All vehicles operating on public roads and state lands in Idaho must carry proper insurance with at least the state minimum requirements. Drivers must sign a statement upon registering a vehicle that confirms he or she has the minimum requirements of financial responsibility. Every time the individual is operating the insured motor vehicle, a copy of the insurance must be kept inside the car. Proof of insurance can include an insurance card supplied by the insurance company or a certificate of an indemnity bond provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Failure to comply will require the individual to attain auto insurance for one year and pay a $75 fine. If another offense occurs within five years, he or she will be fined $1,000, convicted of a misdemeanor and possibly serve up to six months in jail. Idaho law enforcement officers consider a lack of insurance to be a major offense and will severely reprimand each individual without proper coverage.

Idaho Liability Policies
Minimum liability policies must contain a $25,000 sum per person for bodily injury, a $50,000 sum per accident for bodily injury and a $15,000 sum per accident for property damage. Idaho liability coverage supplies funds to the victim for hospital bills and property damage. Liability policies are not intended to cover the expenses, medical or property, accrued by the negligent driver.

Bodily Injury Sums for Liability Policies
Bodily injury coverage will cover any expenses related to medical costs suffered by the victim. In the event of a death, funeral costs will be the responsibility of the negligent driver. In severe, non fatal collisions, a faulty driver will also cover hospital transportation, hospital stays and/or rehabilitation bills. In Idaho, bodily injury coverage is noted as a $25,000/$50,000 quote on the policy. This means that an injured party can receive up to $25,000 for medical costs. If more than one party is injured in the collision, the entire group will benefit from up to $50,000 but each person can not receive more than $25,000. Proof of expenses accrued must be supplied by the injured party or parties to qualify for benefits.

Enhanced Bodily Injury Coverage
Motorists in Idaho can select a sum over $50,000 to increase their bodily injury coverage. If he or she chooses a $75,000 bodily injury coverage plan, the victims of his or her negligent driving can receive up to $75,000 without exceeding $25,000 per person. Specifying a higher plan is not required in Idaho but supplies a greater safety net for drivers with a history of collisions. Drivers who operate motor vehicles in high traffic areas increase their chances of striking more than one vehicle. In this instance, the faulty driver may be responsible for the medical damage of more than one individual. This scenario can create a costly out of pocket expense if the insurance coverage is not adequate for the amount of damage caused.

Property Damage Sums for Liability Policies
Property damage coverage pays up to $15,000 for repairs or the replacement to property as the result of the faulty driver’s accident. This amount will not provide any monies to the property of the faulty driver but will aid in damages that occur to more than one vehicle. A limitless number of parties can benefit from this coverage if the insured individual is found to be responsible for the collision.

Public Property Damage Coverage
Higher coverage limits can be elected for any policy. Many drivers consider increasing their limits to conform to property damage repairs in their neighborhood. Motorists who drive through neighborhoods frequently may want to consider an increase in property damage because their chances of striking a mailbox or phone pole become greater. Drivers should also remember that colliding with public property is their financial responsibility if they cause significant damage.

Idaho Graduated Driver Licensing
Idaho employs a graduated driver licensing which has proven to save the lives of many teenagers. Insurance coverage for a teen at age 16 coincides with Idaho state laws for young drivers. Once drivers pass their licensing test, they undergo a six month learning period that restricts them from driving beginning at 9:00 p.m. The insurance will cover all passengers while the teen is operating the vehicle no matter the time of day. He or she can only have one other passenger in the vehicle that is a non-family member. Once he or she turns 18 and does not accrue any negligent driving charges, he or she may exit the graduated driver licensing program.