Rachel Bodine graduated from college with a BA in English. She has since worked as a Feature Writer in the insurance industry and gained a deep knowledge of state and countrywide insurance laws and rates. Her research and writing focus on helping readers understand their insurance coverage and how to find savings. Her expert advice on insurance has been featured on sites like PhotoEnforced, All...

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Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insurance...

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Reviewed by Leslie Kasperowicz
Former Farmers Insurance CSR

UPDATED: Nov 12, 2020

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Oregon State FlagKnown as the “Beaver State” and featuring terrain that ranges from sandy ocean beaches to massive, glacier covered mountains, there are few states as full of natural beauty as Oregon. Driving through the state can be breathtaking – and of course, will require auto insurance. Let’s take a look at Oregon’s auto insurance situation and everything a driver will need to know.

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Oregon Auto Insurance Laws And Minimums

In Oregon, the state liability coverage minimums are:

  • Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – $25,000 per person
  • Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – $50,000 per accident
  • Property Damage Liability Coverage – $20,000 per accident
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Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage minimums:

  • Bodily Injury Coverage – $25,000 per person
  • Bodily Injury Coverage – $50,000 per accident

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage minimums:

  • $15,000 coverage per person

Optional coverage options in Oregon include:

  • Comprehensive Coverage
  • Collision Coverage
  • GAP Coverage
  • Rental Car Reimbursement Coverage
  • Roadside Assistance / Towing Coverage
  • Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage

State law in Oregon requires drivers to have a wide variety of different auto insurance policies to fully protect themselves from the financial risks associated with automobile accidents. Drivers in Oregon are subject to the “tort” system, meaning that one of the parties involved in an accident will be found “at fault” – meaning that for all intents and purposes, they caused the accident. This driver’s auto insurance would then kick in to cover the claims against that person for medical costs, property damage and the like.

There are four different areas of insurance coverage that Oregonians are legally required to purchase before they are allowed to drive on the roads. These policies are Bodily Injury Liability, Property Damage Liability, Uninsured Motorist Coverage, and Personal Injury Protection; we’ll look at each one below.

Bodily Injury Liability – this policy covers injury claims against the “at fault” driver when they cause an accident. Essentially, this type of coverage is meant to pick up medical treatment costs, hospital bills, lost wages, disability costs and rehabilitation costs stemming from the crash. Drivers must have a minimum of $25,000 per person, per accident and $50,000 for all parties in a single accident.

Property Damage Liability – this type of policy covers the cost of repairing any property damage that the “at fault” party causes with their vehicle in an accident. This could range from body work on another car to replacing a fence or signage. It’s required that drivers purchase a minimum of $20,000 of PDL insurance.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage – this policy is a bit different in that it protects the driver and their passengers against the treatment costs from injuries caused in an accident with an uninsured driver. It’s basically Bodily Injury Liability insurance that covers you, and only kicks in when the other driver has no insurance. The minimum coverage here is the same $20,000 per person, per accident and $50,000 for all parties in a single accident.

Personal Injury Protection – PIP coverage helps cover the costs associated with any medical expenses incurred by the driver or any of their passengers in a crash, regardless of fault. This can be incredibly helpful in an accident where the other driver is at fault, but has insufficient Bodily Injury Liability insurance to cover your medical treatments, requiring you to sue. If you have PIP insurance, you can rest assured that the bills will be taken care of. The minimum coverage required is $15,000.

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Oregon Auto Insurance Rates

Thanks to a number of factors which we’ll discuss below, Oregon’s drivers now enjoy some of the least expensive auto insurance rates available anywhere in the country. Slugly it costs an average of just $1187 per year to insure a car in Oregon, which comes out to less than $100 per month. Compared to a nationwide median insurance cost of $1439 per year, this is an incredible deal for Oregonians.

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The only major city where rates are more expensive than this is Portland, which is typical of larger cities. Drivers in Portland can expect an average annual auto insurance rate of $1520, which is a bit higher than the national average but still a fantastic deal.

Take a look at our interactive map to see how you ZIP code stacks up!

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There are a lot of factors that auto insurance companies take into consideration when determining your rates. Take a look at our overview here.

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While many of these factors are simply based on your own driving record, two things that affect even the safest drivers are age and gender. As with most states, males typically pay higher auto insurance rates than females.

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Company vs. State: Oregon Auto Insurance Rates by Company

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But which companies are the largest, holding the most market share percentage in the region?

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Oregon Driving Statistics

Oregonians have been driving much safer over the past decade, which has driven crash rates down and is one of the reasons that auto insurance rates are among the lowest in the nation. 2009 was no different, with drivers registering a total of 41,271 total vehicle crashes across the state – a drop of about 1.3% from the 2008 numbers. The real shining star here is a huge drop of nearly 10% in the number of fatalities caused through vehicle accidents, with 2009 seeing just 377 total fatalities. As long as Oregon’s drivers continue to focus on road safety and avoiding unnecessary distractions such as texting while driving and driving while under the influence, these numbers will keep decreasing.

News is just as good when it comes to vehicle thefts throughout the state. Between 2005 and 2009, instances of vehicle theft dropped to 9,869 from a high of 19,262. This represents a drop of nearly fifty percent in just five years, which is nothing short of spectacular and again is a major cause for such low auto insurance rates. This is a direct result of increased law enforcement initiatives that have targeted auto theft, including the use of bait cars. Drivers also receive credits on their insurance for using anti-theft devices such as immobilizers and “Lojack” systems, which further helps to bring down auto thieves.

If you live in Oregon, this site can help you find the lowest rates for auto insurance available through all of the different insurance companies that operate in the state. Head back up to the top of this page and enter in your ZIP code to see the deals available in your area!

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