Car Insurance Laws in Oregon

Oregon will accept either an insurance card, the policy itself, a letter on the letterhead of the insurance company signed by an agent or company official, or a DMV Certificate of Self Insurance as proof that you have insured your car.

Every car owner must have bodily injury and property damage in the amount of $25,000 per person, $50,000 for bodily injury to others for every crash, and $10,000 for damage to the property of others for each accident. You must also carry Personal Injury Protection in the amount of $15,000 per person to cover reasonable and necessary medical, dental and other expenses that occur for a period of one year after an accident. You must also have Uninsured Motorist Coverage in the amount of $25,000 for each person and $50,000 for each claim to cover bodily injury.

There are certain vehicles that are exempt - an antique that has permanent antique registrations, a farm trailer or tractor, any vehicle used for crops or animals, any vehicle that is used only for exhibitions, parades, club activities, a snowmobile, a class 1 or 2 ATV, any vehicle that is not operated on the streets or highways as long as the DOT has been notified, a motor assisted scooter, and an electric personal assistive mobility device.

If you are caught driving without insurance in Oregon, you could be fined, have your driver's license suspended and have your vehicle towed away, which will result in a fee for the towing as well as for storage of the vehicle. You will also have to fill out a form proving your future financial responsibility. The form - called an SR-22 -- must come from an insurance company licensed in the State of Oregon that certifies you have liability insurance that meets at least the minimum requirements, and you must carry this form for three years. When an SR-22 is in effect, the insurance company will notify the State in the event either you or the company cancels the insurance. If you do not submit a new form within 30 days, your license will be suspended. If you are in an accident and uninsured, you will have your license suspended for a period of 1 year. After the year is up, you can only get your license back by submitting the SR-22 for three years.

Every month the Oregon DMV will pick out vehicles at random to check if they are insured or not. You will have to provide your insurance information, which they will then verify. If you do not supply the information, your license will be suspended. If you do not have insurance, you will have to file the SR-22 for three years to regain the use of your license.