to make their own traffic laws and penalties, but are at the mercy of what the state determines for car insurance, Washington D.C. gets to determine both.

Mandatory Washington D.C Car Insurance

Washington D.C. is just like any other state in that they require their residents to carry car insurance if they have a vehicle registered or carry a reciprocity sticker for Washington D.C. The coverages are pretty standard compared to other states, other than the uninsured motorist coverage that is also required.

Required car insurance coverage:

Property Damage Liability ($10,000 minimum) – This coverage pays for the damages that you may cause to another person’s vehicle or even property with your vehicle.

Bodily Injury Liability ($25,000/$50,000) – This coverage will pay for the medical related expenses that are a result from a car accident that you cause. The first amount is the most that the insurance company will pay for the expenses of one person. The second amount is the total that the insurance company will pay for each accident, if there are injuries for more than one person.

Uninsured Motorist Property Damage ($25,000/$50,000) – This coverage will pay for your medical related expenses that are a result from a car accident that is caused by someone that does not have insurance. The first amount is the most that the insurance company will pay for the expenses of one person in your vehicle. The second amount is the total that the insurance company will pay for each accident, if there are injuries to multiple people in your vehicle.

Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury – This is the coverage that your insurance company would pay for any vehicle damages you sustain by a driver that does not have insurance. You will still have to pay a $200 deductible, but in most cases this is less than what you carry for your collision deductible and much less than paying for the damages out of your own pocket.

Washington D.C. License Suspension

If you don’t keep your Washington D.C. car insurance current, you will lose your driver’s license. But in Washington D.C. you can also have your driver’s license suspended for a number of other different things, such as:

• Driving 30 m.p.h. or more over the speed limit.
• Negligent driving that lead to a fatal car accident.
• Being continually convicted of traffic violations
• Failing to appear for a hearing from a traffic violation
• Reckless driving

The above are just a few of the actions that can subject you to an immediate driver’s license suspension. Washington D.C. doesn’t want dangerous drivers on the road in their city, which includes drivers that decide they don’t need to carry Washington D.C. car insurance.