The state law in Ohio requires drivers to hold valid auto insurance before they can legally be allowed on the road. You should be aware that auto insurance requirements differ from state to state. If you don’t live in Ohio, you should check you state insurance requirements.

State Minimum Legal Requirements

Like many states, Ohio auto insurance is mandatory for all drivers and must meet minimum requirements. You can request higher limits from your insurance companies, but the basic Ohio car insurance enforced by law are:

• $12,500 bodily injury for one person
• $25,000 per accident
• $7,500 for property damage

The above requirements mean that at least $12,500 bodily injury is required to cover the injuries of any one person in any single accident. The $25,000 is the total limit required every individual involved in one accident. Most Ohio auto insurance policies provided by insurers commonly provide coverage for $100,000 per person and $300,000 for everyone injured in an accident. You should ask your Ohio insurance providers on the limits of coverage available when comparing Ohio auto insurance quotes.

What you should get more than State Minimum Coverage?

Ohio Department of Motor insurance always recommends that drivers get more coverage than the minimum in order to avoid unsustainable financial liability by the person or individuals causing an accident. Getting the right auto insurance in Ohio is important to avoid costly payouts and even bankruptcy as a result of the driver causing the accident having to come up with the difference between what the OH auto insurance provider covers and the additional costs not covered by the insurer when initially underwriting the auto insurance policy.

Optional Insurance Coverage

Now that you know the state requirements for Ohio auto insurance, do you know which ones are not required by law, but still an option? Why is it important to know?

More often, insurance companies tries to oversell various products when all you are looking for is just enough auto insurance coverage to keep you both legal and protect you from personal financial liability. The following coverage options are NOT required in your Ohio car insurance policy:

• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury
• Medical Payments
• Collision
• Comprehensive

Although the above auto insurance options are not required by law, they may come to your rescue if say you are involved in an accident with uninsured driver or require collision coverage. Therefore, you should discuss these options with your insurance agent and only add them your Ohio car insurance policy if you think you need them.

Need a Cheap Auto Insurance in Ohio?

It not unusual for the average driver to find Ohio auto insurance quotes relatively expensive. However, the state of Ohio has one of the cheapest auto insurance in the country being the 13^th in the list of lowest auto insurance rates. If you are unable to meet the cost of Ohio auto insurance quotes, shop around and get as many car insurance quotes from Ohio based insurance providers. Regardless of your particular circumstances, you may be able to find an affordable car insurance coverage to keep you within the state legal requirements.

Proving Proof of Insurance in Ohio

Ohio doesn’t currently have an electronic system in place for the purpose of validating auto insurance policies. However, the following are accepted as proof of car insurance coverage:

• Valid insurance card
• Bureau of Motor Vehicle bond certificate
• Surety bond certificate
• Bureau of Motor Vehicle certificate with a minimum of $30,000 deposited with the State Treasury,

There have been numerous cases of fake auto insurance cards on Ohio as it’s the case in other states, but the penalties when getting caught remains severe. Add to that the fact that anyone doing so most likely does not have a valid proof of insurance.

What if you drive without Insurance?

Penalty for not have the minimum legal auto insurance requirements in Ohio are not as severe as in other state, but they can escalate quickly to driving ban or imprisonment in worst cases.

If a driver fails to provide proof of auto insurance in Ohio, the law enforcement officer will hand out a written notice stating that you didn’t carry a proof of vehicle insurance and you should provide one either to the court or send a copy to the address provided in the notice.

If you fail to provide a valid proof of car insurance in Ohio, 90 days suspended sentence will issued and you will still be required to obtain at least the minimum auto insurance requirements. BMV and the court will keep record of the offence and it may escalate to 2 years of imprisonment for future offences.

Comparing Ohio Auto Insurance Quotes Online

Most drivers will try to find the right auto insurance in Ohio by calling or physically visiting each insurance agent in the area. In the age of information, this has been made far easier by comparing Ohio auto insurance quotes online using an easy to use system. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners estimates that an average driver pays $59.64 a month for their car insurance. If you are paying more or looking for the cheapest OH car insurance starting by using our online auto insurance quotes tool.