Updated June 2026
What Is Liability Insurance Insurance?
Liability insurance pays for property damage and bodily injury you cause to others when you are at fault in an accident. It covers the other driver's medical bills, lost wages, vehicle repairs, and legal defense costs if you're sued. Utah liability policies split into three components: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident. The state minimum is 25/65/15, meaning $25,000 per injured person, $65,000 total per accident for injuries, and $15,000 for property damage.
- You rear-end a car at a stoplight. The other driver has $18,000 in medical bills and $6,500 in vehicle damage. Your 25/65/15 policy pays the full $18,000 in medical costs (under the $25,000 per-person limit) and the full $6,500 in property damage (under the $15,000 limit). Your own car repairs and any injuries you sustained are not covered — you pay those out of pocket or through collision and medical payments coverage if you carry them.
- You cause a three-car pileup. Two people in one vehicle have $30,000 each in medical bills; one person in another vehicle has $20,000. Total injury costs: $80,000. Your 25/65/15 policy pays $25,000 to each of the first two victims (the per-person cap) and $15,000 to the third victim, totaling $65,000 — the per-accident bodily injury limit. The remaining $15,000 is your personal liability. Property damage to all three vehicles totals $22,000, but your policy only covers $15,000. You owe $7,000 directly to the other drivers or face a lawsuit.
- Your license is suspended and you don't own a vehicle, but Utah requires proof of insurance for reinstatement. You buy a non-owner liability policy with 25/65/15 limits and an SR-22 filing. You borrow a friend's car and cause $9,000 in damage to another vehicle. Your non-owner policy covers the $9,000 because you were driving with the owner's permission. Your friend's policy does not pay because yours applies first as the driver's policy.
Who Needs Liability Insurance Insurance?
Suspended drivers in Utah must carry liability insurance to satisfy reinstatement conditions, even during the suspension period when you cannot legally drive. If your suspension requires SR-22 filing, you must maintain continuous liability coverage without any lapses for the entire SR-22 period — usually three years — or the clock resets. Non-owner liability policies allow you to meet this requirement without owning a vehicle, which is common for DUI suspenders who sold their car or lost access to it.
Check your suspension notice or call the Utah DLD at 801-965-4437 to confirm whether insurance is required for reinstatement. If SR-22 filing is required, liability coverage is mandatory and must remain continuous. If you own a vehicle, buy a standard liability policy with SR-22 if applicable. If you don't own a vehicle but will drive borrowed or rental cars, buy a non-owner policy. If you will not drive at all during suspension but need coverage to satisfy reinstatement, a non-owner policy is the lowest-cost compliant option.
How Much Does Liability Insurance Insurance Cost?
Liability-only policies in Utah typically cost $45–$85 per month for drivers with a clean record, or $540–$1,020 annually. Suspended drivers requiring SR-22 filing see rates of $90–$180 per month due to high-risk classification. Non-owner policies cost $25–$60 per month for minimum liability limits.
- Suspension reason and duration: DUI suspensions increase liability premiums 80–150% compared to clean-record drivers, while suspended-for-points or lapsed-insurance suspensions increase rates 40–80%.
- SR-22 filing requirement: adding an SR-22 to a liability policy raises premiums $15–$40 per month because it signals high-risk status to insurers.
- Coverage limits: raising limits from state minimum 25/65/15 to 50/100/25 adds $8–$18 per month but reduces personal liability exposure in serious accidents.
- Driving history: at-fault accidents in the past three years increase liability premiums 25–60%, and multiple violations compound the surcharge.
- Age and experience: drivers under 25 or over 70 pay 15–35% more for liability coverage due to actuarial risk, and newly licensed drivers of any age face similar increases.
- Vehicle usage: if you're reinstating after suspension and resume commuting 30+ miles daily, expect liability costs to rise 10–20% compared to occasional-use drivers.