Oregon · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026
Hit by an uninsured driver in Oregon: coverage, penalties and what to do
Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.
Short answer
Claim under your required uninsured motorist coverage and your PIP. A driver who doesn't file the DMV report with proof of insurance within 72 hours faces a DMV suspension notice. Uninsured motorist coverage is required, and it must match your bodily injury liability limits unless you choose lower limits in writing (never below the minimums).
- Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
- Required
- Minimum liability
- 25/50/20
- Insurance system
- Fault (tort)
Uninsured motorist coverage in Oregon
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
- Uninsured motorist coverage is required, and it must match your bodily injury liability limits unless you choose lower limits in writing (never below the minimums). Underinsured coverage is part of it (ORS 742.502). PIP is also required.
- Liability minimum
- 25/50/20
- Official text
- Read the official text
Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.
Penalties for driving uninsured in Oregon
- Claim under your required uninsured motorist coverage and your PIP. A driver who doesn't file the DMV report with proof of insurance within 72 hours faces a DMV suspension notice.
How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Oregon
- ORS 746.230 bars insurers from failing to acknowledge and act promptly on claims, failing to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss, and not trying in good faith to settle claims when liability is reasonably clear.
- For PIP medical bills, charges are presumed reasonable unless the insurer denies them within 60 days after notice of the claim (ORS 742.524).
Claiming from the uninsured driver in Oregon
Small claims limit for car damage in Oregon: $10,000 (claims of $750 or less must go to small claims). Oregon small claims guide on Small Claims Map
Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Oregon
- Report the crash to the police. Notify police right away (use a non-emergency number unless it's an emergency) if anyone is hurt or killed, any vehicle has more than $2,500 damage, other property has more than $2,500 damage, or a vehicle must be towed from the scene. Reporting a crash in Oregon and getting the police report
- Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
- Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Oregon it is required.
- If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 6 years for property damage and 2 years for injury. Deadlines to sue in Oregon, with the calculator
Free help in Oregon
Questions about uninsured drivers in Oregon
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Oregon?
Uninsured motorist coverage is required, and it must match your bodily injury liability limits unless you choose lower limits in writing (never below the minimums). Underinsured coverage is part of it (ORS 742.502). PIP is also required.
What happens if you drive without insurance in Oregon?
Claim under your required uninsured motorist coverage and your PIP. A driver who doesn't file the DMV report with proof of insurance within 72 hours faces a DMV suspension notice.
What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Oregon?
Claim under your required uninsured motorist coverage and your PIP. A driver who doesn't file the DMV report with proof of insurance within 72 hours faces a DMV suspension notice.
What is the minimum car insurance in Oregon?
25/50/20
How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Oregon?
6 years for property damage and 2 years for injury.
How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Oregon?
ORS 746.230 bars insurers from failing to acknowledge and act promptly on claims, failing to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss, and not trying in good faith to settle claims when liability is reasonably clear. For PIP medical bills, charges are presumed reasonable unless the insurer denies them within 60 days after notice of the claim (ORS 742.524).
More for Oregon drivers
- All car accident rules in Oregon
- Comparative fault
- Reporting a crash
- Deadline to sue
- Minimum car insurance in every state
- Guide: hit by an uninsured driver
- Fault and payout explainer
- Deadline calculator
- Insurance claim letter
- Police report request letter
Nearby states
- ORS 806.070 Minimum payment schedule
- ORS chapter 811 (collision reporting)
- ORS chapter 742 (PIP, UM)
- ORS 31.600 Comparative negligence
- ORS chapter 12 (limitations)
- ORS 30.275 Notice of claim
- ORS 746.230 Unfair claim settlement practices
- Oregon DMV: Collision Reporting and Responsibilities
- Oregon DFR: File a complaint
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.