Insurance requirements for registering a car in Kentucky

Content

Other required insurance
Recovery of damages
proof of insurance
Penalties for Violation

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet requires all drivers in Kentucky to have automobile insurance or "financial responsibility" in order to operate a vehicle legally and maintain a vehicle registration.

The minimum financial liability requirements for drivers under Kentucky law are as follows:

Minimum $25,000 per person for personal injury or death. This means you need to have at least $50,000 with you to cover the fewest possible number of people involved in an accident (two drivers).
$10,000 minimum for property damage liability

This means that the total minimum financial liability you will require is $60,000 for bodily injury and property damage.

Other required insurance

In addition to the types of liability insurance listed above, Kentucky law requires every insurance policy to include personal injury insurance that pays up to $10,000 for each person injured, regardless of who is at fault in the accident.

This type of insurance ensures that your own personal injury costs are covered by your insurance. This is important because Kentucky is a no-fault state, meaning that the other party's insurance is not required to pay for your bodily injury, even if they were at fault.

Recovery of damages

In the state of Kentucky, drivers have the option to sue those at fault in an accident to recover damages they suffered as a result of the accident. With an insurance policy that includes personal injury protection, your right to file a claim and the amount you can claim is limited to property damage only. Medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering cannot be recovered in court unless they exceed certain requirements:

Over $1,000 in medical expenses
Bone fractures
Permanent injury or disfigurement
Death

If any of these circumstances were the fault of the other party, the driver in Kentucky can sue for reimbursement. You may waive the bodily injury protection claim, which will remove restrictions on your right to file a claim. This must be submitted in writing to the Insurance Department.

proof of insurance

You must be able to provide proof of insurance when you register your vehicle, and when requested by a police officer at a stop or at the scene of an accident. An insurance card from an authorized insurance company is acceptable proof of insurance.

Kentucky law does not require individuals convicted of drunk driving or other charges of reckless driving to file an SR-22 document evidencing financial responsibility.