Every state enacts its own car insurance rules, minimum coverage requirements, and claim options. In Missouri, drivers must abide by these requirements or face penalties such as traffic tickets, points on your driving record, license suspension, fees from $20 to $400, and an order of supervision.
After a car accident, auto insurance plays a prominent role in recovering compensation for vehicle damage and any injuries. If you drive in Missouri or Kansas, here is what you need to know about the states’ policies on car insurance and the minimum coverage required.
An order of supervision means the Driver License Bureau will monitor your insurance status to ensure you maintain the minimum coverage amounts. Learn what Missouri requires of its drivers to avoid these negative consequences.
Kansas & Missouri Auto Insurance Resources
- What Is The Minimum Car Insurance Amount in Missouri?
- What Are The Auto Insurance Requirements in Kansas?
- Do Alternatives Exist For Traditional Car Insurance?
- How Do I Recover Compensation in Kansas or Missouri After a Car Accident?
- What Is Proof of Insurance?
What Is The Minimum Car Insurance Amount in Missouri?
To drive in Missouri, you must purchase the following coverage for all vehicles in operation: $25,000 per person for bodily injuries, $50,000 per accident for bodily injuries where more than one person gets hurt, and $10,000 per car accident for property damage. Bodily injury coverage pays for any injuries the accident causes when the driver of the insured vehicle is at fault. Property damage coverage pays for any accident-related damages to real or personal properties.
Minimum insurance amounts do not cover damage to the policyholder’s vehicle – only the vehicles of others involved in the accident. Drivers have the option to purchase collision coverage to repair or replace their own vehicles in an at-fault accident, but this is not an insurance requirement in Missouri. Optional comprehensive coverage will cover damages to your vehicle that weather, animals, or something else causes.
Missouri law also requires uninsured motorist coverage on all car insurance policies. This pays for damages if an uninsured motorist causes your accident. Underinsured insurance is an option, but the law does not require this type of car insurance. If you are an out-of- state driver, you must carry at least the minimum required insurance in your home state to operate a vehicle in Missouri.
If you are ever involved in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, UM coverage will protect you and your passengers up to policy limits. However, it does not cover property damage.
Liability and UM coverage are the only requirements by law. You can purchase higher policy limits, but there are also other optional types of coverage you may include to pay for your losses regardless of fault—for example, medical payments and collision coverage.
What Are The Auto Insurance Requirements in Kansas?
The minimum coverage drivers must carry in Kansas is similar to Missouri’s, but Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is also required. Here are the state’s minimum amounts that drivers must purchase:
Liability Coverage
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death per person
- $50,000 for total bodily injury or death per accident
- $10,000 for property damage per accident
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
- $25,000 in bodily injury per person
- $50,000 in bodily injury per accident
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
- $4,500 medical benefit and other benefits
Do Alternatives Exist For Traditional Car Insurance?
If a driver cannot find a car insurance carrier in the main insurance market, he or she can apply for coverage through the Missouri Automobile Insurance Plan. Missouri law Sections 303.200 and 379.460 created the Plan to provide insurance coverage options to high-risk drivers who cannot obtain coverage in the larger market. All state insurance carriers must subscribe to the Plan.
Applicants to the Plan must certify that they have attempted to obtain insurance in Missouri within the last 60 days and have been unable to obtain rates that do not exceed those available through the Plan. The driver must also carry a valid driver’s license or be eligible to receive one. While carrying car insurance through the larger market or via the Plan are the most common methods for complying with Missouri’s insurance requirements, there are other ways to abide by the law.
Drivers can submit proof of financial responsibility for damages they may cause in a car accident or certificates of self-insurance to the Department of Revenue instead of paying for typical automobile insurance. Proof of financial responsibility might come in the form of a real estate bond, surety bond, cash deposit, or deposit of securities such as stocks and bonds. A certificate of self-insurance is only available to businesses and religious organizations in Missouri.
How Do I Recover Compensation in Kansas or Missouri After a Car Accident?
The primary difference between Kansas and Missouri car insurance laws is that Kansas follows a no-fault system. Drivers must carry PIP insurance because if they are involved in an accident, they will file a claim with their own auto insurance company regardless of who was at fault.
PIP will provide drivers and their passengers with necessary medical treatment and lost wages but will not pay for pain and suffering. Your ability to step outside of the no-fault system and sue the at-fault driver will depend on the severity of your injury or if your medical costs have exceeded $2,000.
In contrast, a person involved in a car accident in Missouri can recover compensation in one of the three following ways:
- Filing a claim with their own auto insurer. As long as you have collision coverage, you can file a claim under your policy. After your insurer has paid out on your claim, they will pursue a subrogation claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company for reimbursement for the benefits they paid you.
- Filing a claim directly with the at-fault driver’s auto insurer (third-party claim).
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party.
In a Missouri car insurance claim, fault is a determining factor in how much compensation each party receives. Under the state’s law of pure comparative negligence, each party’s compensation will be reduced by their assigned percentage of fault based on their contribution to the accident.
What Is Proof of Insurance?
It is not enough to have the required insurance coverage in Missouri to stay out of legal trouble. You must carry proof of insurance in your vehicle during operation. During a traffic stop or after a car accident in Kansas City, police may ask you to show your proof of insurance. Failure to do so, even if you have the proper coverage, can result in a ticket and a notification to the Department of Revenue that you were driving without insurance. The DOR can request that you show proof of insurance at any time. Inability to show proof can result in license suspension. You also need proof of insurance while registering your vehicle and renewing your plates.