Arkansas car insurance requirements start with a mandatory liability policy of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Every vehicle registered in the state must carry that coverage, and uninsured motorist bodily injury protection is built in on top of it. Drive without insurance and you face fines that climb with each offense, a suspended registration, and in repeat cases, jail.
Minimum Liability Limits
Arkansas Code 27-19-605 sets the floor every driver must meet:1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-19-605 – Requirements as to Policy or Bond
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in a single accident
- $50,000 for total bodily injury or death when two or more people are hurt in the same accident
- $25,000 for property damage per accident
Liability coverage pays the other driver’s medical bills, lost wages, and repair costs when you’re at fault. It doesn’t pay for your own injuries or your own vehicle. And the minimums are a floor, not a ceiling: if damages run past your policy limits, you’re personally responsible for the rest. A moderately serious crash can push past $50,000 in medical bills alone, which is why many Arkansas drivers carry $100,000/$300,000/$100,000 or higher.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage You Can’t Opt Out Of
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage is mandatory in Arkansas. No auto liability policy can be issued in the state without it, at limits no lower than $25,000/$50,000.2Justia. Arkansas Code 23-89-403 – Bodily Injury Coverage Required This is the coverage that pays your medical bills when a driver with no insurance hits you. Unlike the other add-on coverages below, there’s no written rejection option for UM bodily injury.
Coverage Your Insurer Must Offer You
Beyond the mandatory pieces, Arkansas law requires insurers to put several other coverages in front of you before finalizing a policy. You can decline each in writing, but the offer has to happen, and the written rejection has to be on file.
Personal Injury Protection
Every auto policy in Arkansas includes personal injury protection unless the policyholder rejects it in writing.3Justia. Arkansas Code 23-89-202 – Required First Party Coverage PIP pays for your own medical costs, lost income, and funeral expenses no matter who caused the crash. The statutory minimum benefits are:
- Medical and hospital expenses up to $5,000 per person for treatment within 24 months of the accident
- Income disability of 70% of lost wages starting eight days after the accident, capped at $140 per week for up to 52 weeks
- Accidental death benefits paid to the policyholder’s beneficiaries in a fatal crash
PIP covers the named insured, household family members, passengers in the insured vehicle, and pedestrians struck by it. If you never signed a rejection and your insurer has none on file, the coverage is likely part of your policy whether you’re paying attention to it or not.4Justia. Arkansas Code 23-89-203 – Rejection of Coverage
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage
Separate from the mandatory UM bodily injury coverage, insurers must offer uninsured motorist property damage coverage, which pays to repair your vehicle after a hit by an uninsured driver. You can reject it in writing.5FindLaw. Arkansas Code 23-89-404 – Bodily Injury Coverage Required Once you reject it, the insurer doesn’t have to offer it again on renewals unless you submit a new application.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Underinsured motorist coverage is a separate product that pays when the at-fault driver carries insurance but not enough to cover your losses. Insurers must offer it, and you can decline it in writing.6Justia. Arkansas Code 23-89-209 – Underinsured Motorist Coverage One condition: you can only buy UIM if you’ve already elected uninsured motorist coverage. The two work in coordination, and UIM cannot be issued on its own.
How You Prove You’re Covered
Arkansas runs an online insurance verification system that lets law enforcement and the Department of Finance and Administration check any vehicle’s coverage status around the clock.7Justia. Arkansas Code 27-22-204 – Functions of Online Insurance Verification System During a traffic stop or after a crash, officers query the database in real time. If it shows no current coverage, the law creates a rebuttable presumption that the vehicle is uninsured.
Proof of insurance can be shown as a paper card or as an electronic image on your phone or another portable device.8Justia. Arkansas Code 27-22-104 – Insurance Required – Minimum Coverage – Definitions If you can’t produce either and the system doesn’t confirm active coverage, you’ll need to supply documentation afterward to overcome the uninsured presumption.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance
Fines escalate with each offense, and repeat violations carry possible jail time under Arkansas Code 27-22-103:
- First offense: a mandatory fine of $100 to $250
- Second offense: a fine of $250 to $500
- Third or subsequent offense: a fine of $500 to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both
The fine is only part of it. If you can’t show proof of active coverage when your case is resolved, the court orders your vehicle’s registration suspended. It stays suspended until you provide proof of insurance to the Office of Motor Vehicle and pay a $20 reinstatement fee.9Justia. Arkansas Code 27-22-103 – Penalty Driving on a suspended registration stacks additional violations on top, and the cycle compounds fast.
When You’ll Need an SR-22
After certain serious violations, Arkansas may require you to file proof of future financial responsibility: a certificate from your insurance carrier, filed with the Office of Driver Services, confirming you carry at least state-minimum coverage.10FindLaw. Arkansas Code 27-19-712 – Certificate of Insurance as Proof This is commonly called an SR-22. Triggers typically include DUI convictions, at-fault accidents while uninsured, and multiple serious traffic violations.
The standard filing period is three years, with longer terms for more severe or repeated offenses. Your insurer must notify the state if the policy lapses or is canceled, and a lapse triggers a license suspension. Not every company writes SR-22 policies, so expect to shop around, and expect premiums to be considerably higher for the duration of the filing.