Washington, DC Car Insurance
Washington, DC is a federal district, not a state, but it is its own motor-vehicle insurance jurisdiction. DC drivers must carry 25/50/10 liability plus compulsory 25/50 UM BI + $5,000 UM PD under D.C. Code § 31-24061. PIP is auto-included unless rejected in writing under § 31-24042, and a 60-day post-accident election under § 31-2405 decides whether a claim flows through PIP (with a tort threshold) or stays in tort3.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
Not a state. DC is a federal district with its own code (D.C. Code), its own DMV, and its own insurance regulator (DISB). The rules on this page apply only in DC; moving across the Potomac to Virginia or Maryland changes the entire framework5.
Modified add-on PIP with an election. After a crash you have 60 days to decide between no-fault PIP benefits and preserving a full tort action. Electing PIP generally caps tort recovery for non-economic damages below the statutory threshold3.
How to make a real decision. Treat 25/50/10 + UM floors as the floor. For how to think about higher limits, see how to choose coverage limits.
State requirements at a glance
What Washington, DC car insurance law requires
Minimum liability limits
25 / 50 / 101
$25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $10,000 property damage per accident, under D.C. Code § 31-2406 (Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act).
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Must offer; auto-included unless rejected2
Under the Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act (D.C. Code § 31-2404), every DC personal auto policy includes PIP unless the named insured rejects it in writing. Statutory floors are $100,000 medical, $12,000 lost wages, and $4,000 funeral benefits.
60-day no-fault election
Elect PIP or tort within 60 days3
D.C. Code § 31-2405 gives an injured insured 60 days after a DC auto accident to elect no-fault PIP benefits. Electing PIP generally limits tort recovery to cases meeting the statutory threshold; declining PIP preserves the full tort action.
Uninsured Motorist (UM)
25 / 50 BI + $5,000 PD required1
D.C. Code § 31-2406 requires UM at 25/50 bodily injury plus $5,000 property damage on every DC personal auto policy. UM is compulsory, not merely must-offer.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM)
Must offer1
UIM is must-offer under D.C. Code § 31-2406; the named insured may reject UIM in writing.
Coverage verification
DC DMV insurance verification4
The DC DMV administers insurance verification. Confirmed lapse under D.C. Code § 50-1301.03 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus statutory penalties.
Rate approval regime
DISB oversight5
DC does not maintain a headline prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring as a personal-auto rating factor. Rating is overseen by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking through filings.
25/50/10 compulsory liability
D.C. Code § 31-2406 compels every registered DC vehicle to carry 25/50/10 liability1. Many DC drivers carry higher limits.
PIP auto-included under D.C. Code § 31-2404
Every DC personal auto policy includes PIP unless the named insured rejects it in writing2. Statutory floors are $100,000 medical, $12,000 lost wages, and $4,000 funeral benefits. For how PIP works, see our PIP coverage guide.
UM required at 25/50 + $5,000 PD; UIM must-offer
D.C. Code § 31-2406 requires UM at 25/50 bodily injury plus $5,000 property damage on every DC personal auto policy1. UIM is must-offer under the same section; the named insured may reject UIM in writing.
DMV verification and lapse enforcement
The DC DMV administers insurance verification6. A confirmed lapse under D.C. Code § 50-1301.03 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus statutory penalties4. For a general lapse treatment, see our after-a-lapse guide.
Rating-factor landscape
DC does not maintain a headline prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring as a personal-auto rating factor5. Rating is overseen by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) through filings.
Where the DC situation rules live on YesWeSure
This jurisdiction guide owns the DC pricing and legal framework. Situation-specific mechanics live on the sibling Situation guides:
- After an accident. See our after-an-accident guide.
- After a DUI. DC SR-22 and reinstatement mechanics are treated in our after-a-DUI guide.
- After a lapse. DMV consequences of a lapse are treated in our after-a-lapse guide.
- Moving into DC. New-resident registration is treated in our moving-to-another-state guide.
What we verified for this page
- Strong25/50/10 compulsory liability under D.C. Code § 31-2406 verified against the statute.
- StrongPIP auto-included unless rejected in writing under D.C. Code § 31-2404 verified against the statute. Consistent with the frozen YesWeSure medical-payments guide noting DC as a PIP jurisdiction; no conflict.
- Strong60-day no-fault election under D.C. Code § 31-2405 verified against the statute. DC uses an unusual election framework: electing PIP after a crash generally gives up full tort recovery for non-economic damages below the threshold.
- StrongUM compulsory at 25/50 BI + $5,000 PD under D.C. Code § 31-2406 verified against the statute. UM is compulsory, not merely must-offer.
- StrongUIM must-offer under D.C. Code § 31-2406 verified against the statute. UIM is not required at the floor; the named insured may reject UIM in writing.
- StrongDC DMV insurance verification under D.C. Code § 50-1301.03 verified against the statute and the DC DMV consumer page.
- StrongWashington, DC is a federal district, not a state. It is covered here as its own motor-vehicle insurance jurisdiction with its own code, DMV, and insurance regulator (DISB). Statutory citations use the D.C. Code, not any state code.
- LimitedDeliberately omitted from V1. A DC modeled cost anchor; carrier-specific DC underwriting; the exact SR-22 duration (deferred to the after-a-DUI guide); and telematics program detail.
- LimitedNamed author and expert reviewer. V1 attributes to "YesWeSure Editorial." A DC-licensed reviewer is tracked as a pre-launch YMYL item.
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Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Washington, DC?
25/50/10 liability plus compulsory 25/50 UM BI + $5,000 UM PD under D.C. Code § 31-24061, with PIP auto-included unless rejected in writing under § 31-24042.
Is DC a no-fault state?
DC is a federal district (not a state) that uses a modified add-on PIP framework. After an accident, an injured insured has 60 days under D.C. Code § 31-2405 to elect no-fault PIP benefits or preserve a full tort action3.
Can I decline PIP in DC?
Yes, but only in writing. PIP auto-attaches to every DC policy under D.C. Code § 31-2404; the named insured must affirmatively reject it in writing2.
Sources & methodology
- D.C. Code § 31-2406: compulsory motor vehicle insurance; 25/50/10 compulsory liability plus 25/50 UM BI and $5,000 UM PD. (Council of the District of Columbia, TIER 1)
- D.C. Code § 31-2404: Personal Injury Protection benefits under the Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act. (Council of the District of Columbia, TIER 1)
- D.C. Code § 31-2405: 60-day election of no-fault PIP benefits; tort threshold for non-economic damages when PIP is elected. (Council of the District of Columbia, TIER 1)
- D.C. Code § 50-1301.03: compulsory motor vehicle insurance; penalties and registration suspension for lapse. (Council of the District of Columbia, TIER 1)
- DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking: Automobile Insurance consumer page. (District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, TIER 1)
- DC DMV: Insurance Requirements consumer page. (DC Department of Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after an accident (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a DUI (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a lapse in coverage (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when moving to another state (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Personal injury protection (PIP) (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How to choose coverage limits (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How insurers calculate rates (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (D.C. Code, DC Department of Insurance Securities and Banking, DC DMV). Every legal number traces to a DC primary source: D.C. Code §§ 31-2404, 31-2405, 31-2406; § 50-1301.03. This page is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or insurance advice. Last reviewed .