The District of Columbia has its own unique minimum requirements just as every state does. If you move to Washington DC you are going to need to determine if your auto insurance meets these requirements, or else you might be in for a nasty surprise if you are ever involved in an accident. This article will outline the minimum required levels of coverage for Washington DC.

Washington DC law requires drivers to purchase a minimum level of injury and property coverage. Insurance policies in Washington DC must must cover up to $25,000 of medical costs for individuals injured in an accident and $50,000 of medical costs for all parties involved. Additionally, policies must cover up to $5,000 in property damage resulting from an accident. These statutes are in place to make sure that individuals have the means to pay the often high costs of accidents without bankruptcy. Of course, sometimes accidents result in costs far exceeding these minimum levels of coverage. In these cases, the driver at fault usually takes up personal responsibility for covering the difference. This makes it a good idea to take out more than the minimum coverage if your budget allows. The Insurance Information Institute recommends at least $100,000 in personal injury coverage and $300,000 for all persons injured in an accident.

In addition to liability coverage, Washington DC policies must also include uninsured motorist insurance. Uninsured insurance covers costs involved when one of the drivers involved in an accident is uninsured. The levels of coverage are identical to those for minimum liability. You must have $25,000 for individual injuries, $50,000 for all persons injured in an accident, and $5,000 for property damage.

The legal and financial difficulties incurred by failure to possess up to date insurance can be high. If you are stopped by police and fail to produce proof of insurance it is an automatic thirty dollar fine. If you lose or discontinue your auto insurance and continue to drive there is a $150 fine for any lapse between one and thirty days and an additional seven dollar fine for each additional day after that.