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  1. State laws
  2. Vermont

Vermont

It is illegal for someone to operate a motor vehicle in the state of Vermont unless it has a minimum amount of car insurance coverage. People who violate this rule can expect a civil traffic citation, which can result in a fine, a certain number of points against their driving privileges, and a requirement for them to file what is called financial responsibility insurance with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, financial responsibility insurance means a kind of liability insurance on the person rather than the motor vehicle that must be maintained for a minimum of 3 years. Should said individual let their financial responsibility insurance lapse, they can expect a suspension of their driving privileges until they have valid coverage once more.

Here are some of the most important points that interested individuals should know about Vermont's car insurance laws:

Minimum coverage requirements

For those who are curious, the minimum coverage requirements in the state of Vermont are $25,000 liability coverage for a single person who is either injured or killed in a car accident by the person driving the insured motor vehicle, $50,000 liability coverage for the total injuries and deaths caused in a car accident by the person driving the insured motor vehicle, and $10,000 liability coverage for the property damage caused in a car accident by the person driving the insured motor vehicle. In Vermont, it is possible for someone to drive in a legal manner without buying car insurance so long as they can provide evidence of at least $115,000 in self-insurance, which must be filed with the state's Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

Besides this, interested individuals will need to have uninsured motorist coverage as well. In contrast to the aforementioned kinds of coverage, uninsured motorist coverage is supposed to protect the the driver as well as the other people in a motor vehicle in case the at-fault driver either has no insurance or runs off. In short, the requirement is a minimum of $50,000 per person as well as a minimum of $100,000 per car accident, which are in addition to a maximum of $10,000 for property damage.

Not a no-fault car insurance state

Vermont isn't a no-fault car insurance state. As a result, if someone has suffered either some kind of injury or some kind of damage because of a car accident caused by someone else, they can choose to pursue one of three options. For example, they could either sue the at-fault driver or send in a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance carrier. However, they can send in a claim with their own insurance carrier as well, which will probably see their insurance carrier pursuing a claim against the at-fault driver's insurance carrier.

Getting into a car accident without car insurance results in even worse consequences

As stated earlier, someone who is caught driving in an uninsured motor vehicle can expect serious consequences in the state of Vermont. However, if they get into a car accident while driving uninsured, they can expect even worse consequences, particularly since they will be lacking the insurance coverage that is supposed to protect people who are in their situation. Be warned that this is true even if the uninsured driver wasn't the one who caused the car accident. Fortunately, Vermont isn't one of the "No Pay, No Play" states that limit the kinds of compensation that an uninsured driver can seek for their suffering, but that is still not a situation that interested individuals will want to find themselves in.

Further considerations

Those who are interested in further information on Vermont's car insurance laws and related topics should call the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles at (888) 99-VERMONT between 7:45am and 4:30pm on Mondays to Fridays. For that matter, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles has a page that interested individuals can use to send in an email, which it will strive to respond to within 2 business days.

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