District of Columbia · state requirements

Commercial auto insurance in the District of Columbia

For businesses that register, garage or drive work vehicles in DC: the minimums, the 2027 increase, lapse penalties, passenger carrier filings and what to have ready for a quote.

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What similar businesses pay

Commercial auto in DC: About $254 a month
Uninsured registered vehicle: $150 a vehicle, then $7 a day
Driving or allowing an uninsured vehicle: $500 civil fine

Published benchmarks, not quotes. Your price depends on underwriting.

Cost

What commercial auto insurance in the District of Columbia costs

About $254 a month

Commercial auto in DC

Insureon average for DC customers, limited data, accessed November 2026

$150 a vehicle, then $7 a day

Uninsured registered vehicle

D.C. Code 31-2413(b)(2), capped at $2,500 a violation

$500 civil fine

Driving or allowing an uninsured vehicle

D.C. Code 31-2413(b)(1)(A), first offense; 50% more after

$300 filing fee

WMATC passenger authority

WMATC application form, revised March 2023

Insureon reports an average of about $254 a month, or $3,044 a year, for DC small businesses that bought commercial auto through it, based on limited data. It names the number of vehicles, vehicle type and value, claims history, driving records, deductible and limits as the main price drivers, so one sedan and a fleet of cargo vans land far apart. The other benchmarks are what the District charges when coverage fails. From October 1, 2027 the legal floor rises to 50/100/20, and the Council has ordered the insurance commissioner to study how that affects premiums.

What moves your price

Where each vehicle is principally garaged: DC, Maryland or Virginia
Liability limits, especially if you buy to the 2027 floor of 50/100/20 early
Your uninsured, underinsured and PIP choices
Vehicle type and value, and seating capacity for passenger vans
Each driver’s record and your claims history
Whether you carry passengers for hire under a WMATC certificate

District of Columbia

What’s different in District of Columbia

25/50/10 leaves $10,000 for the damage you cause

D.C. Code 31-2406 sets the floor at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries and only $10,000 for property damage. A rush-hour chain collision can pass $10,000 quickly, and the rest becomes your business’s bill.

The minimums double on October 1, 2027

D.C. Law 26-155, effective August 14, 2026, raises the floor to 50/100/20 and mandatory uninsured motorist cover to 50/100/20 from October 1, 2027. From January 1, 2037, the figures rise again every 10 years by $5,000, $10,000 and $2,000.

Injured people choose no-fault or a lawsuit within 60 days

PIP is optional in DC, but a victim who has it must elect within 60 days whether to take PIP benefits. Under D.C. Code 31-2405, someone who takes PIP can still sue your business only for serious permanent injury or losses beyond the PIP limits.

Cyclists and pedestrians keep their claims when partly at fault

DC still uses contributory negligence, but laws from 2016 and 2020 stop it from barring pedestrians, cyclists, scooter and motorcycle riders unless their fault exceeds all defendants’ combined. Before 2016, the Mayor’s office noted, even 1% fault made recovery difficult for them.

No card at a stop means you are presumed uninsured

The insurance card, paper or on a phone, must be in the vehicle. Failing to show it brings a $30 fine and a rebuttable presumption of driving uninsured, which carries a $500 fine or a license suspension of up to 30 days under D.C. Code 31-2413.

A lapse is charged per vehicle, and the vehicle can be booted

Insurers report cancellations to the DMV within 30 days. The owner then faces $150 per uninsured vehicle for the first 30 days and $7 a day after, up to $2,500, plus registration suspension 30 days after notice. A suspended vehicle can be immobilized until coverage is back.

Coverage

Coverage District of Columbia businesses need

Liability above the DC floor

Pays for injuries and damage your vehicles cause others. Pricing at 50/100/20 or higher now avoids a jump when the 2027 floor arrives, and contracts often ask for more.

How commercial auto works →

Uninsured motorist

Required on every policy for a vehicle registered or principally garaged in DC: $25,000/$50,000 for injuries and $5,000 for property damage with a $200 deductible. You can buy up to $100,000/$300,000 and $25,000.

How commercial auto works →

Underinsured motorist

Insurers must offer it up to your uninsured motorist limits. It is optional, and once you reject it the insurer does not have to offer it again, so decide at the first quote.

How commercial auto works →

Personal injury protection

Optional, but insurers must offer it. If you buy it, medical benefits start at $50,000 a person, work loss at $12,000 and funeral costs up to $4,000, with higher medical and work loss options available.

How commercial auto works →

Hired and non-owned auto

From October 1, 2027, D.C. Law 26-155 makes the renter’s own insurance primary on vehicles rented under a written agreement, so staff who rent vans for work need your policy to include hired auto.

How commercial auto works →

Excess or umbrella

WMATC lets passenger carriers reach $1.5 million or $5 million by stacking primary and excess policies, each with its own WMATC endorsement.

How umbrella / excess works →

Rules

District of Columbia requirements

Every vehicle registered in DC must carry the insurance set by D.C. Code 31-2406 for the whole registration period, and nonresident owners must carry it while their vehicles are in the District. Passenger carriers for hire in the region answer to WMATC as well.

Requirement	Applies to	What it means
Minimum liability	Owners of vehicles registered in DC	$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries and $10,000 for property damage, D.C. Code 31-2406(b) and (c); kept continuously under 31-2403(a).
Uninsured motorist	Every policy on a vehicle registered or principally garaged in DC	$25,000/$50,000 for injuries and $5,000 for property damage, with a $200 property damage deductible, D.C. Code 31-2406(f).
2027 increase	Policies under D.C. Code 31-2406, from October 1, 2027	Liability and uninsured motorist floors rise to $50,000/$100,000/$20,000 under D.C. Law 26-155.
Nonresident vehicles	Maryland, Virginia and other out-of-District owners driving in DC	Must have insurance meeting 31-2406 while in DC; proof can be required before an immobilized vehicle is released, D.C. Code 31-2403(b).
Authorized insurer and card	DC-registered vehicles	Policy from an insurer authorized in DC or a method the Commissioner approves (31-2403(c)); the insurance card, paper or electronic, stays in the vehicle (31-2406(a)(2A)).
Lapse penalties	Registered owners	$150 per vehicle for 1 to 30 days uninsured, then $7 a day, up to $2,500 a violation, plus registration suspension, D.C. Code 31-2413(b)(2) and 31-2403(d).
WMATC certificate of authority	Passenger carriers for hire between points in the Metropolitan District	$1.5 million combined single limit for vehicles seating 15 or fewer, $5 million otherwise, filed on WMATC’s endorsement; ACORD certificates and Form E are not accepted.
WMATC cancellation and suspension	WMATC carriers	The endorsement requires 30 days’ written notice to WMATC to cancel. If it ends without replacement, authority is suspended and operations must stop at once.

Compare commercial auto options in District of Columbia.

One application, quotes from several insurers, reviewed by a licensed agent. Start with your email and finish later if you need to.

Pay less

How to lower the cost

Keep evidence of every crash: D.C. Code 31-2406(a)(5) bars insurers from raising your rate for an accident unless you were found at fault.
If a vehicle sat unused during a lapse, ask the DMV for a waiver: the law lets the Director waive the fine with proof it was not driven.
Quote 50/100/20 or higher at your next renewal so the October 2027 floor does not arrive as a mid-term surprise.
Choose PIP and underinsured cover on purpose rather than by default; a rejected UIM offer does not have to be repeated.
WMATC carriers can price a primary policy plus an excess layer against one large policy, since WMATC accepts both.
Compare quotes at renewal; Florin is an independent broker that compares options from several insurers.

Before you start

What underwriters ask for

DC registration for each vehicle and where it is principally garaged
Vehicle schedule with VINs, body types, values and any lienholder
Seating capacity for every passenger van or shuttle
Driver list with license numbers, dates of birth and years of experience
Current declarations page showing uninsured, underinsured and PIP choices
WMATC certificate number or USDOT number, if you have one
Loss runs from your current and prior insurers
How often staff rent vehicles or drive their own cars for work
Limits your customers require on certificates

Common questions

Commercial auto insurance in the District of Columbia: questions

Is DC a no-fault state for car accidents?

Partly. Insurers must offer PIP, but buying it is optional, and an injured person with PIP has 60 days to choose benefits. Choosing PIP limits lawsuits to serious permanent injuries or losses beyond the PIP limits, under D.C. Code 31-2405.

When do DC’s minimum auto insurance limits go up?

On October 1, 2027, under D.C. Law 26-155, to $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $20,000 for property damage. From January 1, 2037, they rise every 10 years by $5,000, $10,000 and $2,000.

Can I drop uninsured motorist coverage on a DC work vehicle?

No. D.C. Code 31-2406(f) requires it on policies for vehicles registered or principally garaged in DC, at $25,000/$50,000 and $5,000 for property damage. Underinsured motorist cover is the optional one.

My work van is registered in Maryland. Does DC law apply when I drive there?

Yes. D.C. Code 31-2403(b) bars nonresident owners from operating in DC without insurance meeting the District’s minimums, and DMV can demand proof before releasing an immobilized vehicle.

Does a shuttle or tour company need WMATC authority?

Carriers taking passengers for hire between points in the Metropolitan District, which covers DC, nearby Maryland and Virginia counties and Dulles Airport, need a WMATC certificate, $1.5 million or $5 million in coverage and a $300 filing fee.

Will a crash I did not cause raise my DC premium?

It should not. D.C. Code 31-2406(a)(5) says an insurer may not raise your rate for an accident unless it first determines the accident was your fault.

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Sources (13)

Figures are published third-party estimates, not quotes. Coverage depends on policy terms and underwriting, and rules vary by state. Updated November 2026.