Short answer: The District of Columbia requires continuous auto insurance while a vehicle is registered: $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury liability, $10,000 property damage liability, and $25,000/$50,000 uninsured-motorist bodily injury plus $5,000 uninsured-motorist property damage with a $200 deductible. Personal injury protection remains optional—insurers must offer PIP coverage, but named insureds may decline it.
Required coverages
The DC DMV Vehicle Insurance page and D.C. Code § 31-2406 set the compulsory package:
| Coverage | District minimum |
|---|---|
| Third-party bodily injury liability | $25,000 / $50,000 |
| Property damage liability | $10,000 |
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury | $25,000 / $50,000 |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | $5,000 ($200 deductible) |
Under § 31-2403, residents must maintain that insurance continuously during registration or reciprocity. Nonresidents must maintain it while operating in the District. Applicants certify coverage at registration; DMV may verify with the insurer and suspend registration if coverage lapses, with immobilization possible until insurance is restored.
Why people still call DC a no-fault jurisdiction
Chapter 24 is titled Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance, but the no-fault piece that pays your own medical bills—PIP—is not mandatory. § 31-2404 requires each insurer to offer optional PIP covering medical and rehabilitation expenses, work loss and funeral benefits, paid without regard to fault, for insureds and occupants of the insured vehicle. You may buy any one or any combination of the three coverages.
If you elect PIP, statute sets floors that insurers must make available:
- Medical and rehabilitation benefits of not less than $50,000 per victim (with a $100,000 option)
- Work-loss benefits of not less than $12,000 (with a $24,000 option), including replacement-services loss for the first three years
- Funeral and funeral-related benefits for actual costs up to $4,000
Electing PIP affects how you pursue fault-based claims; read the policy and § 31-2405 rules before you choose. Taxicab insurers and self-insurers are exempt from the duty to offer PIP.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist details
Mandatory UM is built into every District policy at the limits above. Named insureds may buy higher UM amounts up to $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage. Underinsured motorist coverage must be offered (except for motorcycles and motor-driven cycles) in amounts up to the UM coverage you carry; once rejected, the insurer need not re-offer or keep written rejections on file.
Identification cards
For policies issued or reissued after January 1, 2007, insurers must provide at least two Insurance Identification Cards, and a card or electronic image must be carried in the insured vehicle for production on demand.
Upcoming law changes after 2027
D.C. Law 26-155 amends parts of § 31-2406 with an applicability date of October 1, 2027. Until that date, the limits and offer rules described above remain the ones DMV and the Code apply. When you renew in late 2027 or after, re-check the DMV insurance page and the Code notes for any new mandatory coverages or limit changes rather than relying on an older declarations page.
Coordination with other insurance
Section 31-2406(g) restricts a victim from claiming PIP benefits—other than to cover a deductible—when another insurer or coverage is available for the same loss, unless those other benefits are exhausted. If you carry health insurance or med-pay on another policy, ask how PIP coordinates before you elect it, so you are not surprised by an exhaustion rule after a crash.
SR-22 style reporting after revocation
Section 31-2406(h) allows the Director to require a person whose license or registration was revoked to obtain coverage that includes additional reporting obligations, including SR-22 insurance coverage, before issuance or reinstatement. If you are reinstating after an uninsured suspension, budget for the carrier filing—not only for the liability limits themselves.
Underinsured motorist is optional—once
Unlike mandatory UM, underinsured motorist coverage is an offer you can reject. After rejection, the insurer does not have to re-offer or keep written rejection forms. If your financial situation changes, you must ask to add UIM; it will not automatically reappear at renewal the way some states re-offer every term.
Bottom line
DC requires liability and UM continuously; PIP is a powerful optional no-fault add-on, not a compulsory cover. Compare states in our car insurance minimums by state table.
Questions? Contact Alishahi Insurance or call (877) 711-4545. See insurance in Washington, DC and auto insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is PIP required in the District of Columbia?
No. Insurers must offer optional PIP, but named insureds may decline it. Liability and uninsured motorist coverages are required.
What are DC's minimum auto insurance limits?
$25,000/$50,000 bodily injury liability, $10,000 property damage, plus $25,000/$50,000 UM bodily injury and $5,000 UM property damage.
How much medical PIP can I buy in DC?
If you elect medical PIP, insurers must offer packages with at least $50,000 and $100,000 of medical and rehabilitation coverage per victim.
Must nonresidents carry DC insurance to drive in the District?
Yes. Nonresident owners must maintain the insurance required by § 31-2406 while the vehicle is operated in the District.
What happens if DC registration insurance lapses?
DMV may suspend the registration after notice; the vehicle can be immobilized until coverage is restored and fees and fines are paid.
Alishahi Insurance · 439 N Canon Dr, Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 · (877) 711-4545 · CA License #4348151. General information only. This isn't legal, tax or financial advice or a coverage determination. Coverage depends on policy language and underwriting, and rules vary by state.