Rhode Island car insurance: why it costs more, the UM rule and penalties for driving uninsured

Why Rhode Island costs more than average

NAIC figures put Rhode Island above the national average on both of its cost measures for 2023. The average expenditure, which spreads liability, collision and comprehensive premiums across all insured vehicles, was $1,539.65. The combined average premium for a policy with all three coverages was $1,709.69, compared with $1,438 nationally.

The NAIC flags Rhode Island as mostly urban and cautions against comparing it directly with rural states. Within the state, your price still turns on your own profile:

• Where the car is kept: see ZIP code.
• Your record: tickets and at-fault claims; see driving record.
• The car itself: repair costs and theft risk; see vehicle.
• Coverage choices: limits and deductibles; see deductible.

For a state-by-state comparison, read most expensive states for car insurance.

Minimums: split limits or one combined limit

Rhode Island's Motor Vehicle Reparations Act accepts two ways to meet the minimum:

A combined single limit is flexible: the whole amount can go to one badly injured person or to property damage. Split limits cap each category separately. See combined single limit.

For example, if one person's medical bills from a crash you cause reach $40,000, split limits at the $25,000 per-person minimum leave everything above that amount unpaid by your insurer, while a $75,000 single limit could cover the full $40,000 as long as no other claims use up the pool.

Rhode Island's uninsured motorist rule

Rhode Island makes it hard to go without uninsured motorist coverage:

1. Default: UM is included at your bodily injury liability limits.
2. Lowering it: you can choose lower UM limits in writing, but not below the $25,000 / $50,000 minimums.
3. Dropping it: allowed only if you buy minimum coverage and sign an advisory notice.
4. Property damage part: UM property damage can be rejected in writing.

State law also treats an underinsured driver as uninsured, so the same coverage applies when the at-fault driver has too little insurance. An estimated 12.4% of Rhode Island drivers were uninsured in 2023, below the national 15.4%. Our uninsured motorist guide explains UM claims.

Penalties for driving without insurance

Operating a registered vehicle without the required coverage is penalized under state law, with stiffer penalties for each repeat offense:

To get driving and registration privileges back, you must file and keep proof of financial security and pay a reinstatement fee of $30. Drivers who are turned down in the regular market can call the Rhode Island Automobile Insurance Plan at 401-946-2600. See lapse in coverage.

Safe roads, with one exception

Rhode Island's crash death rate was 4.7 per 100,000 people in 2024, well below the national 11.5 per 100,000 people, and 0.68 per 100 million miles by distance driven (national: 1.19 per 100 million miles). Only 13% of deaths occurred on rural roads, compared with 41% nationally.

Alcohol is the exception. An estimated 48% of drivers killed were at or above the legal alcohol limit, far above the national 31%, and speeding was involved in 31% of deaths (national: 29%). A drunk-driving conviction also changes what you pay; see car insurance after a DUI.