Ohio Automobile Insurance Minimum Coverage Requirements

The required minimum limits for Ohio Car insurance are Bodily Injury Liability Coverage $12,500 per person injured in any one accident and $25,000 for all persons injured in any one accident.

The required minimum limits for Property Damage Liability Coverage is $7,500 for injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.

Consider getting more coverage than the minimum-The value of your assets (what you may have to lose in the event you cause an accident) may help you determine the amount of coverage you should carry. Having additional coverage could protect you and your assets in the event of a serious accident. If you do not have adequate coverage, the law allows the victim to take any assets that you may have in order to cover the costs of any damages that occur.

 In Ohio, it is illegal to drive any motor vehicle without insurance or other proof of financial responsibility (FR). It is also illegal for any motor vehicle owner to allow anyone else to drive the owner's vehicle without FR proof. The purpose of Ohio’s FR law is to assure compensation to victims when injuries or damages are sustained in a crash. There are several ways to comply with Ohio’s FR law but the majority of Ohioans choose to do so by purchasing auto insurance.To comply with the FR requirements, individuals must maintain insurance or get a bond.

FR proof: When stopped for a moving violation or vehicle safety check you are required to show FR proof. This is in addition to providing proof at a traffic court appearance or upon written request from the BMV. Insurance companies issue “auto insurance ID cards” to new and renewal policyholders. These ID cards are accepted as FR proof.
As a licensed vehicle owner, you are also a candidate for the BMV’s random verification program by mail. Copies of the auto ID card, your auto insurance declaration page or authorized FR bond satisfy as proof.

Ohio law requires the following for insurance coverage:
   
      If a person purchases automobile insurance, the state requires the person to purchase Bodily Injury Liability Coverage as well as Property Damage Liability Coverage.
   
      A motor vehicle liability insurance policy. Insurance cards are issued by an insurer to the policyholder for each motor vehicle insured under a motor vehicle liability insurance policy;
   
      A certificate of proof of financial responsibility on a form prescribed by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).