Indiana car insurance rates

Indiana's minimum liability requirement is 25/50/25: $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage, according to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Each newly written policy must also include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage unless the insured rejects it in writing, according to the Indiana Department of Insurance.

Indiana enforces coverage after the fact. When the BMV receives a crash report or certain violations, it mails a request for proof, and the insurer has to file a Certificate of Compliance within 90 days or the driver is suspended.

Minimum limits and the uninsured / underinsured offer

A written rejection is the only way the uninsured and underinsured parts drop off a new Indiana policy. Before signing one, compare what each coverage pays using uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

When the BMV asks for proof: the Certificate of Compliance

The BMV sends a request for financial responsibility verification to the mailing address on your record in four situations it lists: an accident for which it receives a report, a pointable moving violation within one year of two other pointable violations, a serious traffic violation such as a misdemeanor or felony, and any pointable violation by someone previously suspended for failing to prove coverage. It may also ask at any other time.

Showing an insurance card to a police officer does not satisfy the request; the BMV says that information is not sent to it or recorded on your driving record. Instead your insurer files a Certificate of Compliance (COC) electronically, showing that you and the vehicle were covered at the minimum on the date of the incident. If the BMV has not received and processed the COC within 90 days of mailing its request, driving privileges are suspended. The suspension can be removed later when the insurer files a COC covering that date and vehicle.

The obligation survives changes to the record. The BMV states that a conviction being expunged, vacated or otherwise removed does not relieve the driver of the proof requirement. The Department of Insurance adds a practical warning: send nothing to the Department, because a COC mailed there will not reach the BMV.

SR22 filings: 180 days, 3 years or 5 years

An SR22 is proof of future financial responsibility and, per the BMV, cannot be cancelled without notice to the BMV. Indiana may require one to regain driving privileges after a suspension for certain court-related offenses or for insurance violations. For an insurance suspension, the SR22 requirement is met after 180 consecutive days of SR22 coverage. The BMV also refers to 3-year and 5-year SR22 requirements in other cases.

• If the insurer files an SR26, which cancels the SR22, or no effective SR22 is on file at any point in the required period, privileges are suspended until a new SR22 is filed or the period expires.
• Out-of-state residents can file an Out of State Residency Affidavit to waive an SR50 or a 3-year or 5-year SR22 requirement, but must meet the requirement again if they move back before it expires.
• The affidavit does not lift an SR22 tied to Specialized Driving Privileges or to a suspension stayed with an SR22.
• Insurers file SR22, SR26, SR50 and COC forms through the BMV's Electronic Insurance Forms Submission (EIFS) program.

For how carriers handle the filing and what it costs to keep, see SR-22 insurance explained.

Cancellation, nonrenewal and the Indiana Auto Insurance Plan

The Department of Insurance says a company may cancel a new policy within its first 60 days. After that, cancellation is limited to stated reasons such as nonpayment of premium or loss of the driver's license. A company may decline to renew at the end of the term but must give 20 days' advance notice.

If you are turned down, you can apply to the Indiana Auto Insurance Plan through any Indiana insurance agent. Each company licensed in Indiana may participate by taking its share of drivers who have difficulty buying coverage. The Department does not set auto rates; companies file rates and forms with it before use, and those filings are open to public inspection.

Filing a complaint with the Indiana Department of Insurance

The Department asks consumers to contact the company, agent or broker first. If the answer is unsatisfactory, a complaint can go through the online portal, or by mail or fax (317-234-2103) to the Consumer Services Division. The Department says submitted complaints are typically processed within 72 hours, a confirmation letter names the consultant and gives a problem report number, and the company has 20 business days under Indiana law to respond in writing. You then receive a copy of the company's reply. Complaints become public records, and supporting documents such as declarations pages and denial letters speed the review.

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