Ohio · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026

Hit by an uninsured driver in Ohio: coverage, penalties and what to do

Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.

Short answer

Driving without proof of insurance brings a license suspension and license impoundment, with longer suspensions for repeat violations (Ohio Rev. Code § 4509.101). Optional.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Not required
Minimum liability
25/50/25
Insurance system
Fault (tort)

Uninsured motorist coverage in Ohio

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
Optional. Insurers may, but do not have to, include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (Ohio Rev. Code § 3937.18).
Liability minimum
25/50/25
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in Ohio

  • You can report an uninsured driver to the BMV within six months (§ 4509.06).
  • Claim injuries under your own uninsured motorist coverage if you bought it, use collision for your car, or sue the driver.

Penalties for driving uninsured in Ohio

  • Driving without proof of insurance brings a license suspension and license impoundment, with longer suspensions for repeat violations (Ohio Rev. Code § 4509.101).

More facts for Ohio

  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is optional in Ohio, so check your own policy (ORC § 3937.18).
  • Since September 30, 2025, any person involved in the crash, including an injured person or owner of damaged property, may file the uninsured-driver report with the BMV, not just a driver (ORC § 4509.06, as amended by HB 96).

Recent changes in Ohio

  • Under § 4509.06, any person involved in the crash (driver, owner of damaged property, injured person) may now send the uninsured-driver report to the BMV within six months; before, only a driver could.

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Ohio

  • Insurers must acknowledge a claim within 15 days, answer your communications within 15 days, decide whether to accept or deny within 21 days after proof of loss (or tell you why they need more time), and pay a first-party claim within 10 days after accepting it when the amount is not in dispute (Ohio Adm. Code 3901-1-54).

Claiming from the uninsured driver in Ohio

Small claims limit for car damage in Ohio: $6,000. Ohio small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Ohio

  1. Report the crash to the police. Stop and give your name, address and plate number (and the owner's name and address if you are not the owner) to anyone hurt, the driver or owner of any damaged vehicle, and any police officer at the scene. Reporting a crash in Ohio and getting the police report
  2. Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
  3. Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Ohio it is not required.
  4. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 2 years for both property damage and injury. Deadlines to sue in Ohio, with the calculator

Free help in Ohio

Questions about uninsured drivers in Ohio

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Ohio?

Optional. Insurers may, but do not have to, include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (Ohio Rev. Code § 3937.18).

What happens if you drive without insurance in Ohio?

Driving without proof of insurance brings a license suspension and license impoundment, with longer suspensions for repeat violations (Ohio Rev. Code § 4509.101).

What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Ohio?

You can report an uninsured driver to the BMV within six months (§ 4509.06). Claim injuries under your own uninsured motorist coverage if you bought it, use collision for your car, or sue the driver.

What is the minimum car insurance in Ohio?

25/50/25

How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Ohio?

2 years for property damage and 2 years for injury.

How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Ohio?

Insurers must acknowledge a claim within 15 days, answer your communications within 15 days, decide whether to accept or deny within 21 days after proof of loss (or tell you why they need more time), and pay a first-party claim within 10 days after accepting it when the amount is not in dispute (Ohio Adm. Code 3901-1-54).

More for Ohio drivers

Nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.