Auto Insurance Requirements in Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island requires all of its motorists to carry liability auto insurance in the minimum coverage amounts of 25/50/25 per accident. You must be ready to provide your insurance information, including the name of your insurance company and the start and end dates of your policy, on your RI vehicle registration application form.
Contents
Rhode Island required car insurance coverage
Required Min. Limits | |
|---|---|
| $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident | |
| $25,000 per accident | |
| $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident* |
*UM/UIMBI is only required in Rhode Island if you purchase BI coverage in limits higher than the mininum.
Find InsurersYou need to maintain valid auto insurance that at least meets the state's minimums throughout the duration of your vehicle registration. Any law enforcement officers who pull you over on the road may ask you to present proof of insurance, such as a copy of your insurance ID card.
Rhode Island car insurance minimum requirements
There are many different types of car insurance coverages available for purchase, but you only need liability insurance to satisfy Rhode Island’s Safety Responsibility law. At the very minimum, your liability insurance must contain the following coverages in these limits:
Bodily Injury (BI): $25,000/person, $50,000/accident
Requirement
- $25,000 per injured person
- $50,000 per accident for two or more injured persons
Covers
- Your personal assets
- Legal fees in the event that the other party sues you, only up to the stated limit amount
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Does not cover
- Your own medical bills
Property Damage (PD): $25,000/accident
Requirement
- $25,000 per accident
- Higher limits are available, which varies by insurer
Covers
- Everything from the other driver’s car
- Other properties that are damaged in the accident (buildings, fences, etc)
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Uninsured motorist coverage in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Insurance code requires every auto insurance company licensed in the state to include UM/UIM for bodily injury (UM/UIMBI) every time it issues a new policy, but in a minimum policy, the coverage is not required. However, UM/UIMBI becomes a required coverage when you purchase BI with limits higher than the 25/50 minimums.
Among the 50 states in the US, Rhode Island has one of the highest percentages of uninsured motorist cases out of the total number of insurance claims (17% in 2012). Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is your protection against the chances of running into a driver who either has less than the minimum required coverage or none at all. Here are the available UM/UIM coverages in the Ocean State:
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UM/UIMBI): Whenever you are hurt in an accident caused by an uninsured driver in Rhode Island, your UM/UIMBI covers your medical costs, which should have been paid out by the negligent driver’s insurer if he or she had any. The minimum amount of UM/UIM you need to carry, when the coverage is required, is 25/50. For example, when you purchase BI with limits of 100/200, UM/UIM is required, and the highest limits you may purchase for it are 100/200, while the lowest is 25/50.
In the Ocean State, your UM/UIMBI also extends to cover an underinsured situation, in which the negligent driver’s BI coverage is lower than your UM/UIMBI limits.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage (UM/UIMPD): Rhode Island is one of the few states that offer UM/UIMPD coverage, which pays for your own vehicle repairs or loss in an accident caused by uninsured or underinsured motorists. This coverage is completely optional, and sometimes redundant if you already have Collision coverage in your policy.
Cheapest companies in Rhode Island for minimum liability
Alternative proof of financial responsibility
After you get into an accident that results in property damage, injury to or even the death of someone, owning an insurance policy can exempt you from providing extra security — or proof of financial responsibility. If you do not have an effective policy at the time, you may choose to satisfy the law through one of the following means:
Surety Bond: a surety bond issued by a licensed surety company can be accepted as your security after an accident. This bond is only valid if its terms state that the surety company will pay out for any bodily injuries and property damages you cause in an accident up to the same limits as a minimum policy (25/50/25). You should know that the main difference between a policy and a bond is that a surety company will ask you for the paid money back.
Certificate of Deposit: you can get this certificate from the Rhode Island General Treasurer if you bring to him or her two things: $60,000 in cash or securities (such as a government bond or note, which can be legally purchased by savings banks), and proof that, if you were ever involved in an accident before, there are no records of unsatisfied judgments against you in the county you live in.