Utah auto insurance laws require every vehicle owner to carry liability coverage of at least 30/65/25, along with personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage, before driving on public roads. These minimums took effect for any policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. Driving without them is a criminal offense that leads to fines, license suspension, and a three-year SR-22 filing obligation.
Minimum Liability Limits
The 30/65/25 shorthand breaks down like this. Your policy must cover at least $30,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in a single accident, $65,000 total when two or more people are hurt in one accident (with no single person receiving more than the $30,000 per-person cap), and $25,000 for property damage in a single accident.
A driver can also satisfy the requirement with a combined single limit of $90,000 per accident, which applies to all bodily injury and property damage together rather than splitting the coverage into separate buckets.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-304 – Motor Vehicle Liability Policy Minimum Limits
These are floors, not recommendations. Liability coverage pays only the other party’s injuries and property damage when you’re at fault; it does nothing for your own medical bills or vehicle repairs. If the damages you cause exceed your policy limits, you owe the difference personally. That’s why many drivers carry more than the minimum.
Personal Injury Protection
Utah is a no-fault state, so your own insurer pays your immediate expenses after a crash regardless of who caused it. Every auto policy must include Personal Injury Protection.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-302 – Required Components of Motor Vehicle Insurance Policies PIP covers:
- At least $3,000 per person in medical expenses, including surgery, dental work, rehabilitation, and hospital stays
- Lost wages at the lesser of $250 per week or 85 percent of your actual income loss, payable for up to 52 consecutive weeks (the first three days are excluded unless the disability lasts more than two consecutive weeks)
- Up to $20 per day in household services for a maximum of 365 days if your injuries keep you from tasks like cooking or cleaning, with the same three-day waiting period
- Up to $1,500 per person for funeral and burial costs
- A $3,000 death benefit paid to the deceased person’s heirs3Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-307 – Personal Injury Protection Coverages and Benefits
PIP is not required on motorcycles, off-highway vehicles, street-legal ATVs, trailers, or semitrailers.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-302 – Required Components of Motor Vehicle Insurance Policies Motorcycle riders don’t get the automatic no-fault protections that car drivers have.
When You Can Sue the At-Fault Driver
Because the no-fault system routes immediate costs through PIP, you can’t automatically sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering or other non-economic losses. You can step outside the no-fault system only if your injuries meet at least one of these thresholds:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Permanent disability or impairment supported by objective medical findings
- Permanent disfigurement
- A bone fracture
- Medical expenses exceeding $3,0004Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-309 – Limitations, Exclusions, and Conditions to Personal Injury Protection
The $3,000 medical threshold is the one most drivers hit. Modern emergency room costs push even moderate collisions past that line quickly. If none of the thresholds apply, PIP is the extent of your recovery. One exception: the lawsuit restriction does not apply to an uninsured motorist claim against your own insurer when the other driver had no coverage.4Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-309 – Limitations, Exclusions, and Conditions to Personal Injury Protection
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Every auto policy in Utah must include Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage. UM covers you when the at-fault driver carries no insurance. UIM covers you when the other driver’s policy is too small to pay your damages.5Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-305 – Uninsured Motorist Coverage
By default, both coverages are set at the lesser of your own liability limits or the maximum UM/UIM limits your insurer offers. You can reject either coverage or buy it at a lower amount, but only by signing a specific acknowledgment form your insurer provides. That form is filed with the Utah Insurance Department. Without a signed rejection, the default limits apply automatically.6Utah Legislature. Utah Code 31A-22-305.3 – Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Proof of Insurance and the Insure-Rite Database
Buying a policy isn’t enough. You must carry proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times, either as a paper card or on a mobile device, and produce it when an officer asks.7Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-12a-303.2 – Evidence of Owners or Operators Security to Be Carried When Operating Motor Vehicle
Utah also runs the Uninsured Motorist Identification Database Program, known as Insure-Rite. Insurance companies report active policy data to the state, and that data is matched against vehicle registrations. Law enforcement and the DMV use the database to flag vehicles without coverage.8Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-12a-803 – Uninsured Motorist Identification Database Program If the database confirms coverage during a traffic stop, an officer cannot cite you for lacking proof even if you forgot your card.7Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-12a-303.2 – Evidence of Owners or Operators Security to Be Carried When Operating Motor Vehicle
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance
Driving uninsured is a class C misdemeanor in Utah.9Utah Legislature. Utah Code 76-3-204 – Misdemeanor Conviction – Term of Imprisonment The fines escalate:
- First offense: minimum $400 fine
- Second or later offense within three years: minimum $1,000 fine10Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-12a-302 – Operating Motor Vehicle Without Owners or Operators Security – Penalty
A conviction also triggers automatic suspension of your driver’s license. To get it back, you pay a $40 reinstatement fee and file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility with the Driver License Division.11Utah Driver License Division. Reinstatement An SR-22 is a guarantee from your insurer that you’re carrying at least the minimum required coverage. Your insurer reports directly to the state, and any lapse gets flagged immediately.
The SR-22 requirement lasts three years from the conviction date. Any gap in coverage during that window restarts the clock. Insurers typically charge significantly higher premiums to drivers who need an SR-22, so the real cost runs well beyond the filing fee. If you surrender your registration during the three-year period and later try to re-register a vehicle, you’ll need active SR-22 proof for the remainder of that period before the state will approve the registration.12Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-12a-411 – Duration of Proof of Owners or Operators Security
Rideshare and Delivery Driving
If you drive for Uber, Lyft, or a delivery service, your personal auto policy likely won’t cover you during all phases of the work. Standard personal policies exclude vehicles used as public transportation or for compensated delivery. The gap is worst during the period when you have the app on but haven’t accepted a ride: the rideshare company’s coverage in that phase is limited, and your personal insurer may deny the claim outright.
Once you accept a ride and pick up the passenger, the rideshare company’s commercial policy is active. The transitions between personal and commercial coverage are where claims get denied. If you drive for any app-based service, ask your insurer about a rideshare endorsement or a hybrid personal-commercial policy. Failing to disclose the commercial use can result in a denied claim or policy cancellation at the worst possible time.