Washington car insurance rates

Washington's liability floor is $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people, and $10,000 for property damage in any one accident (RCW 46.29.090). When comparing quotes, check the property damage line first: $10,000 is the statutory figure, and a policy priced at that floor pays no more than that toward another person's vehicle or property in one accident.

Insurers must offer personal injury protection and underinsured motorist coverage on every policy, and a named insured can turn either one down only in writing. As of October 18, 2026, revised claim-handling rules give insurers 30 calendar days from notice of a claim to accept or deny it (WAC 284-30-380).

Who has to carry what (RCW 46.30.020 and the OIC summary)

RCW 46.30.020 bars driving a vehicle subject to registration without a liability policy, self-insurance, a certificate of deposit or a liability bond. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) lists the alternatives as a certificate of deposit with the Department of Licensing, a liability bond of at least $60,000 from an authorized surety, or self-insurance for owners of 26 or more vehicles.

The OIC lists mopeds and motor scooters, horseless-carriage vehicles over 40 years old, publicly owned vehicles, and regulated common or contract carriers as exempt. Motorcycles lost their exemption on July 28, 2019.

Drivers must show proof when an officer asks, and electronic proof on a phone is allowed; the officer may look only at the proof. Failing to show it is a traffic infraction, and the law presumes the driver is uninsured. If the driver later shows coverage was in force on the citation date, the ticket is dismissed, though the court may charge $25 in administrative costs.

PIP: offered on every policy, rejected only in writing

Under RCW 48.22.085, an insurer must offer personal injury protection on every new or renewed auto liability policy. A named insured may reject it in writing, and that rejection covers all levels of PIP and everyone who would have been covered. A rejection carries forward: PIP is not added back on renewal or replacement unless the named insured asks for it in writing.

Underinsured motorist coverage under RCW 48.22.030

Washington folds uninsured, hit-and-run and phantom-vehicle protection into its underinsured motorist requirement. Policies on vehicles registered or principally garaged in the state must include it unless rejected, and the bodily injury limit must match the policy's liability limit unless rejected in whole or in part. A named insured or spouse makes that rejection in writing, and it is not reversed on renewal without a written request.

Property damage deductibles can run up to $300 for a hit-and-run or phantom vehicle and up to $100 in other cases. A phantom-vehicle claim does not need physical contact if the facts are corroborated by evidence beyond the claimant's own testimony and the accident was reported to police within 72 hours. Motorcycles and motor-driven cycles are outside the requirement. See uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for how these claims typically work.

SR-22 and Department of Licensing suspensions

Washington's financial responsibility suspension applies after a collision where a driver was uninsured, someone suffered bodily injury or property damage of at least $1,000, and there is a reasonable possibility of a court judgment. The Department of Licensing (DOL) gives 60 days before the suspension takes effect to prevent it with proof of insurance, a signed release, a settlement agreement, a court finding of no liability, or a security deposit. The deposit route also requires future proof of financial responsibility, usually an SR-22. Otherwise the suspension lasts three years from the collision date, and a hearing request is due within 20 days of the letter.

Proof of financial responsibility can be cancelled three years after the date it was required, provided DOL has no new conviction or infraction record in that time that would justify suspension (RCW 46.29.600). If the insurer later notifies DOL that a driver is out of compliance, DOL suspends the license until the insurer reports compliance again; the driver can request an administrative review within 15 days of the suspension letter. Background on the filing itself is in SR-22 insurance explained.

Claim deadlines after the October 18, 2026 rule change

The OIC adopted rule R 2025-05 to update chapter 284-30 WAC after a rise in auto and home complaints about slow investigations and first payment offers. The revised sections took effect October 18, 2026.

The bigger shift is the starting point: the clock now runs from the day the insurer is told of the claim, not from the day it receives completed proofs of loss. The OIC also says adjusters must answer auto supplemental estimates within five business days and must explain denials and reductions in writing with itemized amounts.

When no company will write a policy

The OIC says the Automobile Insurance Plan must offer coverage to hard-to-insure drivers who cannot get it elsewhere. If a driving record blocks coverage and no agent will help, the driver or an agent can contact the Plan; the OIC page links to AIPSO for it. The OIC does not publish the Plan's limits or assignment rules on that page.

Complaints to the Insurance Commissioner

Complaints are filed online through the OIC's File a complaint page. Its Consumer Advocacy line is 800-562-6900, staffed 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, with TDD/TTY at 800-833-6384.

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