Car Insurance in Utah

What do you need to know before buying car insurance in Utah?

Three things set Utah apart. Your own policy pays part of your medical bills after a crash. The legal minimum went up in 2025, so older advice is wrong. And the law on driving uninsured was rewritten in 2026.

The minimum is 30/65/25 liability coverage. That means up to $30,000 for one person you injure, $65,000 for everyone hurt in a crash, and $25,000 for the other side’s property. It does nothing for your own car and nothing for your own injuries. Those come from other parts of the policy.

Many sites still print the older 25/65/15 figure. It applied to policies issued or renewed through the end of 2024. The Insurance Department’s own auto page only says that injury and property liability are required. It gives no dollar amounts, so the numbers here come from the statute.

Is Utah a no-fault state?

Partly. Every Utah policy has to include personal injury protection, called PIP. It is first-party coverage: your insurer pays you, whoever caused the crash. Our guide to fault and no-fault states explains the idea in general terms.

Here is what Utah’s PIP covers, per person:

• Medical bills: at least $3,000. That includes hospital, ambulance, dental, rehab and nursing care.
• Lost income: up to $250 a week, or 85% of what you lose if that is less, for as long as 52 weeks. The first three days are unpaid unless you are out more than two weeks.
• Household help: up to $20 a day for as long as a year.
• Funeral costs: up to $1,500, plus a $3,000 death benefit.

One detail most pages skip: the law prices PIP medical bills against a reference schedule the state builds from charges in its most populous county. If a provider bills far above that schedule, PIP pays the reference price. Ask your insurer how it pays before you choose a provider.

PIP is a small amount. A single emergency visit can use up $3,000. Medical payments or health insurance has to cover the rest. Motorcycles, ATVs and trailers do not need PIP.

Utah also limits when you can sue the other driver for pain and suffering. You can only do it if your medical bills top $3,000, or the injury is a broken bone, a permanent injury or scar, the loss of a limb, or death. An attorney can tell you whether your injuries qualify.

Is the Utah minimum enough?

For most drivers, no. Say you pull out in front of a new pickup and the damage is $41,000. Your $25,000 property limit pays that much and you owe the remaining $16,000. That is an example, not a quote. Or take a crash that sends two people to the hospital: $65,000 for everyone disappears fast. Anything above your limits can be collected from your savings and wages.

Two protections are built in, so check you still have them:

• Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays your injuries if the other driver has no insurance or drives off. It is included unless you sign a form declining it. Without a signed form, the limits default to your liability limits, or the highest your insurer offers if that is lower.
• Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage pays when the other driver’s limits are too low. It is also included unless waived.

Utah’s uninsured rate is lower than most states. The Insurance Research Council estimated 6.2% for 2023, against 15.4% for the country. That is not a reason to skip the coverage. It still means about one in sixteen cars. Our uninsured motorist guide covers how the claim works.

To pick higher limits, try the liability limit checker. The full coverage versus liability-only guide helps with collision and comprehensive.

What happens if you drive without insurance in Utah?

It is a crime, not just a ticket. A conviction is a class C misdemeanor with a fine of at least $400. If you own the car and bought a policy before sentencing, the judge can waive up to $300 of that. A second conviction within three years starts at $1,000.

The bigger cost is the paperwork. The Driver License Division suspends your license on conviction. To get it back you need an SR22, which is a form your insurer files to tell the state you are covered. You pay a $40 reinstatement fee and must keep the filing for three years. If the policy lapses in that time, the suspension comes back. Our SR-22 guide walks through the steps. Utah does not use FR-44.

A 2026 change matters here. Being unable to show proof when asked is now part of the same offense. But an officer may not cite you if the state’s insurance database shows your vehicle or driver as insured. Even if you are cited, proof that you were covered that day is a defense. A letter from your insurer is enough.

A paper card, a policy page or a copy on your phone all count. The officer may not scroll through anything else on your phone.

How much does car insurance cost in Utah?

Utah’s statewide average was $1,280.96 per insured vehicle in 2024, according to the NAIC. The national figure was $1,431. So Utah ran about 11% lower. The NAIC data lag the market, and the average includes every driver and every coverage mix. It is a state figure, not a price for you.

Published estimates for specific profiles give a sense of range:

These profiles differ, and neither is a quote. Prices turn on your age, record, address, car and insurer. We publish no city-level numbers, because we have not found a published source for them. The guide to what car insurance costs shows how the pieces add up.

Which Utah pages and guides can help?

We have not published Utah pages on minimums, SR-22, DUI, young drivers or cost yet, and we have no Utah city pages. Until then, this page is the Utah summary. These pages fill in the gaps:

• Compare states with our minimum coverage by state guide.
• For the filing step, read the SR-22 guide.
• For your house, see Utah home insurance.

What if a claim goes wrong?

Start with your insurer, then the Utah Insurance Department. The department cannot give legal advice, but it forwards complaints to your insurer, reviews the answer and tells you what it found. You file online with an account, or call 801-957-9200. It says that takes three to four weeks.

If the dispute is only about your car’s value, Utah allows a small claims case for property damage. Under a 2013 law, that does not stop you from making a separate injury claim against the same driver. The department suggests speaking to an attorney first.

What to do next

1. Find your declarations page, the summary sheet of your coverages. Check that your liability limits are at least 30/65/25.
2. Look for UM and UIM. If you declined either one, ask what adding it costs.
3. Check your PIP amount. If it is $3,000, ask how your health insurance or medical payments coverage fills the gap.
4. Save your insurance card on your phone and keep a paper copy in the car.
5. Get quotes from at least three insurers using identical limits and deductibles.
6. If you got a no-insurance ticket, buy a policy now and bring proof to court. Ask the clerk about the fine.

Common mistakes

• Trusting an old article that says 25/65/15.
• Assuming the minimum protects your own car.
• Letting a policy lapse, even briefly, then driving.
• Waiving UM or UIM to save a few dollars without reading the form.

Bottom line

If your car is old and you have few assets, the minimum plus UM and UIM keeps you legal. If you have a loan, savings or a home, raise your limits well above 30/65/25 and keep collision and comprehensive. Either way, keep proof on your phone, because the penalty for lapsing is steep.