Oregon requires at least $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 per crash and $20,000 of property damage liability, often written as 25/50/20. Every policy also has to include personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured motorist coverage, and you can lower the uninsured motorist limits but can’t reject that coverage.
Driving without insurance in Oregon is a Class B traffic violation with a presumptive fine of $265. A 2025 law, Senate Bill 840, changed what happens after a conviction or an uninsured crash starting January 1, 2026, so older guides may describe rules that no longer apply.
Key Takeaways
- Oregon’s minimum policy has three required parts: 25/50/20 liability, PIP with at least $15,000 of medical benefits per person, and uninsured motorist coverage of at least 25/50 that also covers underinsured drivers.
- Uninsured motorist coverage matches your bodily injury liability limits unless you choose lower limits in writing, and it can’t go below 25/50.
- Driving uninsured is a traffic violation, not a crime, with a maximum fine of $1,000. Police may also impound the car, and lying about having insurance is a misdemeanor that carries at least three days in jail.
- For convictions on or after January 1, 2026, the SR-22 filing after a driving uninsured conviction lasts one year instead of three. After an uninsured crash on or after that date, your license is suspended only if you don’t file an SR-22 within 30 days.
Oregon Minimum Car Insurance at a Glance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash |
| Property damage liability | $20,000 per crash |
| Personal injury protection | Required, with $15,000 of medical benefits per person plus income, funeral and other benefits |
| Uninsured motorist | Required at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash or more. It includes underinsured motorist coverage. |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | Insurers must offer it, but you don’t have to buy it |
| Collision and comprehensive | Not required by law, but lenders and lessors often require them |
The Oregon DMV lists these amounts on its minimum insurance requirements page, and the liability limits are set by ORS 806.070 in ORS chapter 806. The only alternative to a policy is self-insurance, which requires more than 25 vehicles registered in your name. Older websites may still quote $10,000 of property damage, which was the minimum before a 2009 law raised it to $20,000. RateFrog’s guide to liability limits explains how these numbers work.
Personal Injury Protection in Oregon
Under ORS 742.520, every private passenger auto policy has to include PIP. It covers you, family members who live in your household, passengers in your car and pedestrians your car hits. ORS 742.524 sets the minimum benefits:
- Medical expenses: up to $15,000 in total for expenses incurred within two years of the injury
- Lost income: 70% of lost work income, up to $3,000 a month for up to 52 weeks, if the disability lasts at least 14 days
- Essential services: up to $30 a day for people who aren’t usually employed, on similar terms
- Funeral expenses: up to $5,000, incurred within one year of the injury
- Child care: $25 a day after the first 24 hours in the hospital, up to $750
The insurer has to pay PIP promptly after you submit proof of loss, even if you might sue the other driver. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) explains in its auto insurance FAQ that PIP pays only reasonable and necessary medical expenses, and that health insurance generally won’t pay accident costs until PIP is used up.
Oregon’s PIP statutes don’t include a lawsuit threshold like the ones some no-fault states use. RateFrog’s guide to personal injury protection explains how PIP works in general.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage in Oregon
Under ORS 742.502, every policy has to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, and its limits have to match your bodily injury liability limits. A named insured can choose lower UM limits in writing, but not below 25/50. The statute doesn’t give you a way to reject UM entirely.
UM in Oregon includes underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which applies when the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough. A 2015 law, Senate Bill 411, changed how this works for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2016. Before that, your UIM limit was reduced by what the at-fault driver’s insurer paid. Now UIM can pay damages beyond what the at-fault driver’s insurance covers, up to your UIM limits. RateFrog’s guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage covers the basics.
Hit-and-Run Claims and Deadlines
ORS 742.504 says a hit-and-run claim requires physical contact with the other vehicle, and a no-contact claim needs evidence beyond your own testimony. Either way, report the crash to police within 72 hours and file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days. A UM claim generally has to be settled, taken to arbitration or filed in court against your insurer within two years of the accident.
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage
Insurers have to offer coverage for damage an uninsured driver causes to your car, but buying it is optional. Under ORS 742.510, the first $200 of damage isn’t covered, or the first $300 in a hit-and-run or no-contact case.
Proof of Insurance in Oregon
ORS 806.011 requires proof of insurance in every vehicle being driven in Oregon. Under ORS 742.447, your insurer can give you a card or, if you agree, electronic proof. Showing proof on your phone doesn’t give an officer consent to look at anything else on it. Driving without proof in the car is a Class B traffic violation under ORS 806.012, with an exception when police verify your coverage. RateFrog’s guide to getting proof of insurance fast can help if you need a card right away.
How Oregon Checks Your Coverage
You give your policy number each time you register a vehicle or buy a light vehicle trip permit. Insurers report new and canceled policies to the state, and ORS 806.150 directs DMV to run a verification program. DMV can send selected owners a notice asking for proof. If you get one, answer it by the deadline on the notice.
DMV’s crash report page says you must file a report within 72 hours if anyone was hurt or killed or if damage is over $2,500 in the situations it lists. The form asks for your insurance company and policy number.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Oregon
Oregon has several separate consequences, and you can face more than one.
Fines
Under ORS 806.010, driving uninsured is a Class B traffic violation. That’s a noncriminal offense, so there’s no jail. The general fine rules in ORS chapter 153 set a maximum of $1,000 and a presumptive fine of $265, which rises to $525 when the officer notes a highway work zone, a posted school zone or a safety corridor. ORS 806.010 doesn’t set higher penalties for repeat offenses.
Impound
Under ORS 809.720, a police officer with probable cause to believe you were driving uninsured may have the vehicle impounded.
SR-22 and License Suspension After a Conviction
A conviction for driving uninsured means you have to file an SR-22 with DMV. DFR’s December 2025 memo on SB 840 says the filing period is one year for convictions on or after January 1, 2026, down from three years. If you don’t file within 30 days of the conviction, that’s a separate Class A traffic violation, and under ORS 809.415 in ORS chapter 809, DMV suspends your license until you comply. DMV’s SR-22 page says you’ll owe a reinstatement fee if your license is suspended.
A Crash Without Insurance
Before 2026, an uninsured crash brought a fixed one-year license suspension. SB 840 removed it, and the DFR memo says the change applies to crashes on or after January 1, 2026. Under ORS 809.417 as amended, DMV suspends your license only if you don’t make an SR-22 filing within 30 days after the crash, and the suspension lasts until you file or the filing requirement ends. Not filing in time is also a Class B traffic violation. DMV’s March 2026 rule order says that if you request a hearing in time, it’s held before the suspension starts, and the suspension waits for the result.
If your insurer has denied coverage for the crash, the DFR memo says DMV won’t change its uninsured finding unless you provide a statement on the insurer’s letterhead signed by an authorized employee. RateFrog’s guide to what happens when insurance lapses covers the broader risks.
False Proof of Insurance
Lying about insurance is treated far more seriously than driving without it. Under ORS 806.050, knowingly certifying that you have insurance when you don’t is a Class A misdemeanor, and a conviction brings at least three consecutive days in jail that the court can’t suspend. Other kinds of falsification under that law are Class B misdemeanors.
SR-22 Filings in Oregon
Oregon law calls an SR-22 a future responsibility filing. It’s a certificate your insurer sends to DMV, and the insurer has to tell DMV if the policy is canceled. According to DMV’s SR-22 page, you may need one after a crash while uninsured, a conviction for driving uninsured or DUII, or when you apply for a hardship permit, and the page says that list isn’t complete. To avoid a suspension, the SR-22 has to reach DMV by 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before it begins.
How long the filing lasts depends on why it’s required:
- Conviction for driving uninsured: one year for convictions on or after January 1, 2026
- Uninsured crash: official sources don’t agree on the period, so ask DMV what applies to you
- DUII conviction: ORS 806.075 sets a three-year filing with its own coverage amounts, so confirm the details with DMV
For suspensions recorded on or after July 3, 2020, DMV’s rules start the filing period when your driving privileges are reinstated. If the policy behind your SR-22 is canceled during the filing period, DMV can suspend your license until you comply. RateFrog’s SR-22 guide explains how these filings work in general.
If You Can’t Find Coverage
The Automobile Insurance Plan of Oregon offers coverage to eligible drivers who can’t get it in the regular market. According to AIPSO, the plan is run by the Western Association of Automobile Insurance Plans (WAAIP), which you can reach at 800-227-4659. Applications go through an insurance agent. Under ORS 742.570, an insurer that cancels or won’t renew your policy has to include a notice that you may be eligible for the plan.
How Oregon Insurers Set Rates
DFR’s auto insurance page says premiums reflect your driving record for the past three years. Credit is allowed with limits. Under ORS 746.661, an insurer can’t:
- Cancel or nonrenew a policy that has been in effect more than 60 days based on your credit history or insurance score
- Decline you at initial underwriting based on credit unless it uses other substantive underwriting factors too
- Re-rate your policy at renewal based on credit, except in limited cases the law allows
A 2025 bill, House Bill 3423, would have banned credit and other factors in auto rating, but it stayed in committee and didn’t become law.
Drivers 55 and older can get a discount. Under ORS 742.490, insurers have to reduce premiums for one vehicle when the principal operator is 55 or older and has completed an accident prevention course approved by the Oregon Department of Transportation, as long as nobody under 25 regularly drives it. Under ORS 742.492, it lasts three years after the course, or two years if you’re 70 or older. The law doesn’t set a percentage. RateFrog’s guide to the factors that affect car insurance rates covers the rest.
Cancellation and Nonrenewal Rules
These rules cover individually owned private passenger vehicles. ORS 742.560 leaves out policies issued through the assigned risk plan and policies covering more than four cars. Once a policy has been in effect for 60 days, or if it’s a renewal, ORS 742.562 limits cancellation to a few reasons: nonpayment, fraud or material misrepresentation, violating the policy’s terms or conditions, or a license suspension or revocation for the named insured or a regular driver. A suspension for a nondriving offense doesn’t count.
Under ORS 742.564, the insurer has to give at least 10 days’ notice for nonpayment and at least 30 days’ notice for other reasons, with the reason stated. DFR’s FAQ says the 10-day notice can be printed on your bill, and insurers may give you more time to pay but don’t have to. RateFrog’s guide to car insurance grace periods explains what usually happens when a payment is late.
For nonrenewal, ORS 742.566 requires at least 30 days’ advance notice with the reasons, unless the insurer already sent a notice of expiration or cancellation at least 30 days before the policy ends.
Is Oregon’s Minimum Coverage Enough?
A 25/50/20 policy can run out quickly in a serious crash, and $20,000 of property damage coverage may not replace a newer car. If a claim is more than your limits, you could owe the rest. Lowering your UM limits saves money, but those limits also cap what you can collect from an uninsured or underinsured driver. The required coverages don’t pay to repair your own car after a crash you cause.
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
For problems with an insurer, such as a cancellation, claim or premium, contact DFR at 888-877-4894 (toll-free) or 503-378-4140, or file through its complaint page. For SR-22 filings, license suspensions and crash reports, contact DMV at 503-945-5000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Reject Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Oregon?
No. You can choose UM limits lower than your liability limits by signing a written election, but they can’t go below $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash.
Is Oregon a No-Fault State?
Oregon requires PIP, which pays medical, income and other benefits through your own policy. Its PIP statutes don’t include a lawsuit threshold like those in some no-fault states.
What Is the Fine for Driving Without Insurance in Oregon?
It’s a Class B traffic violation with a presumptive fine of $265 and a maximum of $1,000. The presumptive fine is $525 in a highway work zone, posted school zone or safety corridor.
How Long Do I Need an SR-22 After Driving Uninsured in Oregon?
For a conviction on or after January 1, 2026, the filing lasts one year. For an uninsured crash or a DUII, the period can differ, so ask DMV what applies to you.
Sources
- Oregon DMV: Minimum Insurance Requirements
- Oregon DMV: SR-22
- Oregon DMV: Accident Reports
- Oregon DMV: Permanent Administrative Order DMV 5-2026
- Oregon DFR: DMV Notice, Senate Bill 840 Insurance Provisions
- Oregon DFR: Auto Insurance
- Oregon DFR: Auto Insurance FAQs
- ORS Chapter 806
- ORS Chapter 809
- ORS Chapter 153
- ORS 742.447
- ORS 742.490
- ORS 742.492
- ORS 742.502
- ORS 742.504
- ORS 742.510
- ORS 742.520
- ORS 742.524
- ORS 742.560
- ORS 742.562
- ORS 742.564
- ORS 742.566
- ORS 742.570
- ORS 746.661
- ORS 806.050
- ORS 806.075
- ORS 806.150
- ORS 809.720
- Oregon Laws 2015, Chapter 5 (Senate Bill 411)
- Oregon Legislature: House Bill 3423 (2025)
- AIPSO: Automobile Insurance Plan of Oregon
- Oregon DFR: File a Complaint