State guide
Car Insurance in Washington, D.C.
Updated August 2026
The District of Columbia writes its own insurance rulebook, and it reads like no state's. Every registered vehicle needs 25/50/10 liability coverage — $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 for property damage — plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage of 25/50 for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage (with a $200 deductible), per D.C. Code §31-2403. Requiring uninsured motorist property damage coverage is something almost no state does.
Personal injury protection, meanwhile, is optional — but with a twist found nowhere else: if you carry PIP and get into a crash, you have a 60-day window to decide whether to claim those no-fault benefits or pursue the at-fault driver instead. Between the federal-style mandates and city driving risk, D.C. premiums run high, which makes comparing several carriers' quotes worth the few minutes it takes.
| Coverage | Required minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability (per person) | $25,000 |
| Bodily injury liability (per accident) | $50,000 |
| Property damage liability | $10,000 |
| PIP / medical | PIP optional — insurers must offer it; if you carry it, you choose after a crash whether to use it |
| Additional requirements | Mandatory uninsured motorist coverage: $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury plus $5,000 property damage (subject to a $200 deductible) |
| No-fault state | No |
| SR-22 used | Yes |
Source: D.C. Code §§31-2403, 31-2405, 31-2406; D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking
Average annual expenditure for auto insurance in the District of Columbia was $1,502 in 2022. (NAIC 2022 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement)
Mandatory uninsured motorist coverage — including property damage
Most states treat uninsured motorist coverage as optional; the District bakes it into every policy. Beyond 25/50 in UM bodily injury protection, D.C. uniquely requires $5,000 of uninsured motorist property damage coverage, subject to a $200 deductible — so even a minimum-coverage policy gives you some recourse if an uninsured or hit-and-run driver damages your car.
Insurers must also offer optional underinsured motorist coverage on top. Since every D.C. quote already includes the mandatory UM package, the meaningful differences between carriers are price and the cost of stepping limits up from the floor.
Optional PIP and the 60-day election
D.C. insurers are required to offer personal injury protection, but you are not required to buy it. If you do carry PIP, D.C. Code §31-2405 gives you 60 days after an accident to notify your insurer that you elect PIP benefits — medical costs and lost wages paid regardless of fault. Decline, or let the window pass, and the claim proceeds through the ordinary liability route against the at-fault driver.
This after-the-fact choice is unique to the District: elsewhere, no-fault is either the system or it isn't. For shoppers, it means a D.C. PIP quote is buying optionality, and carriers price that add-on differently enough that it's worth comparing with and without.
SR-22s and high premiums in the District
The District uses SR-22 filings: per the D.C. DMV, drivers reinstating a license must provide proof of SR-22 insurance if the underlying conviction occurred within the last three years. Your insurer files the certificate, and letting the policy lapse restarts the trouble.
D.C. is also simply an expensive place to insure a car — dense traffic, urban theft and vandalism exposure, and everything registered in a single city. Average annual expenditure here was $1,502 in 2022 per the NAIC, among the highest in the nation, so the spread between the lowest and highest quote for the same driver tends to be wide. That spread is the argument for comparing.
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Frequently asked questions
What car insurance is required in Washington, D.C.?+
Liability coverage of at least $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage, plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage with a $200 deductible, per D.C. Code §31-2403.
Is Washington, D.C. a no-fault jurisdiction?+
Not by default. Liability rules apply unless you purchased optional PIP coverage — in which case you have 60 days after an accident to elect no-fault PIP benefits instead of pursuing the at-fault driver, under D.C. Code §31-2405.
Does D.C. require SR-22s?+
Yes — the D.C. DMV requires proof of SR-22 insurance to reinstate a license when the conviction date falls within the last three years. Your insurance company files the form.
Why is car insurance expensive in D.C.?+
The District is entirely urban — dense traffic, higher accident frequency, and theft exposure — and its required coverage package is broader than most states', including mandatory uninsured motorist property damage coverage. Average annual expenditure was $1,502 in 2022 (NAIC).
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