Washington car insurance: minimum limits, UIM and PIP rules, and uninsured drivers

Uninsured drivers on Washington roads

Washington's uninsured estimate is the number to start with. The Insurance Research Council put it at 19.1% for 2023, compared with 15.4% nationally. Neighboring Oregon was estimated at 14.7% and Idaho at 6.4%. See uninsured drivers by state for the full list.

If an uninsured driver hits you, their missing policy cannot pay for your injuries or your car. In Washington, the coverage that fills that gap has an unusual name: underinsured motorist coverage.

How Washington's underinsured motorist coverage works

Washington law, RCW 48.22.030, uses one coverage for several situations. Your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage pays when the at-fault vehicle:

• has no liability insurance at all;
• has liability limits lower than your damages;
• leaves the scene (a hit-and-run);
• is a phantom vehicle, one that caused the crash without touching you and was never identified.

Insurers must include this coverage on new and renewed policies for vehicles registered or garaged in Washington, at the same limits as your liability coverage. You can reject all of it, or part of it, in writing. Motorcycles are an exception: the requirement does not apply to them.

UIM can also pay for damage to your car, with a capped deductible:

Phantom vehicle claims

Phantom-vehicle claims have two extra conditions. The facts must be backed by evidence other than your own testimony, such as a witness, and the crash must be reported to police within 72 hours. For example, if a car swerves into your lane, forces you into a guardrail and drives away without contact, call the police that day and collect witness names. Our hit-and-run claims guide covers the steps.

PIP is added unless you reject it

Washington is an at-fault state, but insurers must offer personal injury protection, and they add it unless you reject it in writing. The details: Must be offered; can be rejected in writing (basic PIP pays up to $10,000 per person for medical costs). Basic PIP also pays limited funeral costs and lost wages.

PIP pays your medical bills quickly, whoever caused the crash. Whether to keep it depends on your health insurance deductible and whether you have paid sick leave or disability coverage. The personal injury protection guide explains the trade-off.

The liability minimum and its small property damage limit

Washington's $10,000 property damage minimum is low compared with the cost of most cars. For example, if you rear-end a $35,000 SUV and total it, a minimum policy pays only up to $10,000. The owner can then come to you for the rest.

Insurance is not the only way to meet the law. Washington also accepts a certificate of deposit filed with the Department of Licensing, a liability bond of at least $60,000 from an authorized surety, or self-insurance for owners of large fleets. Mopeds, motor scooters, publicly owned vehicles and some horseless carriages are exempt. Most drivers simply buy a policy and keep the proof-of-insurance card the insurer sends.

Washington costs and crash data

Washington is below the national average on both NAIC cost measures. Its crash death rate per person is below the national rate, while the rate per mile driven is slightly above it, and speeding plays a bigger role than nationally. City and rural drivers can see quite different prices; see how ZIP code affects car insurance.