Oregon’s mandatory insurance law ORS 806.010 requires every driver to have insurance on their registered vehicle for the following coverages:
The minimum liability insurance a driver must have is Bodily Injury Liability $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident,
Property Damage Liability $20,000 per accident,
Personal Injury Protection for reasonable and necessary medical, dental, and other expenses up to one year after a crash in the amount of $15,000 per person, and
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident.
You must prove that you have this insurance when registering a vehicle or buying a trip permit. Keep insurance on a vehicle as long as you maintain it in your name. This means the car parked in your driveway undriven for a year but with current tags needs to be insured according to the law. Why? Because at any moment, someone might drive it, and the owner is responsible for what happens to others with that car.
The State of Oregon DMV selects a random list of registered automobiles to inquire about insurance status if they do not show a current policy on the DMV records. To avoid being named on this list, surrender the plates to the DMV and re-register the vehicle when ready to return it to service. If you cannot provide proof of insurance as of the date they inquire, the car’s owner may be required to submit SR22 for three years.
Insurance carriers automatically update DMV records and are utilized by police officers in the field to check for insurance status before stopping a driver. If insurance fails to appear in the system, you must demonstrate that you just purchased the vehicle and show the officer a recent insurance identification card. An incorrect vehicle identification number given to the company or agent might cause the failure of the insurance appearing in the system.
Although the limits you have selected on your auto insurance policy may be higher than the Oregon State minimum requirements listed above, they will not appear on the Oregon Certificate of Liability Insurance card. The certificate demonstrates that you have complied with at least the minimum requirements. The law requires you, the driver, to be able to locate this certificate or proof of insurance immediately when a law enforcement officer pulls you over. You must also present the certificate when you register a car coming from another state or if it has expired tags.
Most importantly, you must be able to present your proof of insurance at the time of an accident, no matter who is at fault. You are required to share your personal information that appears on the Oregon Certificate of Insurance card with the other driver and law enforcement if they are called to the scene of an accident. Failure to cooperate with the other driver or a police officer by providing your information may lead to severe consequences and hefty fines for failure in your duty at the scene of an accident.
In addition to the proof of insurance, you must also carry your valid driver’s license and automobile registration. Having these documents at hand will avoid additional problems at the time of an accident or when a law enforcement officer may detain you. Find an accessible place in your automobile to store your registration and proof of insurance. Practice locating them to find them easily after an accident or when an officer pulls you over when you are under enormous stress.
In the State of Oregon, a law enforcement officer may impound your automobile or motorcycle for failing to carry a current Oregon Certificate of Liability Insurance card. You will have to pay the cost of obtaining a Certificate of Release from the law enforcement agency that impounded your car. Then, you must pay for the expense of towing and storage fees.
So, be sure you have purchased at least the minimum auto insurance from your Independent Agent like us at Pulse Insurance. Ask them for a proof of insurance card to carry in the automobile. If you lend your car to someone, ensure the driver knows where the insurance card and registration are. Just because the DMV has your automobile on record doesn’t mean an officer can’t have your car impounded if the driver cannot produce a proof of insurance card.