Driving in Salt Lake City, Utah is known to be challenging. You often find other drivers rushing to get to their destination, exceeding speed limits. While you can’t control the behavior of other drivers, it’s best to be ready in case something unpleasant happens, like an accident.
Luckily, auto insurance is mandatory for Salt Lake City drivers to protect them, their vehicles, and their finances. Remember that driving without car insurance is against the law, so you need to ensure you acquire one before you get on the road.
Trailstone Insurance Group is here to help with that. Let expert insurance agents tell you everything you need to know about car insurance in Salt Lake City and auto insurance companies, so you can be informed before getting insured.
Do you want to get car insurance quotes in Salt Lake City?
Get a QuoteIs Auto Insurance Mandatory in Salt Lake City, UT?
Yes, Salt Lake City drivers are required to get adequate car insurance coverage. Car insurance isn’t just a necessity to avoid paying large sums of money in case of an accident. It is mandatory by law to carry the minimum required car
insurance. If you get caught without proof of insurance in Salt Lake City, you will get penalties and fines.
Minimum Required Car Insurance Coverage
Minimum Liability Coverage: 25/65/15
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $65,000 for bodily injury per accident
- $15,000 for property damage per accident
- $3000 in personal injury protection (PIP)
Mandatory Auto Insurance Coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
If you injure a person in an accident where you are at fault, their insurance company pays for the first $3000. Similarly, if you’re injured, your company pays for your recovery for up to $3000 regardless of who is at fault.
Bodily Injury Liability
In some cases, the person who got injured in an accident might file a lawsuit to get compensation. For example, if they get permanent damage or injuries that require more than their insurance can pay, they can file a lawsuit to get compensation from your insurance company. Bodily Injury covers medical expenses, legal fees, emotional distress, loss of income, and funeral costs.
Property Damage Liability
In Salt Lake City, the no-fault rule doesn’t apply to vehicle damage. If you’re at fault in an accident and you cause damage to the other driver’s car, you’re required to pay for the damage under the property damage coverage.
What are the Optional Car Insurance Coverages in Salt Lake City?
- Comprehensive Insurance: This coverage protects you financially in case of non-collision accidents, like fire, theft, vandalism, glass damage, wind, hail, and storm.
- Collision Insurance: This covers the repair costs if your car collides with another vehicle or object.
- Loan/Lease Payoff: If your car is totaled or completely lost, you might find yourself in a tight spot, especially if you’re owed more than its actual cash value. This coverage pays the gap between what you’re owed and the car’s actual cash value.
- Rental Car Reimbursement: While your car is getting repaired from an insured claim, this coverage pays for transportation expenses and/or getting a rental car.
- Roadside Assistance: Some car insurance companies add this endorsement to their car insurance policies. Roadside assistance covers the expenses you pay if your car is stuck on the road and you request help. Moreover, in some cases, the insurance company may be able to send help if you call them during an emergency.
Car Insurance Endorsements
Insurance endorsements, add-ons, or riders are optional additions you can include in your car policy for a slight premium increase. Here are the most common car insurance endorsements.
- Limited waiver of depreciation: When buying, leasing, or financing a new vehicle, adding this endorsement gets you reimbursed for the same value of the car without accounting for depreciation. This endorsement is limited to a period of 24 months.
- Replacement cost: Applicable if you’re the first owner of the car, this endorsement helps you replace it with a new one of the same value in case it’s completely damaged in an accident.
- Physical damage to a rental car: This endorsement provides collision and comprehensive coverage for your rental car.
- Collision forgiveness protection: If you’re involved in a collision and you’re at fault for the first time, this add-on keeps your auto insurance premiums from increasing.
What Happens If I Drive Without Car Insurance in Salt Lake City?
Driving without insurance is a class B misdemeanor as per the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles. If you’re caught during a traffic stop or after an accident checkpoint, you may be asked for proof of insurance. There is a penalty and a fine for drivers who fail to provide proof of insurance.
- Penalty: The penalty for driving without insurance is license suspension. If you’re caught at a traffic stop, you can reinstate your license after providing proof of insurance. But if you’re caught after an accident, your license remains suspended for a year.
- Fine: The first time you’re caught driving without auto insurance, you pay a fine of up to $400. The second time, the fine goes up to $1000.
- Additional fees: After you provide proof of insurance, you pay some fees to reinstate your license and vehicle registration. You also pay a small fee for court surcharge security.
- SR-22 Certificate: Drivers caught without car insurance in Salt Lake City are required to get an SR-22 certificate valid for 3 years. This certificate provides financial proof that the holder has the minimum required car insurance. Drivers holding an SR-22 certificate are considered high-risk drivers and might get higher premiums.
What Does the Average Car Insurance Cost in Salt Lake City?
On average, car insurance costs $135 per month or $1,622 per year. This is higher than the average Utah Car insurance by around 7%, according to Bankrate. It’s the most expensive city in Utah when it comes to car insurance, especially if you get full coverage car insurance. The higher price goes back to Salt Lake City being the biggest and most crowded city in the state of Utah.
Call our expert insurance agents and get the best car insurance rates in Salt Lake City now!
What are the Factors that Impact Auto Insurance Costs?
To get the cheapest car insurance in Salt Lake City, you should know more about the factors that affect car insurance rates.
- Age group: Older, more seasoned drivers get cheaper car insurance quotes in Salt Lake City. However, new, younger drivers get higher rates because statistics show they are more likely to get involved in accidents.
- Location: Living in an area that has heavier traffic and higher crime stats makes the insurance rate higher.
- Credit Score: In most states, including Utah, having an excellent credit score might get you a discount, and a poor credit score might increase your insurance premium.
- Driving History: Your driving record is reviewed before you get a car insurance rate. A speeding ticket and a DUI can increase your insurance premium rate significantly.
- Gender: Statistics show that males in Utah are 2.5 more likely to be involved in car accidents than males, so they pay higher premiums.
- Deductible: The higher your deductible is, the lower your insurance premium gets.
- Vehicle make and model: Expensive, newer cars get a higher insurance rate because they are more likely to get stolen. Also, a sturdy car with low repair costs gets a lower insurance rate.
How to Get Cheap Car Insurance in Salt Lake City?
You can get more affordable car insurance in Salt Lake City if you follow these simple tips.
- Compare rates from different companies: Take your time before you decide which company to buy insurance from. You might find cheap car insurance companies that provide good value if you dig deeper.
- Bundle insurance policies: Many companies offer a discount if you bundle more than one insurance policy. For example, you could consider buying home and auto insurance policies from the same company.
- Increase your deductible: This lowers your insurance premiums. But make sure you can afford the deductible if an accident happens.
- Drive carefully: If you maintain a clean driving record, you will get a lower insurance rate.
- Ask for discounts: Ask your car insurance agents in Salt Lake City about discounts. You might find that you’re eligible for some of them.
Why Trailstone Insurance Group Is Your Best Option
We Work with More Insurance Companies Than Other Agencies
With Over 40 financially strong A-rated insurance companies, it’s easy for us to find the best fit for you. We work with a huge variety of insurance carriers in Salt Lake City, skillfully finding you the best deal with the most value at affordable rates.
We’re Committed to Providing Excellent Service
Our partnership with the best insurance companies in Utah doesn’t change the fact that you’re our top priority. We treat you the way we want to be treated. We work for you, not the insurance company.
We’re a Ramsey Pro
It wasn’t easy for us to become a Ramsey trusted pro. It’s continuous hard work as we are held to a higher standard of excellence. The Ramsey team evaluates our work every month and offers their guidance. That means you will get the same advice from us that you would get from Dave Ramsey and his time.
Get a QuoteSalt Lake City Car Insurance FAQs
On average, car insurance costs $135 monthly or $1,622 yearly. The cost differs from one individual to another. Contact us to get a free car insurance quote now.
Driving in Salt Lake City without the minimum coverage is a class B misdemeanour. If you’re caught driving without insurance, you will get a fine of 400-1000$ and your license will be suspended. Moreover, an insurance gap in your record might increase your car insurance rate.
In Utah, you are required to have minimum liability insurance as per the law. The minimum coverage you need is:
$25,000 for bodily injury per person
$65,000 for bodily injury per accident
$15,000 for property damage per accident
$3000 in personal injury protection (PIP)
Full coverage includes the minimum required coverage in addition to comprehensive and collision coverages.