Kansas Auto Insurance Laws, Minimums, Requirements

What mandatory auto insurance laws exist in the state of Kansas?

• In order to operate a motor vehicle in the state of Kansas, you must carry the minimum coverages under the law. Please see the next section for a complete list of minimum coverages.
• Any person caught driving without insurance is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. They will be required to pay a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 or confinement in the county jail for a term of not more than six months. You can also be fined and go to jail. If any motorist commits a second offense within three years, they will be found guilty of a class A misdemeanor. The fine for is not less than $800 nor more than $2,500.

What is the Minimum Liability Coverage (Bodily Injury amounts per person, per accident, and property damage amounts):

If you buy automobile insurance in the state of Kansas, your policy must include minimum liability coverage of:

Minimum Liability coverage
$25,000/person for bodily injury
$50,000/accident for bodily injury
$10,000/accident for property damage
and
Personal injury protection (PIP or No Fault)
Minimum amount required by law:
$4,500/person for medical expenses
$900/month for one year for disability/loss of income
$25/day for in-home services
$2,000 for funeral, burial or cremation expense
$4,500 for rehabilitation expense
Survivor Benefits: Disability/loss of income up to $900/month for one year
In-home services up to $25/day for one year
and
Uninsured/Underinsured
$25,000/person
$50,000/accident

What are the Rental Car Insurance Requirements?

If you are driving a vehicle on any Kansas roadway, it must be insured. If your auto insurance and/or credit card do not provide the minimum coverages for rental cars, you must pay for the minimum coverages through the rental car company. Insurance through car rental companies is around $7-$14 a day.

What are the rules pertaining to Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Although Kansas operates under a No Fault system, the state does require its citizens to carry Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage in the amounts of  $25,000 per person per accident and $50,000 per accident.

What are the rules pertaining to the exclusion from coverage of a driver living in household?

In the state of Kansas, a household exclusion clause in an automobile liability insurance policy is permitted under state law. Certain household exclusions free the insurance company from the responsibility of paying a claim. Because of this, it is important to examine your auto insurance carefully before you sign on the dotted line.

What are the rules regarding whether a driver has prior insurance? That is, how does state law handle it if a driver has no prior insurance or has let their previous insurance lapse?

If you allow your insurance to lapse in the state of Kansas, this means that you are driving without insurance. In the state of Kansas, the penalties for driving without insurance are severe. Any person caught driving without insurance is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. They will be required to pay a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 or confinement in the county jail for a term of not more than six months. You can also be fined and go to jail. If any motorist commits a second offense within three years, they will be found guilty of a class A misdemeanor. The fine for is not less than $800 nor more than $2,500.

What are the rules and guidelines auto insurance companies must follow regarding the use of Personal Credit History in selecting applicants and setting rates?

Personal Credit History can be used to set insurance premium rates and select applicants in the state of Kansas. However, Kansas typically uses the following to determine rates and offers:

• How much you drive
• Make and model of the vehicle
• Prior insurance coverage (if applicable)
• Where you live
• Your age
• Your driving record
• Your gender

Is the state a No Fault or Tort state? What does either mean to the policy owner?

Kansas is a No Fault state. That said, many states have adopted their own mandatory coverages. In the case of the state of Kansas, Kansas’s auto insurance law does require its citizens to carry Personal Injury protection (PIP) insurance and uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance.

What is the average auto insurance premium in this state? As of what year?

As of 2006, Kansas’s resident’s average insurance premium was approximately $579 the 47th most expensive in the nation. This was down 1.7% from the previous year. The national average was $817.

Sources

Insurance Information Institute

Kansas Insurance Department