What auto insurance does Oregon require?

What each coverage is for

Bodily injury liability pays other people’s medical costs when you cause a crash. The two numbers are a per-person cap and a per-crash cap — $25,000 for any one injured person, $50,000 total no matter how many people are hurt.

Property damage liability pays for what you damage: their car, a fence, a storefront. Oregon sets that at $20,000.

Personal injury protection is the coverage people forget they have. It pays your own medical bills regardless of fault, up to $15,000, and it pays first — before health insurance. Oregon is one of a minority of states that requires it.

Uninsured motorist coverage pays your injuries when the person who hit you has no insurance. Given how many drivers carry nothing, this is the one worth more than its minimum.

What Oregon does not require

Nothing on the required list repairs your own vehicle. Collision and comprehensive are both optional in Oregon, and a lender will usually require them if you have a loan or lease.

Underinsured motorist coverage — for when the other driver has insurance but not enough — is bundled with uninsured motorist in Oregon at the same limits.

Driving without it

Oregon requires proof of insurance at registration and at any traffic stop. Driving uninsured can mean a fine, suspension of driving privileges, and a future SR-22 filing requirement, which raises what you pay for years afterward.