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Hit by an uninsured driver in the District of Columbia: coverage, penalties and what to do

Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.

Short answer

Driving or letting your car be driven without required insurance: civil fine of $500 and/or license suspension up to 30 days for a first offense, 50% higher fine and up to 60 days for later offenses, plus registration consequences (D.C. Code § 31-2413). Uninsured motorist coverage is required: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for injuries and $5,000 for property damage (rising to 50/100/20 on Oct. 1, 2027).

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Required
Minimum liability
25/50/10
Insurance system
Choice no-fault

Uninsured motorist coverage in the District of Columbia

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
Uninsured motorist coverage is required: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for injuries and $5,000 for property damage (rising to 50/100/20 on Oct. 1, 2027). Insurers must offer underinsured motorist coverage.
Liability minimum
25/50/10 now; rises to 50/100/20 on October 1, 2027 (D.C. Law 26-155)
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in the District of Columbia

  • If the other driver has no insurance, your required uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and up to $5,000 of property damage, with a $200 deductible for property damage (D.C. Code § 31-2406(f)).

Penalties for driving uninsured in the District of Columbia

  • Driving or letting your car be driven without required insurance: civil fine of $500 and/or license suspension up to 30 days for a first offense, 50% higher fine and up to 60 days for later offenses, plus registration consequences (D.C. Code § 31-2413).

No-fault benefits in the District of Columbia

District of Columbia uses a choice system: drivers choose options that decide how injury claims work, such as no-fault benefits or limits on suing for pain and suffering. The details are below. Fault-based with an optional no-fault choice. Insurers must offer personal injury protection (PIP), but it is optional.

More facts for the District of Columbia

  • Minimum liability and uninsured motorist limits double to 50/100/20 on October 1, 2027 (D.C. Law 26-155).

Recent changes in the District of Columbia

  • D.C. Law 26-155, the Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Amendment Act of 2026 (law effective Aug. 14, 2026), raises minimum liability from 25/50/10 to 50/100/20 and uninsured motorist coverage to 50/100/20, adds enhanced underinsured motorist coverage, and adds automatic increases every 10 years from 2037.

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in the District of Columbia

  • D.C. Code § 31-2231.17 bans insurers, as a general practice, from failing to acknowledge claims promptly, failing to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time, and refusing to pay without a reasonable investigation.
  • The statute sets no fixed number of days.

Claiming from the uninsured driver in the District of Columbia

Small claims limit for car damage in the District of Columbia: $10,000 (Superior Court Small Claims and Conciliation Branch). District of Columbia small claims guide on RobinClaim

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in the District of Columbia

  1. Report the crash to the police. If anyone is hurt, call 911 (or have someone call), stay until police arrive, and give your information to police and the injured person. Reporting a crash in the District of Columbia and getting the police report
  2. Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
  3. Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in the District of Columbia it is required.
  4. File your PIP claim on time; District of Columbia's no-fault benefits don't depend on who caused the crash.
  5. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 3 years for both property damage and injury. Deadlines to sue in the District of Columbia, with the calculator

Free help in the District of Columbia

Questions about uninsured drivers in the District of Columbia

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in the District of Columbia?

Uninsured motorist coverage is required: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for injuries and $5,000 for property damage (rising to 50/100/20 on Oct. 1, 2027). Insurers must offer underinsured motorist coverage.

What happens if you drive without insurance in the District of Columbia?

Driving or letting your car be driven without required insurance: civil fine of $500 and/or license suspension up to 30 days for a first offense, 50% higher fine and up to 60 days for later offenses, plus registration consequences (D.C. Code § 31-2413).

What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in the District of Columbia?

If the other driver has no insurance, your required uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and up to $5,000 of property damage, with a $200 deductible for property damage (D.C. Code § 31-2406(f)).

What is the minimum car insurance in the District of Columbia?

25/50/10 now; rises to 50/100/20 on October 1, 2027 (D.C. Law 26-155)

How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in the District of Columbia?

3 years for property damage and 3 years for injury.

How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in the District of Columbia?

D.C. Code § 31-2231.17 bans insurers, as a general practice, from failing to acknowledge claims promptly, failing to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time, and refusing to pay without a reasonable investigation. The statute sets no fixed number of days.

More for the District of Columbia drivers

Nearby states

Sources and last check
Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.