Idaho Auto Insurance Quotes and
Coverage Guide
Idaho Motor Vehicle Insurance
Questions & AnswersQ: Is
auto insurance mandatory?
A: Not to grow potatoes, but you do need it
for all motorized vehicles operated on Idaho
roadways. Registered or not, liability insurance
must be carried that provides the following minimum
coverage:
-- $25,000 for injury or death of one person
-- $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people
-- $15,000 for property damage
Then, when you register your vehicle, you must swear
on the grave of Ernest “Papa” Hemingway and then
sign a statement certifying that the vehicle is and
will be insured as required by Sections 49-117(18)
and 49-1229 of the Idaho Code.
Q: Is Idaho a "tort" state?
A: Yes, Idaho is what is known as a “tort”
state, which means no restrictions are put on
lawsuits, and you can sue or be sued (depending on
who was actually skiing at Sun Valley – at least in
his mind – instead of watching the road) for pain
and suffering as well as for out-of-pocket expenses
such as medical costs.
Q: What type of insurance is required to purchase
and maintain an Idaho tag and registration?
A: You’ve got to have at least Idaho’s
25/50/15 coverage to get your registration and tag,
unless you lie on the certifying statement. In that
case, the ghost of Hemingway will haunt you every
time you drive your car – and you will be fined out
the wahzoo if an Idaho law enforcement officer stops
you.
Q: Can I maintain my current policy issued in my
previous state of residence?
A: You can if you feel like throwing away
money, but it won’t do you any good in Idaho. If
your vehicle is registered in Idaho then you must
have an insurance policy that is issued through an
Idaho agent with an insurance company licensed to
sell in Idaho. If you still want to give money to
that insurance company where you used to live, you
may be interested in some swampland for sale down in
Florida. . . .
Q: What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle
that I’ve registered in Idaho?
A: Idaho usually works on a point system
based on the severity of the violation. In other
words, they try to fit the punishment to the crime.
But in the case of not keeping minimum liability
insurance on your vehicle, judges and the Idaho
Transportation Department are authorized under state
statute to suspend, disqualify, deny, cancel,
refuse, or revoke the license of drivers convicted
of breaking certain laws, no matter what the
driver's point-system count. And not only that,
since you won’t be driving, while you’re sitting at
home eating your Idaho potatoes and daydreaming
about whizzing down the slopes at Sun Valley, the
ghost of Hemingway will haunt you.
Q: I am not a resident of Idaho but I visit for
several months during the year. Do I need Idaho
insurance?
A: No. Only Idaho residents can title and
register vehicles, which is why you’d need
insurance. You can spend up to 90 days in Idaho with
your current state’s insurance in effect. This
relieves you of being subjected to the penalties for
not having Idaho insurance and also to any Hemingway
hauntings – unless you break some other Idaho law,
like not eating Idaho potatoes while you’re here.
Q: I own several vehicles but do not operate some
of them. Do I need insurance for the inoperative
ones?
A: Not if you keep them off the road or they
fall under the category (see below) of vehicles not
needing to be insured by law. You won’t get fined,
but then, if something happens to one of them, and
you’re not insured, well, you won’t be haunted by
Hemingway, just by your own stupidity.
Q: How can I own a vehicle and not need
insurance?
A: Driving the following to work might get
you some stares, but no ticket will be issued for
lack of insurance:
-- self-propelled wheelchairs
-- three-wheeled bicycles
-- wheelchair conveyances
-- golf carts
-- lawn mowers
-- scooters operated by persons who by reason of
physical disability are
otherwise unable to move about as pedestrians
-- skis, inline skates, and/or goat-driven potato
carts with “Idaho” lettered on the sides
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