Car Insurance in Indiana
Indiana Car Insurance
In Indiana, you must carry a certain amount of liability insurance in order to legally operate a vehicle. If you are found to be driving without having met this requirement, your driver's license can be immediately suspended.
Continue reading to learn more about Indiana insurance laws, coverage options, and discounts.
Car Insurance Requirements
Liability Coverage
Indiana requires all drivers to hold at least the following amounts of liability insurance coverage:
- Bodily injury (per person): $25,000.
- Bodily injury (per accident – multiple people injured): $50,000.
- Property damage (per accident): $25,000.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
All liability insurance policies in Indiana must also include uninsured/underinsured motorist liability coverage.
The minimum limits for uninsured motorist coverage are equal to the minimum limits for liability coverage (see above).
The minimum limit for underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage is $50,000 (per accident).
Uninsured/underinsured motorist car insurance helps cover any costs incurred by an accident with another driver who has no liability coverage, or has coverage that is not robust enough to cover your costs.
NOTE: When you purchase your liability insurance, you can opt out of uninsured motorist coverage; however, you must do so in writing.
Optional Coverage
When you are purchasing an Indiana car insurance policy, remember that the minimum coverage might not adequately cover your bills in the event of an accident. You might consider purchasing additional coverage types for further protection.
Most car insurance companies will offer the following optional types of coverage:
- Comprehensive – Helps to pay for damages to your vehicle caused by incidents other than car accidents, such as vandalism, theft, or fire damage.
- Collision – Covers costs to your vehicle when you've been in a collision with another car or object.
- Rental reimbursement – Helps pay costs associated with alternative transportation when your car is being repaired after an accident.
- Loan/lease gap coverage – Helps to balance the cost between the actual cash value of your vehicle and what you currently owe.
- Medical payments coverage – Covers accident-related medical or funeral costs of any covered drivers or passengers, without taking fault into consideration.
- Emergency roadside service.
- Customized parts and equipment.
Proof of Indiana Car Insurance
Your insurance company must file a Certificate of Compliance if any of the following situations occurs:
- The BMV receives an accident report for an accident in which you were involved.
- You've been issued a traffic ticket within 1 year of previously receiving 2 moving violations or more.
- You've committed a serious traffic violation.
- You've committed any traffic violation when your license was previously suspended for not providing proof of insurance.
This Certificate of Compliance serves as a guarantee that you have met your financial responsibility (a.k.a. car insurance requirements).
When any of the situations listed above occur, the Indiana BMV will send a request for proof of car insurance to your address. You will then need to contact your insurance agent to submit the certificate to prove you were insured (or the vehicle was insured) at the time of the incident.
The certificate needs to be electronically submitted within 90 days of the date you receive the request from the BMV.
If the form is not submitted on time, you face suspension of your IN driver’s license.
Insurance Violations
In Indiana, operating a vehicle without the mandatory car insurance coverage can cost you. If you are found driving without the required minimums, you'll lose your driving privileges from anywhere between 90 days and 1 year.
SR-22
When your license has been suspended after a conviction for operating a vehicle without the proper insurance, you will have to file a form SR-22, which provides proof of future financial responsibility once you reinstate your license. Your car insurance company will file this form for you.
You will be required to maintain your SR-22 for 3 years from the effective end date of each suspension.
Uninsured Driver Database
Indiana drivers convicted of operating their vehicles without car insurance are entered into the Previously Uninsured Motorist Registry (PUMR) for a period of 5 years.
When your name is in the PUMR, you can be randomly selected to provide proof of financial responsibility at any time.
Indiana Auto Insurance Plan
Insurance companies consider some drivers who have poor driving records or who have submitted multiple claims to be “high risk," and may deny insurance to those drivers.
If you find that you're unable to secure a car insurance policy through the open market because of your high-risk status, you do still have options.
You can always apply for car insurance through the Indiana Automobile Insurance Plan. To do so, speak to any insurance agent; every licensed Indiana insurance company is required to participate in this plan.
Questions and Concerns
The Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) Consumer Services Department assists consumers with issues about their car insurance.
You can contact the department if you have concerns about your insurance company or if you wish to submit a complaint; however, note that the department cannot:
- Act as your legal representative.
- Get involved in a pending lawsuit.
- Make medical decisions.
- Provide guidance on issues dealing with insurance contracts that don't fall under the jurisdiction of state insurance laws or the governance of other State or Federal agencies.
The department can, however, ensure that insurance companies are acting in accordance with the law and can forward complaints from you to your insurance provider (see below).
Filing a Complaint
You should always contact your car insurance company with an issue before going through the IDOI. However, if your attempts to resolve your issue with your insurance company have been unsuccessful, you can file a complaint with the IDOI:
- Online.
- By mail:
- Complete the Printable Fillable Form and send to:
- IDOI
- Attn: Consumer Services Department
- 311 W. Washington St, Suite 300
- Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Complete the Printable Fillable Form and send to:
- By fax:
- Complete the form above and fax to (317) 234-2103.
Once you submit your complaint, it will be processed within 72 hours. You'll get a confirmation letter from the Consumer Services Division letting you know your complaint was received.
Your insurance company has 20 business days to respond in writing to the IDOI, who will send you the response with their own response or recommendation.
Determining Your IN Car Insurance Premium
Car insurance agents in Indiana calculate your auto insurance rates by taking many factors into consideration. These factors may include:
- Your:
- Sex.
- Age.
- Marital status.
- Claims history.
- Credit score.
- Driving record.
- Deductibles.
- The higher your deductibles, the lower your premium.
- Where you live.
- How often you use your car and for which purposes.
- Your car's:
- Make.
- Model.
- Year.
- Driver training courses.
Car Insurance Discounts
When shopping around for the lowest car insurance quote, remember to ask about any available discounts. Most IN insurance companies provide the discounts for:
- Paying your premium in full.
- Being a good student.
- Owning a home.
- Insuring multiple cars.
- Being accident-free.
- Having certain safety devices (e.g., airbags).
While discounts will save you money on your car insurance policy, the most effective way to get cheap car insurance in Indiana is to drive safely and follow traffic laws.
Most Stolen Cars in Indiana
Driving a type of car that is often stolen may mean having to pay higher car insurance rates.
The following is a list of the most stolen cars in Indiana for 2013, according to www.nicb.org:
- Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size).
- Ford Pickup (Fill Size).
- Chevrolet Impala.
- Dodge Pickup (Full Size).
- Chevrolet Pickup (Small Size).
- Ford Taurus.
- Chevrolet Malibu.
- GMC Pickup (Full Size).
- Pontiac Grand Prix.
- Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee.
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