Auto Insurance Requirements in Rhode Island

The State of Rhode Island requires all of its motorists to carry liability auto insurance in minimum coverage amounts of 25/50/25 per accident. You must be ready to provide your insurance information, including the name of your insurance company and the start and end dates of your policy, on your RI vehicle registration application.

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You need to maintain valid auto insurance that at least meets the state's minimums while your vehicle is registered in Vermont. Any law enforcement officers who pull you over on the road may ask you to present proof of insurance, such as a copy of your insurance ID card.

Rhode Island car insurance minimum requirements

There are many types of car insurance coverages available for purchase, but you only need liability insurance to satisfy Rhode Island's safety responsibility law. At the very minimum, your liability insurance must contain the following coverages in these limits:

Bodily injury (BI): $25,000/person and $50,000/accident

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Property damage (PD): $25,000/accident

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Uninsured motorist coverage in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island insurance code requires every auto insurance company licensed in the state to include UM/UIM for bodily injury (UM/UIMBI) every time it issues a new policy, but not if it's a policy with the minimum coverages. However, UM/UIMBI becomes a required coverage when you purchase BI with limits higher than the 25/50 minimums.

Among the 50 states in the US, Rhode Island has one of the highest percentages of uninsured motorist cases out of the total number of insurance claims (16.5% in 2019). UM/UIM coverage is your protection against the chances of running into a driver who either has less than the minimum required coverage or none at all. Here are the available coverages in the Ocean State:

Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury (UM/UIMBI): Whenever you are hurt in an accident caused by an uninsured driver in Rhode Island, your UM/UIMBI covers your medical costs, which would have been paid out by the negligent driver's insurer if they'd had a policy. The minimum amount of UM/UIM you need to carry, when the coverage is required, is 25/50. For example, when you purchase BI with limits of 100/200, UM/UIM is required to be at least 25/50, up to the highest limits of 100/200.

In the state, your UM/UIMBI also extends to an underinsured situation, in which the negligent driver's BI coverage is lower than your UM/UIMBI limits.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage (UM/UIMPD): Rhode Island is one of the few states that offer UM/UIMPD coverage, which pays for your own vehicle repairs or loss in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. This coverage is completely optional — and sometimes redundant, if you already have collision coverage in your policy.

Cheapest companies in Rhode Island for minimum liability

Alternative proof of financial responsibility

If you get into an accident that results in property damage, injury to another person or even the death of someone, owning an insurance policy can exempt you from providing extra security — or proof of financial responsibility. We don't recommend doing so, but you may choose to satisfy the law through one of the following means:

Surety bond: A surety bond issued by a licensed surety company can be accepted as your security after an accident. This bond is only valid if its terms state that the surety company will pay for any bodily injuries and property damage you cause in an accident, up to the same limits as a minimum policy (25/50/25). You should know that the main difference between a policy and a bond is that a surety company will make you pay the money back.

Certificate of deposit: You can get this certificate from the Rhode Island general treasurer if you submit two things: $60,000 in cash or securities (such as a government bond or note, which can be legally purchased by savings banks), plus proof, if you were ever involved in an accident before, that there are no records of unsatisfied judgments against you in the county where you live.