Kansas Minimum Car Insurance Requirements, Penalties and Other Auto Insurance Laws

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Kansas
• How Much Does Minimum Car Insurance Cost?
• Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Kansas
• FAQs

Nearly every state in the United States requires motorists to have some vehicle insurance coverage to drive a car lawfully. You may wonder, how much car insurance you need in Kansas? The state of Kansas requires its drivers to carry the following liability insurance coverages at a minimum:

• $25,000 per person for bodily injury
• $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
• $25,000 per accident for property damage

The state also requires its drivers to carry the following minimum PIP insurance coverage:

• $4,500 for medical expenditures per person
• $900 per month for one year for disability/income loss
• $25 per day for In-home services
• $2,000 to funeral, burial or cremation expense per person
• $4,500 in rehabilitation expenses per person

Additionally, the state requires you to have UM/UIM limits at 25/50, which means your insurance must have at least $25,000 per person for bodily injury and $50,000 for all persons injured in an accident.

These limits can be increased as required. For example, imagine the average cost of a car damaged in an accident caused by you exceeds $25,000. The minimum property damage limits will be insufficient in that situation. As a result, it is advisable to increase the liability limits if you can afford that.

What Does This Minimum Coverage Mean?

In Kansas, liability, PIP and UM/UIM coverages are required by law. If you cause an accident, liability coverage will pay for the costs of injuries and damages to another driver, their passengers and their property. PIP or personal injury protection in your insurance covers the medical expenses incurred to you and your passengers. If an uninsured driver who does not hold liability insurance causes the accident, an uninsured motorist coverage will cover you. And, in case of an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are not enough to pay an injured person's medical costs, under-insured motorist coverage steps in.

Drivers in Kansas must carry an insurance policy with minimum bodily injury and property damage liability coverage of 25/50/25. This means your insurance policy needs a bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 for all injured persons in the accident and property damage of $25,000 per person. The UM/UIM limits are 25/50, meaning your insurance must have a minimum of $25,000 for bodily injury and $50,000 for all those injured in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist.

The state also demands your insurance policy have minimum personal injury protection coverage of $4,500 for medical expenditures per person, $900 per month for one year for disability/income loss, $25 per day for in-home services, $2,000 in funeral expenses per person and $4,500 in rehabilitation expenses per person.

Remember that these figures are just the minimum coverage required. That means these are by far the maximum amounts your insurance will pay in settlement of a claim. You can increase the limits as desired. However, these minimum coverages do not protect your vehicle. You must opt for collision coverage to protect your car, regardless of who is at fault for the accident.

Several factors, such as age, ZIP code, driving history, credit score and the vehicle make and model, might impact your car insurance premiums in Kansas. Moreover, rates vary across the state's different car insurance companies.

Considering the average rates, USAA offers about $270 annually for Kansas's lowest auto insurance plan. However, USAA insurance policies are offered exclusively to current and former military members and their families. And that makes American Family, with a rate of $376 per year, the cheapest car insurance in Kansas.

Cheapest Minimum Car Insurance in Kansas

These prices are only estimates based on rates for an average Kansas driver and should not be used to compare insurance prices.

For this report, MoneyGeek compared rates at state minimum liability limits of 25/50/25 and the necessary PIP and UM/UIM limits for a 40-year-old male driver from Kansas driving a 2010 Toyota Camry with a clean driving record and a good credit score.

MoneyGeek also ranked the best car insurance companies in Kansas for those who want strong service and affordable rates.

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What Is the Minimum Car Insurance Requirement in Kansas While Leasing a Car?

You may be using a leased car for various reasons, including getting to drive a different car every few years. However, be aware that the minimum coverage requirements for leased vehicles can differ from the state-mandated ones. The leasing companies expect the vehicle to be returned in the same state it was given to you. You should therefore keep adequate insurance cover throughout the lease. Most lessors in Kansas require you to have full coverage car insurance with a minimum liability limit of 100/300/50 before leasing a car. The requirements can vary between leasing companies.

Contact your leasing company in Kansas for information about their minimum insurance coverage demands if you already have leased a car. And, if you're new to leasing, before you choose a car or leasing company, you should understand their leasing agreements, including the Kansas car lease insurance requirements.

Around 10.9% of Kansas’s drivers are uninsured drivers. Even though the rate isn’t that high, MoneyGeek recommends buying a full coverage car insurance policy in Kansas that protects you from bodily injury and damage to your vehicle if an uninsured driver hits you. If you are unsure about how much car insurance coverage you need in Kansas, go with our recommendation of a 50/100/50 liability limit.

Kansas car insurance laws do not permit a person to operate uninsured vehicles or drive without the state-mandated minimum insurance. You may be penalized for driving without active car insurance that meets Kansas’ minimum car insurance requirements. Those involved in an accident without valid car insurance in the state may get penalized with fines, license and/or registration suspension, imprisonment and filing of SR-22.

You may get pulled over by a law enforcement officer and need to provide proof of insurance. For example, suppose you’re caught driving without insurance for the first time and cannot provide either electronic or printed proof of insurance. In that case, you may be fined between $300 and $1000 and asked to provide proof of insurance in the form of an active insurance policy or SR-22 form. You may also face imprisonment of up to six months and your driving privileges removed.

Penalties for driving without insurance in Kansas are higher for second and subsequent offenses (inability to provide proof of insurance) or if you’re involved in an accident without having valid insurance. You may face severe penalties in the form of imprisonment of up to three years and heavy fines.

If you are convicted for driving without the minimum required insurance, you could face the following penalties:

• Fine between $300 and $1,000, imprisonment up to six months, suspension of driving license and car registration for first-time offenders.
• Fine between $800 and $2,500, imprisonment of up to one year, suspension of driving license and car registration for second-time offenders.
• Fine between $800 and $2,500, imprisonment of up to two years, revocation of driving privileges for up to three years for third and habitual offenders.

To reinstate your driving privileges, you will have to submit proof of insurance by filing an SR-22, along with a reinstatement fee. Remember that the SR-22 certificate must be maintained for a minimum of three years, regardless of the offense.

The reinstatement requirements after being convicted of each offense can be as follows:

• First offense: $100 reinstatement fee; SR-22 certificate for three years after the first offense.
• Second offense: $300 reinstatement fee if the offense was repeated in less than a year, else, $100; SR-22 certificate for three years
• Third and subsequent offenses: $300 reinstatement fee if the offense was repeated in less than a year, else, $100; SR-22 certificate for five years.

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About Mark Fitzpatrick

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Mark Fitzpatrick is a senior content director at MoneyGeek with over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, conducting original research and creating content that can be personalized for every buyer. He has been quoted on insurance topics in several publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Mark earned a master’s degree in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his economics and insurance knowledge to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.

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