District of Columbia Car Insurance Laws: Minimum Coverage, Penalties and SR-22

Owners of vehicles registered in D.C. (or holding a reciprocity sticker) must keep insurance in effect continuously during the registration period. Required minimums: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury liability; $10,000 for property damage liability; uninsured motorist bodily injury of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident; and uninsured motorist property damage of $5,000 (subject to a $200 deductible). Insurers must also offer optional personal injury protection (PIP) and optional underinsured motorist coverage. Insurance may come from an insurer authorized in D.C. or another method approved by the Commissioner.

D.C. has a choice (optional no-fault) system. Liability insurance is mandatory, and insurers must offer optional personal injury protection (PIP) that pays regardless of fault: medical and rehabilitation benefits of at least $50,000 per victim (options of $50,000 and $100,000), work-loss benefits of at least $12,000 (options of $12,000 and $24,000), and funeral benefits up to $4,000. An injured person with PIP must tell the insurer within 60 days whether they elect PIP benefits. A victim who elects PIP may sue another driver only if the injury causes substantial permanent scarring or disfigurement, a substantial permanent impairment that significantly affects professional or usual daily activities, or an impairment preventing substantially all usual daily activities for more than 180 continuous days, or if medical or work-loss costs exceed the PIP benefits available. Survivors may still sue in death cases. If no election is made within 60 days, the liability coverage applies.

Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory on every policy for vehicles registered or garaged in D.C.: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage with a $200 deductible. An uninsured vehicle includes one with no liability policy, one whose insurer denies coverage or becomes insolvent, and an unidentified (hit-and-run) vehicle. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional: insurers must offer it in amounts up to the uninsured motorist limits; once rejected, it need not be re-offered, and insurers need not keep written rejections.

Drivers stopped by police must show their driver license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance; failing to present an insurance identification card (or other evidence) on demand carries a $30 civil fine and creates a presumption of driving uninsured. An electronic image of the insurance card on a phone or other device is accepted and does not consent to a search of the device. Insurers must report cancellations and terminations to DC DMV, which sends the owner an insurance verification notice; the owner or insurer can provide proof of other coverage through DCIVS.org. A printed copy of proof of insurance is required at the DMV to register or renew.

Operating or permitting operation of a vehicle without required insurance carries a civil fine of $500 and/or a license suspension of up to 30 days for a first offense; for second and later offenses the fine increases by 50% and/or the license may be suspended up to 60 days. An owner whose registered vehicle is uninsured is fined $150 per vehicle for 1-30 days uninsured, then $7 per day, up to $2,500 per violation (the DMV Director may waive fines on proof the vehicle was not driven). The DMV suspends the registration 30 days after a notice of proposed suspension unless proof of insurance is shown and fines are paid; reinstatement requires proof of insurance, a reinstatement fee and the fine, and the vehicle may be immobilized. Making false statements about insurance, driving on a suspended registration or not returning tags can bring up to 30 days in jail (90 days for repeat offenses).

Once a policy has been in force more than 60 days (or is a renewal), an insurer may cancel only for nonpayment of premium, suspension or revocation of the insured's vehicle registration during the policy, or suspension or revocation of an insured's license during the policy (in which case coverage for that person is suspended). Written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal must be given at least 30 days before the effective date (at least 15 days for nonpayment) and must state the specific reasons, the insured's right to ask the Insurance Commissioner to review the action within 15 days, the possible availability of other insurance including the D.C. Automobile Insurance Plan, and that the registration will be suspended if insurance is not maintained. The Commissioner decides within 45 calendar days; if the cancellation was improper, the policy stays in effect.

Insurers may not refuse to issue or renew, or cancel, a D.C. auto policy for any reason prohibited by the D.C. Human Rights Act. Applicants cannot be required to disclose whether they (or other expected drivers) ever had a policy canceled or nonrenewed, and insurers may ask about driving experience for no more than the past 3 years.

D.C. does not set a fixed percentage on the DMV page reviewed: a salvage title means a car has been damaged near or in excess of its value. When an insurer settles a total loss and keeps the vehicle, it must apply for a salvage or non-repairable title within 30 calendar days of settlement; if it does not keep the vehicle, it must notify the owner or lessor of the duty to apply. Owners must apply within 30 calendar days of the damage and before repairs. A salvage vehicle that passes DC DMV emissions, safety and Metropolitan Police anti-theft inspections is titled "Rebuilt Salvage" and can then be registered; non-repairable vehicles are branded "Non-Repairable."

To title a purchased vehicle in D.C., bring the current title (or manufacturer's certificate of origin), a bill of sale, proof of D.C. insurance, the odometer statement (certified on the back of the title for a used car), any lien or lease contract, and a completed Certificate of Title/Temporary Tag Application to a DC DMV service center. The primary owner must be a D.C. resident with a DC DMV credential, all owners must be listed, and all debts owed to the D.C. government must be paid. Excise tax is owed when the title changes ownership, and title and registration fees are due at processing. The new title is mailed within 10 business days. The DMV's title page links to separate procedures for designating a beneficiary and for vehicles acquired through the death of an owner.

A person who moves to D.C. has 60 calendar days from the date they begin living in D.C. to register their vehicle, and must first convert their out-of-state driver license to a D.C. license or ID card (surrendering the old license; tests are required if it has been expired more than 90 days). The vehicle must pass D.C. inspection (brand-new passenger vehicles excepted; out-of-state inspection stickers are not accepted), and printed proof of D.C. insurance is required. Students, diplomats, active military, part-time residents, members of Congress and presidential appointees who keep home-state licenses or tags must get a reciprocity permit.

File a complaint with the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) using its online complaint form or a mail-in PDF form (mail, fax or hand delivery), after first trying to resolve the problem with the insurer. DISB handles auto insurance coverage issues, claim disputes, premium problems and policy cancellations; most complaints are resolved in about 45 days. Consumer Services: (202) 727-8000; fax (202) 354-1085. To dispute a cancellation or nonrenewal, write to the Commissioner within 15 days of receiving the notice (D.C. Code § 31-2409(i)).