Car insurance requirements in Washington
What the law actually requires, and why it usually isn’t enough.
Every figure on this page is sourced and dated. Requirements change when legislatures amend them, so we say where ours came from and when we last checked.
What Washington compels you to carry
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
The driver responsible for a crash — and their insurer — is liable for the resulting damage and injuries.
Why the minimum is a floor, not a recommendation
State minimums are set by legislation. They reflect what lawmakers judged to be the least a driver should carry — often decided years ago and rarely revisited. Washington’s figures say nothing about your circumstances.
The consequence is concrete: if you cause an accident and the claim exceeds your limits, the remainder can come from you. Liability coverage is the part of the policy protecting everything you own, which is why the sensible question is what you’d have at risk — not what the statute permits.
Checking this yourself
You should not have to take our word for it. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner publishes the current requirements, handles complaints, and maintains a licence lookup so you can verify anyone selling you a policy.
Find the Washington insurance department via the NAIC directoryWashington car insurance questions
Washington requires at least 25/50/10 — $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 of property damage liability. Verified 2026-08-17.
Washington operates an at-fault (tort) system. The driver responsible for a crash — and their insurer — is liable for the resulting damage and injuries.
Minimums are a legal floor set by legislation, not an assessment of what you'd need. If a claim exceeds your limits the difference can come from you, so the honest test is what you'd have at risk in a serious at-fault accident — not what the statute permits.
The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner publishes the current requirements and a licence lookup. We list our source and the date we last verified these figures on this page, and requirements do change — legislatures amend them.
Get a Washington quote
We’re licensed in Washington and work with multiple carriers, so we can compare rather than sell one company’s product.
Requirements verified 2026-08-17 against Insurance Information Institute / APCIA, rev. 7/2024. State insurance law changes — confirm current requirements with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner before relying on any figure here. General information only, not legal or insurance advice. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer.