Auto Insurance In Washington

Reader’s Question:

I have auto insurance in Washington. I was just wondering if my car insurance will be effective in the state of California.

Jane

Seattle WA

 

It depends on your situation.

If you live in Washington and your vehicle is registered in WA and you want to just visit California, then typically your WA car insurance would conform to CA car insurance requirements.

If you go to school in CA but are still keeping your WA residence then your car insurance in Seattle WA may continue to cover you in CA. You will need to contact your car insurance company to be certain that you will be covered while you are in California.

If you plan to move to California, then you will need to register and insure your car in CA. If your car insurance company in WA also does business in California then you can just request to change it over to a new policy in California.

If you want to be sure that your car insurance in Washington state would also be effective in the state of California, I suggest that you speak with your car insurance agent.

SR22 Insurance Washington Policies

Reader’s Question:

For how long do I have to continue my SR22 insurance here in Washington?

Dorris

Seattle, WA

Good question. The state of Washington would usually require drivers who has gotten their driver’s licenses suspended to maintain an SR22 form for at least three years, without any lapses or cancellation of the SR22 insurance coverage. Although the length of the required period to carry this special type of auto insurance may vary depending on the reason for the suspension of your license, most common of which includes: DUI (Driving Under the Influence), operating a vehicle without a license or insurance coverage, causing or involvement in a car accident without carrying adequate liability insurance, just to name a few.

SR22 insurance is required by the state to make sure that drivers who have shown risky driving behaviors are carrying adequate insurance coverage in case they manage to injure anyone or damage properties in the event they cause a car accident. It would be best to get in touch with Washington’s Department of Licensing to get the specific details about the length of time you will need to carry your SR22 insurance there in Washington. Allowing your SR22 insurance to get canceled or to lapse can cause sever penalties and much more expensive insurance costs in the future.

To find the best rates for SR22 insurance Washington Policies, we highly recommend running a free SR22 insurance search using the quote tool on this website. This tool allows you to find and compare for the most affordable policies available in your area quickly and easily.

Do I Need to Have Proof Of Auto Insurance in Seattle Washington

Reader’s Question:

What will be the fine for driving with insurance but without your proof of insurance card in your car? I live in Seattle, Washington.

Rose

Seattle, WA

If you fail to provide proof of motor vehicle insurance in Seattle Washington, its is a traffic infraction and is subject to penalties as set by the supreme court under RCW 46.63.110. According to RCW 46.63.110 an individual found to have committed a traffic infraction shall be assessed a monetary penalty. No penalty may exceed $250 for each offense but there are other associated fees that may be added to the penalty amount.

So If you drive without proof of insurance in Seattle Washington, it is punishable by a minimum of $250 fine. There are other assessments and fees that can be added to this fine so it typically costs about $450.

So it looks like that with proper documentation that you were insured at the time of your citation for operating a vehicle without insurance then the court should dismiss the ticket and you will only need to pay administrative costs of $25. You may also contact the WA court listed on your ticket to find out what insurance documentation you will need to bring and to make sure that the fee amount has not changed.

Seattle Non Owner SR22 Auto Insurance

Q: I have a Seattle non owner SR22 policy. Why is it so expensive? How can I save money?

A: Your Seattle non owner SR22 policy is costing you because it’s missing a pretty big puzzle piece which car insurance companies require in order to put together the best picture of what your rates should be–a car. Even if you drive the same car all the time with your non owner policy, it can’t be factored into your insurance policy, so your company has to rate your policy as if you were driving a riskier car because they can’t know what car it is you’re using.

You can save money on your Seattle non owner SR22 premium by getting discounts. Many of the available discounts require cars, but there are those which don’t. You could try getting all of your insurance policies on a multi line with one company, for example, or you could take a few classes in defensive driving. You could take in your transcript if you’re a student, a degree if you’re in engineer, or you could join a car club or a teacher’s union in order to get a discount. Get a list of discounts from your car insurance company and circle the ones which would apply to you, and then ask the company to apply them.

Why Is SR22 Auto Insurance So Expensive?

Q: Why is my SR22 insurance premium so expensive?

A: As they say, when you do the crime, you got do the time. SR22 rates are punitive, and while it may be extremely unpleasant having to pay such high rates during the time you have to file SR22, it is a successful deterrent. However, that’s no why your rates are so high.

As a matter of fact, SR22 rates are high because policy holders who must have an SR22 filed on their behalf are considered to be very risky to insure. An attitude like that stems from the fact that most people who have a SR22 insurance policy have one because they were convicted of drunk driving–obviously prey easy to cause an accident that way.

Since car insurance companies measure what they charge you according to the risk you pose to them, such factors play a big part. If you have to have, then you will pay more into the insurance pool than will people who have never made a driving mistake in their lives, have mid sized economic hybrid cars, are middle aged, and so on.

Can Washington State College Student Use Auto Insurance Out Of State?

Reader’s Question:

My son is in college in the state of Massachusetts but has a Washington state driver’s license. He is planning to buy a car but still undecided where to make her permanent address. He wants to get a policy also and still planning to stay in MA for 5 months. What can he do?

Lara

Thank you for asking Lara.

If your son is going to purchase a motor vehicle, he needs to have it registered and drive it in Massachusetts then she should get a MA car insurance policy to cover the motor vehicle. If she moves to another state after 5 months then she can register and insure the vehicle in her new state of residency.

Your son can also obtain information on how to register a motor vehicle in Massachusetts by contacting the MA Registry of Motor Vehicles. In addition to that, he may also get information from the RMV if she will need to switch her Washington State license for a Massachusetts driver’s license after she graduates from college since he may then be considered a resident of MA.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Should I Change Washington Car Insurance Companies Every 6 Months?

Reader’s Question:

I have an international license and Im currently here in Washington for 6 months and Im thinking of buying a car here. Is it possible to change insurance companies every month?

Rina

Thank you for asking Rina.

It will be not easy to get around the issue of getting a US license for insurance on a car by changing insurance provider every month or so. It is difficult to get car insurance with a foreign or international license at first. If you start to terminate auto insurance every few weeks it will show up when you are trying to get new insurance. Insurance providers will likely see this as a red flag and not want to insure you.

Usually, the Department of Motor Vehicle keeps tabs of insurance polices, when they terminate or lapse, to make sure a vehicle is not without insurance. Switching insurance companies so often might cause the Department Motor Vehicle to become questionable. If you want to buy a car, look into getting Washington state license.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Washington SR22 Insurance

Reader’s Question:

I live in Washington. How long do I have to carry sr22 auto insurance?

Gio

Thank you for asking Gio.

If a driver is required to get an SR-22 then he or she must maintain it for 3 years in the state of Washington. the amount of time you are required to carry sr-22 depends on the conviction or offense.

Theres a lot of reason why a person is mandated by the state to carry the financial responsibility certificate. Some of the reasons are: driver’s license suspension reinstatement due to a DUI, driving without insurance or a subsequent offense of leaving a child unattended in a running vehicle, etc

When you are eligible to reinstate your driver license, you need to file future proof of financial responsibility first for 3 years from the date you are eligible to restore your license.

Below is a Revised Code of Washington 46.29.600 titled Duration of proof

– When proof may be canceled or returned states the following

(1) The department shall upon request consent to the immediate cancellation of any bond or certificate of insurance, or the department shall direct and the state treasurer shall return to the person entitled thereto any money or securities deposited pursuant to this chapter as proof of financial responsibility, or the department shall waive the requirement of filing proof, in any of the following events:

(a) At any time after three years from the date such proof was required when, during the three-year period preceding the request, the department has not received record of a conviction, forfeiture of bail, or finding that a traffic infraction has been committed which would require or permit the suspension or revocation of the license of the person by or for whom such proof was furnished; or

(b) In the event of the death of the person on whose behalf such proof was filed or the permanent incapacity of such person to operate a motor vehicle; or

(c) In the event the person who has given proof surrenders his license to the department;

Your call the Washington State Department of Licensing to get more information.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

How Long Do I Have To Carry SR22 Auto Insurance in Washington

Reader’s Question:

I was convicted of moving violation and was required to carry an sr-22. Its been more than three years already? Do I still need to carry it? How do I cancel it?

Tim

Thank you for asking Tim.

It looks like you were required to carry an sr22 or proof of Financial Responsibility in Washington. The sr22 is an Insurance Certificate that you need to carry to reinstate your drivers license after a suspension because of many reasons of moving violations. From the information that you provided, it is true that in this kind of situation, one must carry an insurance for three years.

To get more information if your period for carrying the SR-22 for your driving offense is over already, you may contact the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) that required you to get the SR-22. They will be able to tell you all the information you need in case your required time period to carry the sr22 is up already.

Goodluck!

MariCAR