Ohio Auto Insurance Requirements
Reader’s Question:
I moved to Ohio for a job. I’m wondering if there would be changes to my auto insurance now that I am here. (I’m from South Carolina). Care to enlighten me?
Godfrey
Akron, OH
Hello there, Godfrey. Of course, there will be differences in how auto insurance is done in South Carolina and Ohio. Let us start with where you hail from to get a better perspective on things.
South Carolina is one of the states where liability auto insurance is not considered as a requirement. As a refresher, liability auto insurance covers damages sustained in a motor vehicle accident caused by the driver of the policy holder. This may include the bystanders, passengers and drivers of other cars involved in the accident. There is also coverage for property damage (usually the other car). Now, if you read up about this liability insurance on the internet, you would usually see numbers like 15/30/10. These just represent the limits that the auto insurance will cover. That set of number is read as $15,000 per head per accident with a limit of $30,000 for injured people involved. The 10 is $10,000 maximum property damage that the auto insurance company will shoulder. In South Carolina, underinsured/ uninsured motorist auto insurance coverage is a requirement. This type of coverage simply protects the policy holder from damage sustained from other motorists who don’t carry auto insurance.
Now, since you moved to Akron, Ohio, auto insurance will definitely change. In Ohio, the state will require you to carry 12.5/25/7.5 liability insurance on you. But the opposite is true for underinsured/ uninsured motorist auto insurance coverage.
Now, depending on how much your paycheck will allow, it is usually recommended that you get higher limits. Better be prepared than to get caught in a tricky situation like sustaining more damage than what your auto insurance company will shoulder.
Getting SR22 Insurance in Ohio With Restricted License
Reader’s Question:
If I have been insured with my insurance company in Columbia Ohio for 10 years, and have had consistent insurance. Does my insurer have to provide an SR22, which is needed to get an restricted driver’s license?
Pam
Columbia, OH
Your insurance company in Columbia OH does not have to provide you with a SR-22 if they do not offer SR22. Not all insurance companies file this certificate of financial responsibility or SR22 with the state which it appears you are required to do in order to get a restricted driver’s license.
If your insurance company in Ohio does not file SR-22, since some standard insurance companies do not and leave this to insurance companies that insurance to those they consider to be high risk motorists, then you will need to obtain insurance from an insurer that does file SR22s. Normally, this would mean that you would need to find insurance from an insurer that does file SR-22s which unfortunately means you then would need to terminate your coverage with your original insurance company since having 2 policies on the same car(s) is not usually allowable by law.