Utah requires at least $30,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $65,000 per accident and $25,000 of property damage liability (30/65/25), or a $90,000 combined single limit, plus $3,000 of personal injury protection. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage are part of the required policy unless you turn them down in writing.
Utah is a no-fault state, so every policy includes PIP, and PIP limits when you can sue another driver. The state also compares vehicle registrations against insurer reports every month. A car that shows up uninsured for three months in a row can lose its registration, and a conviction for driving uninsured brings a license suspension and three years of required proof of insurance.
Key Takeaways
- Policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 need 30/65/25 liability (or $90,000 combined) and $3,000 of PIP medical coverage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage match your liability limits unless you reject or lower them in writing.
- PIP limits when you can sue the other driver for pain and suffering. You need medical expenses over $3,000 or a serious injury such as a bone fracture, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.
- Driving uninsured in Utah is a class C misdemeanor. The fine is at least $400 for a first offense and at least $1,000 for another within three years, and your license is suspended until you file proof of insurance.
- After a conviction, you have to keep proof of insurance on file with the state for three years. The Driver License Division calls this an SR22 and charges a $40 reinstatement fee.
Utah Minimum Car Insurance at a Glance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $30,000 per person and $65,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Combined single limit (alternative) | $90,000 per accident |
| Personal injury protection | $3,000 medical per person, plus disability, household, funeral and survivor benefits |
| Uninsured motorist | Included at your liability limits unless you reject it in writing or choose lower limits on a signed form |
| Underinsured motorist | Included at your liability limits unless you reject it or choose lower limits on a signed form |
| Collision and comprehensive | Not required by law, but lenders and lessors often require them |
These limits come from Utah Code 31A-22-304 and apply to policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. Before that, the minimum was 25/65/15 or an $80,000 single limit, and some websites still show those older numbers. Under Utah Code 31A-22-302, a policy that meets the state requirement includes liability, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist and PIP coverage, though motorcycles, off-highway vehicles, street-legal ATVs and trailers don’t need PIP. RateFrog’s guide to liability limits explains how split and single limits work.
Under Utah Code 41-12a-301, every resident owner has to keep security in effect while the vehicle is driven on a highway or a quasi-public road or parking area. A 2026 change removed the word “registered” from that rule, but the Utah DMV still says insurance must be kept throughout the registration period, and the state database still checks registered cars. Keep coverage on any car that’s registered, or follow the DMV’s steps for a car in storage. Nonresidents present in Utah more than 90 days in the past 365 days need Utah coverage.
Utah No-Fault PIP Coverage
Personal injury protection pays the benefits listed below through your policy. Utah law doesn’t allow deductibles on the required PIP benefits. RateFrog’s guide to personal injury protection explains PIP in more detail.
What PIP Pays
Utah Code 31A-22-307 sets these minimum benefits:
- Medical expenses up to $3,000 per person
- Lost income of up to $250 a week or 85% of the gross income you lose, whichever is less, for up to 52 consecutive weeks
- Household services up to $20 a day for up to 365 days
- Funeral expenses up to $1,500 per person
- A $3,000 survivor benefit
Disability and household benefits aren’t paid for the first three days unless the disability lasts more than two weeks in a row. You have four years to sue over an unpaid PIP claim. The figures above come from the 2025 Utah Code, so confirm them on your policy.
When You Can Sue the Other Driver
Under Utah Code 31A-22-309, a person covered by PIP can claim general damages, such as pain and suffering, from the at-fault driver only if the injury involves:
- Death or dismemberment
- Permanent disability or impairment based on objective findings
- Permanent disfigurement
- A bone fracture
- Medical expenses over $3,000
This limit doesn’t apply to uninsured motorist claims. The PIP coverage on the vehicle involved generally pays first, and the at-fault driver’s insurer can be required to reimburse the PIP insurer, with disputes between insurers settled by binding arbitration.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Under Utah Code 31A-22-305, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage starts out equal to your liability limits, or the insurer’s highest UM limit if that’s lower. You can reject it only by an express writing to the insurer on its form, and you can choose lower limits by signing an acknowledgment form. UM can’t be sold below the state’s bodily injury minimums.
A hit-and-run driver who can’t be identified counts as uninsured. If there was no contact with the other vehicle, you need clear and convincing evidence beyond your own testimony. RateFrog’s guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explains how these coverages work.
How UIM Adds to the Other Driver’s Coverage
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage under Utah Code 31A-22-305.3 works the same way for defaults and paperwork. If you buy it, the minimum is $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident. Utah law says UIM is added on top of the at-fault driver’s liability coverage and isn’t reduced by what that driver’s insurer pays.
Hypothetical example: you have $50,000 of UIM, your damages are $60,000 and the other driver carries $30,000 of liability. After the other insurer pays its $30,000, your UIM can cover the remaining $30,000, since it isn’t reduced by that payment. The numbers are only an illustration.
No Stacking and Property Damage Coverage
Utah doesn’t let you add UM or UIM limits together across several vehicles, and stacking across policies is prohibited except as the statutes allow. If your policy doesn’t include collision, Utah Code 31A-22-305.5 lets you ask for uninsured motorist property damage coverage. It pays the car’s actual cash value or $3,500, whichever is less, after a $250 deductible. There must have been actual contact, the uninsured driver, owner or plate must be identified, and you have to report it within 10 days.
Proof of Insurance in Utah
Under Utah Code 41-12a-302, a driver has to have evidence of insurance in their immediate possession and show it when a peace officer asks. An insurance card counts. You can show proof on your phone, and the officer may not look at anything else on the device. If coverage was in effect at the time, that’s an affirmative defense to a no-proof charge. RateFrog’s guide to getting proof of insurance fast can help if you need a card right away.
How Utah Checks Your Coverage
Insurers report policies to the Uninsured Motorist Identification Database at least monthly, and the state compares every registration against it under Utah Code 41-12a-803. The DMV partners with a company, Insure-Rite, Inc., that collects the policy information from insurers. An officer may not cite or arrest you when the database shows the vehicle or driver is insured.
Under Utah Code 41-12a-804, a car that shows as uninsured for three months in a row gets a notice giving the owner 15 days to show insurance or another explanation, such as storage or a sale. A second notice gives 15 more days. If there’s still no answer, the Motor Vehicle Division revokes the registration. Reinstating costs $100 under Utah Code 41-1a-1220, and the fee is waived if the car was insured at the time. Making a false statement to the Division or its database agent is a class B misdemeanor.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Utah
A conviction affects your wallet, your license and your registration.
Court Penalties
Under Utah Code 41-12a-302, it’s a class C misdemeanor to drive or allow someone to drive your car without insurance, to drive a car you know is uninsured, or to fail to show proof when an officer asks. The court has to order a fine of at least $400. For a second or later offense within three years, the minimum is $1,000. If you’re the owner and you buy insurance after the violation and before sentencing, the court may waive up to $300.
These are minimums, not maximums. Under the older law, a first offense for not showing proof was an infraction, but since 2026 H.B. 24 took effect on May 6, 2026, every violation of this section is a class C misdemeanor. Some DMV pages still describe it as a class B misdemeanor; the current statute makes it class C. The class B misdemeanor in this area is for a false statement to the Division or its database agent.
License and Registration
When you’re convicted, the Driver License Division has to suspend your license, and it won’t renew or issue one until you give proof of insurance. You have to keep that proof on file for three years. If your insurer reports that the policy ended during that time, your license is suspended for the rest of the three years. Your registration can also be revoked after a conviction or through the database process above. RateFrog’s guide to what happens when insurance lapses covers the broader risks.
A Crash Without Insurance
The Driver License Division lists a crash involving an uninsured vehicle registered in your name, or a court order for damages from an uninsured crash, among the reasons it can require an SR22. The official sources reviewed for this guide don’t set a suspension length for an uninsured crash, so follow any notice the Division sends you.
SR-22 Filings in Utah
Utah’s statute requires three years of proof of insurance after a conviction but doesn’t use the term SR-22. The Driver License Division does, and its SR22 page lists reasons you may need one, such as a no-insurance or no-proof conviction, a suspension under the Financial Responsibility Act or an uninsured crash. It says the requirement typically lasts three years from the conviction date, so check the letter the Division sends you.
Any insurer licensed in Utah can provide it. The insurer or agent can submit it, or you can email it, fax it to 801.965.4844 or bring it in. The form is titled “Financial Responsibility Form,” and its signature date must be within 30 days. The Division’s reinstatement page lists a $40 reinstatement fee. RateFrog’s SR-22 guide explains how these filings work in general.
If You Can’t Find Coverage
Under Utah Code 31A-22-310, insurers take part in a state-approved plan for drivers entitled to coverage who can’t get it in the regular market. According to AIPSO, the Utah Automobile Insurance Plan is run through the Western Association of Automobile Insurance Plans. You apply through an insurance agent. The plan office is at (800) 227-4659.
How Utah Insurers Set Rates
Under Utah Code 31A-19a-201, rates can’t be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. The Utah Insurance Department’s page on rising auto premiums lists factors such as your driving record, age, gender, where you live and garage the car, and some credit-based factors.
Utah limits how credit is used. Under Utah Code 31A-22-320, an insurer generally can’t use credit information to renew, nonrenew, cancel or rate a policy. It can use credit for initial underwriting only along with other risk factors, or to give you a discount.
Drivers 55 and older can get a discount. Under Utah Code 31A-19a-211, insurers have to offer an appropriate premium reduction when the principal operator is a named insured 55 or older who completes an approved accident prevention course. It lasts three years, the insurer can require that you have no moving violations that carry points, and court-ordered courses don’t count. RateFrog’s guide to the factors that affect car insurance rates covers the rest.
Cancellation and Nonrenewal Rules
Under Utah Code 31A-21-303, the limits on cancellation don’t apply to a new policy that hasn’t been renewed and has been in effect less than 60 days, though a cancellation then takes effect at least 10 days after you receive it. After that, or on a renewal, the insurer can cancel only for nonpayment or listed reasons, such as a material misrepresentation, a substantial change in risk or a suspended license for you or a regular driver. Notice must be at least 10 days for nonpayment and 30 days for other reasons.
An insurer that won’t renew has to send notice at least 30 days before the policy ends. It can’t nonrenew a personal auto policy solely for one not-at-fault accident claim, one speeding ticket of 10 mph or less, or one weather-related claim within 36 months, with the first two protections applying to drivers 21 and older. It also can’t nonrenew because you asked a coverage question that didn’t involve a claim. If you ask in writing, the insurer must give you the reasons within 10 working days. These rules come from the 2025 Utah Code. RateFrog’s guide to car insurance grace periods explains what usually happens when a payment is late.
Is Utah’s Minimum Coverage Enough?
A 30/65/25 policy can run out quickly in a serious crash, and $25,000 of property damage coverage may not replace a newer car. If a claim is more than your limits, you could owe the rest. $3,000 of PIP medical coverage can also be used up fast. Before you reject or lower UM and UIM to save money, think about how you’d pay your own costs if the other driver has little or no insurance. RateFrog’s guide to how much car insurance you need can help you choose, and you can compare car insurance quotes at several coverage levels.
Where to Get Help
The Utah Insurance Department takes calls at 801-957-9200 in the Salt Lake City area or 1-800-439-3805 toll-free in Utah, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and accepts complaints through its complaints page. For license suspensions and SR22 filings, call the Driver License Division at 801.965.4437 or 888.353.4224. For registration revocations and the $100 reinstatement fee, contact the DMV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Utah a No-Fault State?
Yes. Every policy has to include personal injury protection with at least $3,000 of medical coverage per person. You can sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if your medical expenses exceed $3,000 or the injury meets another threshold, such as a bone fracture or permanent disability.
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Utah?
It’s included in every policy at your liability limits unless you reject it in writing or sign a form choosing lower limits. Underinsured motorist coverage works the same way.
What Is the Fine for Driving Without Insurance in Utah?
At least $400 for a first offense and at least $1,000 for a second within three years. It’s a class C misdemeanor, and your license is suspended until you file proof of insurance, which you then keep on file for three years.
Can I Show Proof of Insurance on My Phone in Utah?
Yes. Utah law lets you show proof in electronic form on a mobile device, and the officer may not look at anything else on it.
Sources
- Utah Insurance Department: Auto Insurance
- Utah Insurance Department: Why Is My Auto Insurance Premium Increasing?
- Utah DMV: Uninsured Motorist Program
- Utah Driver License Division: SR22 Insurance
- Utah Driver License Division: Reinstatement
- Utah 2026 H.B. 24, Criminal Penalty Amendments
- Utah Code 31A-22-302
- Utah Code 31A-22-304
- Utah Code 31A-22-305
- Utah Code 31A-22-305.3
- Utah Code 31A-22-305.5
- Utah Code 31A-22-307
- Utah Code 31A-22-309
- Utah Code 31A-22-310
- Utah Code 31A-22-320
- Utah Code 31A-21-303
- Utah Code 31A-19a-201
- Utah Code 31A-19a-211
- Utah Code 41-12a-301
- Utah Code 41-12a-302
- Utah Code 41-12a-803
- Utah Code 41-12a-804
- Utah Code 41-1a-1220
- AIPSO: Utah Automobile Insurance Plan
- Utah Insurance Department: Complaints