Ohio Just Eased Penalties for Driving Without Insurance. Here's Why You Need UM Coverage

Published April 9, 2025 · New Laws

Starting today, April 9, 2025, a driver caught on Ohio roads without insurance faces a lighter set of consequences than they did yesterday. That is not the headline purpose of the new law, and there are good reasons behind much of it. But if you are the person that uninsured driver hits, the change is one more reminder that the only insurance you can count on is the insurance you buy for yourself.

What H.B. 29 does

Amended Substitute House Bill 29 of the 135th General Assembly was signed by Governor DeWine on January 8, 2025, and takes effect today. Its main focus is license suspensions tied to debt. As described by its sponsors, it ends driver's license suspensions for failing to pay court fines and fees, a reform supported by advocates who argued that those suspensions trap people in a cycle of lost jobs and more fines.

The part that matters most to crash victims is quieter. H.B. 29 also amends Ohio's financial-responsibility law, R.C. 4509.101, which is the statute that requires every driver to carry insurance (or another approved form of "proof of financial responsibility") and punishes those who do not.

A shorter look-back for repeat offenders

Under R.C. 4509.101, a first violation brings a license suspension. A repeat violation brings a longer one. Until today, a driver was treated as a repeat offender if they had another no-insurance violation within five years. As of today, the look-back is one year. R.C. 4509.101(A)(2)(b), (c).

In practical terms, a driver who goes uninsured, gets caught, and does it again eighteen months later is now treated as a first offender again.

More time to show proof of insurance

When a driver is ticketed and cannot show proof of insurance, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles sends a notice. Before today, the driver had 15 days after the notice was mailed to present proof before facing suspension. Under the amended statute, the driver has 45 days, and the suspension takes effect 45 days after the notice is mailed if no proof is provided. R.C. 4509.101(D)(5)(a).

What has not changed

Driving while under a financial-responsibility suspension remains an offense under R.C. 4510.16. For most offenders it is an unclassified misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000 and no jail time. If the offender cannot show proof of insurance, the court may order restitution for economic loss from a crash they caused, but only up to $5,000. R.C. 4510.16(D)(3). For a person with a broken pelvis or a brain injury, $5,000 is not compensation.

Why this matters if you are hit

Every Ohio driver is legally required to carry at least $25,000 in bodily-injury liability coverage per person and $50,000 per accident. R.C. 4509.51(B). We have written before about why those minimums are not enough even when a driver carries them. And too many drivers carry nothing at all.

When an uninsured driver causes a serious crash, you can sue them, and you may win. But a judgment against a person with no insurance and no assets is usually a piece of paper. The penalties in H.B. 29 are about the uninsured driver's license. None of them puts money in your pocket.

That is the job of uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own auto policy.

How uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage works

UM coverage pays you, up to the limits you chose, when you are hurt by a driver who should have paid but cannot. Under R.C. 3937.18(B)(1), an "uninsured motorist" includes a driver with no liability insurance, a driver whose insurer denies coverage or becomes insolvent, and a hit-and-run driver who cannot be identified, as long as there is independent evidence corroborating that the unidentified driver caused the injury.

Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but less than your UIM limit. Under R.C. 3937.18(C), your UIM limit is reduced by what the at-fault driver's policy pays, so UIM fills the gap rather than stacking on top. A driver with a $25,000 policy who causes $200,000 in harm leaves you $175,000 short. With $100,000 in UIM coverage, the total available to you rises to $100,000 ($25,000 from the driver plus $75,000 from your UIM); with $250,000 in UIM, the full loss would be covered. Our guide chapter on using your own insurance walks through the math.

Here is the catch: Ohio does not require you to buy UM or UIM. R.C. 3937.18(A) says a policy "may, but is not required to," include it. Many people decline it to save money or never realize they did.

What to do this week

1. Find your declarations page. Look for "uninsured motorist" and "underinsured motorist." If they show "rejected" or no limit, you do not have them.
2. Match your UM/UIM limits to your liability limits. If you carry $100,000 or $250,000 to protect other people from your mistakes, carry the same to protect your family from theirs. Ask your agent to price the options.
3. Cover every vehicle in your household, including older second cars and cars driven by adult children who live with you.
4. Ask about an umbrella policy that includes UM/UIM if you have significant assets or income to protect.
5. Keep proof of every crash. If you are hit by a driver who flees, call police immediately and preserve every piece of evidence. Our page on hit-and-run and uninsured drivers explains why corroborating evidence matters.

What this means for you

H.B. 29 does not change whether an uninsured driver is responsible for the harm they cause. It does make it a little easier for some drivers to stay on the road without insurance, and a little less costly when they are caught. For everyone else, the protection has to come from your own policy, decided before a crash, not after.

If you have already been hurt by an uninsured or underinsured driver, your UM/UIM claim is a claim against your own insurance company, and it has its own rules and deadlines. Our UM/UIM claims page and our Dayton car accident lawyer page explain what comes next.