Minimum requirements and how to get cheap auto insurance in Connecticut
How can your friends in Alaska get away with legally driving without car insurance while you’re required to carry at least a minimum? The federal government leaves much of the minimum coverages, rules and rights of legal drivers up to the states themselves.
To legally drive in Connecticut, you’re required to carry liability insurance. But unlike many other states, you’re also required to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance to help with medical bills should you find yourself in an accident caused by a driver with no or little coverage.
When driving in the Constitution State, you must keep hard-copy proof of your car insurance — either your policy’s declaration page or your permanent ID card — in your car at all times or face up to $50 in fines. State law does not allow you to present a digital version of your ID on your phone or tablet to prove coverage.
Harsher still, if you lend your uninsured car to a friend and they get caught, the burden of responsibility falls on you: the car’s owner. Your friend? They pay up to $1,000 in fines on top of the penalties for driving an uninsured vehicle.
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Depending on your state of residence, you face varying minimum requirements for car insurance. In Connecticut, you can’t legally drive unless you carry liability insurance that includes at least:
When shopping for car insurance, you may see these liability limits written as 20/40/10.
Some 20 states mandate that its drivers also carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which protects a driver if they’re involved in an accident with another driver that isn’t adequately covered by a car insurance policy. Connecticut is one of those states, requiring:
Most car insurance providers in Connecticut offer optional coverage for additional financial protection and peace of mind:
You might need an SR-22 if you’ve gotten a DUI, lost your license or have too many points on your driving record. SR-22 tells the state you have the minimum coverage required to get back behind the wheel.
Even a fender bender can rattle your senses, making it difficult to clearly plod out your next steps. If you’re in an accident, you’ll want to ensure you’re OK and then line up your info to process a car insurance claim.
When you talk to other drivers involved in the accident, avoid admitting or implying fault. If you suggest to anybody that you caused it, your car insurance provider could refuse to pay your claim.
When it comes to uninsured motorists, Connecticut does not mess around. If you’re in an accident or even stopped by the cops and you unable to provide proof of car insurance, you face fines and the suspension of your license, registration and plates — even jail time.
Connecticut is not one of the 12 states that requires drivers to carry no-fault insurance. In states without no-fault coverage, insurance claims are typically paid out:
Connecticut is a tort state, which means that you’re required to pay the medical expenses of any victim of an accident you’re at fault for. Further victims can pursue compensation for lost wages and “pain and suffering” — the legal term for physical and emotional stress resulting from an injury.
In Connecticut, you are required to report an accident to the police immediately if anybody is hurt or killed or if there’s any property damages to any party involved in the accident, regardless of the damage amount.
The police officers at the scene will complete the reports necessary for notification.
Connecticut requires auto insurance coverage for all registered vehicles in the state, regardless of who’s driving the car. Combined with the state’s harsh penalties, the payoff is some of the lowest rates of uninsured motorists in the nation: a mere 8% of all Connecticut drivers. This percentage is well below the national average of 12.6%.
Connecticut is one state where you don’t want to take the risk of driving without car insurance. You’ll need to purchase both liability insurance and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to remain legal under state laws or face a suite of stiff penalties that include fines, suspensions and even a stint in jail.
To get the cheapest coverage for your needs, carefully research your car insurance options when driving in the Nutmeg State.
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