InSure

Car insurance is one of those expenses people find necessary in many instances. You pay for it every month, but you hope you never need it. Needing car insurance means you’ve been in an accident, and an accident can change your life.

If you live in Oregon, you are required to purchase a car insurance policy. You needn’t purchase the most coverage available, but you must purchase at least the minimum policy requirements.

Insurance is not cheap, and that sometimes means you need to search different companies to find the best possible rate for car insurance. It’s not something you ever want to use, but it’s also not something you want to pay too much for.

Comparing rates allows you to choose the best policy for the least amount of money, and it helps you stay safe. It’s always more affordable to pay for insurance than to be caught without. In more ways than one, driving without car insurance is quite costly.

Don’t put yourself in a situation where you’re going to pay too much. Enter your ZIP code into our free rate comparison tool above to find the car insurance you need at the best price.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Oregon

If you live in Oregon, you must have car insurance. Your policy must include four different areas of coverage.

• You must have bodily injury coverage
• You must have property damage coverage
• You must have personal injury protection
• You must have uninsured motorist coverage

You must have at least $20,000 coverage for property damage per accident, $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person, and you must have $50,000 bodily injury to others per accident. Personal injury protection must be at least $15,000 per person.

The minimum requirements must be met even if you have the title to your car in your name. It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive, how old it is, or how much the car is worth.

If you own a newer car and you pay a loan to a bank or you lease your car, the minimum coverage requirement is not enough.

Your lender has a specific set of requirements for your car insurance policy you must meet. If you fail to meet these requirements, your lender will purchase a policy for you.

If your lender purchases a car insurance for you, you will pay for it. It won’t be the most affordable policy, and it might not be a policy you’d choose for yourself. You’ll receive notice from the lender if your insurance is not valid.

This letter warns you there are only so many days for you to purchase an adequate policy for your leased or financed car. If you fail to purchase a policy within the timeframe the company allows, you will pay for the insurance policy they decide you need.

If you are only driving through Oregon or on vacation, your state insurance policy is sufficient. If you move to Oregon, you have only 30 business days to find a new policy with an Oregon provider that meets all state requirements.

The month-long period is enough time for you to compare rates with different companies, and each company is aware of the minimum requirements in place by the state even if you aren’t.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Oregon

If you choose to drive without insurance in Oregon, you are breaking the law.

There are consequences in place for anyone who chooses to drive without insurance, and they’re issued if you are pulled over and cannot prove you have insurance as well as when you are involved in a car accident.

These consequences include the following:

• financial penalties
• driving penalties
• other fees

If you are caught driving without insurance, you’ve immediately issued a ticket and a fine. The fine is $260. If you go to court for your actions, the fine could reach as much as $1,000.

Your driving privileges are also suspended. The state can suspend your license for any amount of time, and they can suspend the registration of your vehicle as well.

If you want to end the suspension of your license and/or the registration, you’re forced to purchase insurance and provide proof of your new policy.

You must then provide monthly proof that you have insurance for three years following the date you reinstate your license and registration. The reinstatement fee is $75.

Another penalty for being caught without insurance in Oregon is the high-risk label you receive. Being labeled as a high-risk driver means it’s going to be more difficult to get car insurance.

You can compare rates all you want with various companies, but they’ll be much higher now that you have this label on your record. Some companies might not issue high-risk drivers with insurance at all.

Easy Ways You Can Make Car Insurance More Affordable in Oregon

Being unable to afford insurance is one of the most common reasons Oregon drivers state when they are pulled over and fined for not having a policy. Many do not realize there are numerous ways to find more affordable insurance.

One way to is to compare rates with different companies. If one company is too expensive, there are dozens of others willing to offer a lower rate.

The next best thing to do when finding affordable car insurance is to check your credit. If there are mistakes on your credit report, your score is lowered. If you have a low score, you won’t get low rates from providers.

They check your credit to see if you are a high-risk driver, and a low score tells them you are.

You might not know you have a low score if you’re careful with your finances, but mistakes happen. Each credit bureau is legally required to provide one free credit report to each consumer every year to make it easy for you to check your report and fix mistakes.

You can also ask for discounts when comparing rates. You can bundle your home, car, life, and other policies to get a lower rate with many companies. If you have more than one car in your name, you might be able to get a discount with a multi-vehicle policy.

If you are retired, you might be able to receive discounts for being on the road less often. There are always discounts available if you know where to look for them.

Car insurance is not something you can afford to drive without. If you are caught driving without it, you’re issued expensive fines.

If you’re in an accident without insurance, you run the risk of being sued by the other driver. You could pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and damages. It’s always more affordable to pay for insurance.

You can find car insurance for your vehicle today by entering your Oregon ZIP code below! Our site provides fast, free auto insurance quotes from top local providers you can trust to keep you covered without overcharging.

Auto Insurance FAQ / Auto Insurance Laws

03.12.2017 / auto insurance requirements / Oregon / state minimum