Kansas Auto Insurance Guide

Whether you’re taking the Kansas Turnpike to Lawrence to catch a Jayhawks game, rolling along Wyatt Earp Boulevard in Dodge City or heading down Old Highway 40 to fish for big mouth bass in Hays, there’s plenty of open road and interesting byways in the Sunflower State From Norton to Coffeyville, Goodland to Leavenworth, sightseeing or commuting, car insurance is crucial.

 

Auto Insurance Resources for KS State Residents

There are about 1.98 million licensed drivers in the Sunflower State in 2010. The Insurance Research Council estimates that about 10% of Kansas’s resident drivers are uninsured. In 2008, the Kansas Department of Transportation recorded 65,858 vehicle collisions, 14,866 involved injuries and 348 of the collisions were 348 were fatal. Alcohol was involved in 3,366 of the incidents; collisions with deer caused 9,371 accidents; and snow and ice was cited in 7,643 cases. Uninsured and alcohol-impaired drivers, inclement weather and wild animals are all good reasons to be sure you maintain adequate car insurance while living and driving in the Sunflower State.

 

Kansas State Minimum Car Insurance

Kansas state law requires you carry a minimum amount of car insurance or face severe penalties. Kansas is one of just 12 no-fault states, meaning your insurance will pay your injury claims up to a specified limit, regardless of who caused the accident. Under a no-fault system, you lose some of your rights to sue. While Kansas does not require that you carry additional personal liability or Collision and Comprehensive coverage, if you own property or other valuable assets, you would be wise to supplement the minimum requirements shown below:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability for injury or death of one person in an accident
• $50,000 bodily injury liability for injury or death of more than one person in an accident
• $10,000 property damage liability
• $25,000/$50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury

 

Personal Injury Protection

• $4,500 per person medical expenses
• $900/month for disability and/or loss of income (up to 1 year)
• $25 per day for in-home services (up to 1 year)
• $2,000 for funeral/burial/cremation expenses
• $4,500 for rehabilitation expenses

 

Kansas Car Insurance Laws

Kansas requires that you carry proof of Kansas auto insurance in your vehicle and produce it if a law enforcement officer asks to see it. If you are ticketed and found guilty of driving without liability insurance, you will face a first-offense fine of between $300 and $1,000. You will also be required to keep an SR-22 form on file for 12 consecutive months following your conviction. You may also lose your driver’s license for up to 3 years.

Second and subsequent offenses within 3 years of your previous conviction carry fines between $800 and $2,500. Three similar convictions within a 5-year period will result in an automatic revocation of your license for 3 years.

 

Regulating Agency and References

Kansas Insurance Department
This agency is responsible for regulating vehicle insurance policies sold in the Sunflower State. For more information, visit their website at http://www.ksinsurance.org/

Kansas Department of Revenue/Division of Motor Vehicles State Department of Transportation
This agency is responsible for licensing drivers and registering vehicles. You can learn more about Delaware auto insurance requirements, penalties and related information at http://www.ksrevenue.org/vehicle.htm

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
This is an organization of insurance regulators from the 50 states, District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. NAIC provides a forum for the development of uniform policies when appropriate. NAIC members are elected or appointed state government officials who regulate the conduct of insurance companies and agents in their respective states or territories. Visit NAIC at http://www.naic.org

Insurance Information Institute (III)
This organization’s mission is to improve public understanding of insurance – what it is and how it works. Visit III at http://www.iii.org/

 

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