What Arkansas Law Requires You to Carry
Arkansas law requires every driver to carry liability insurance with minimum limits of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. These are the only mandatory coverages. The state does not require personal injury protection or uninsured-motorist coverage, though both are available as optional add-ons.
You must provide proof of insurance when you register a vehicle, renew registration, and during any traffic stop. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services, enforces these requirements. Driving without proof of insurance triggers penalties that include fines, license suspension, and reinstatement fees.
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Get Your Free QuoteArkansas Liability Minimums
25/50/25
The state mandates $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage per accident. These are the only coverages Arkansas law requires.
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration
The Coverage Gap Arkansas Law Leaves Open
Meeting Arkansas minimums means you carry liability coverage only. Liability pays for damage you cause to others. It does not pay for damage to your own vehicle, medical bills for you or your passengers, or losses when an uninsured driver hits you.
Arkansas does not mandate uninsured-motorist coverage or underinsured-motorist coverage. You can buy both as optional add-ons, but the state does not require them. This creates a structural gap: you can be fully compliant with state law and still have no coverage when an uninsured driver causes a collision.
12.1% of Arkansas drivers are uninsured. That figure comes from 2023 state insurance statistics. One in eight drivers on the road carries no insurance. When one of them hits you, your liability-only policy pays nothing for your vehicle damage or medical bills. You pay out of pocket or file a lawsuit to recover damages.
Arkansas law lets you drive legally with no protection against uninsured drivers. Meeting the minimum does not mean you are covered when someone without insurance hits you.
What Liability-Only Coverage Actually Pays For
Bodily injury liability pays medical bills, lost wages, and legal costs when you injure someone in a collision you caused. The $25,000 per person limit means the policy pays up to $25,000 for any one injured person. The $50,000 per accident limit caps total bodily injury payments for all injured people in a single collision. If you injure three people and their combined medical bills exceed $50,000, you pay the difference out of pocket.
Property damage liability pays repair costs when you damage someone else's vehicle or property. The $25,000 limit applies per accident. Liability coverage does not pay for damage to your own vehicle. If the other driver is at fault, their liability policy pays for your vehicle damage. If they carry no insurance, you have no coverage unless you bought uninsured-motorist property damage as an optional add-on.
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Optional Coverages That Close the Gap
Uninsured-motorist coverage pays for your medical bills and vehicle damage when a driver with no insurance hits you. Underinsured-motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver carries insurance but their limits are too low to cover your losses. Arkansas does not require either coverage, but most carriers offer both.
Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle regardless of who caused the collision. Comprehensive coverage pays for theft, vandalism, weather damage, and animal strikes. Both are optional. Lenders require both when you finance or lease a vehicle.
Personal injury protection is not required in Arkansas and is not widely offered. The state does not mandate no-fault coverage. Medical payments coverage is an alternative that pays medical bills for you and your passengers after a collision, regardless of fault. It does not cover lost wages or other no-fault benefits.
Arkansas Uninsured Driver Rate
12.1%
One in eight drivers on Arkansas roads carries no insurance. When an uninsured driver causes a collision, your liability-only policy pays nothing for your vehicle damage or medical bills.
Arkansas insurance statistics, 2023
Proof of Insurance and Enforcement
Arkansas requires proof of insurance at vehicle registration, registration renewal, and during traffic stops. Acceptable proof includes an insurance card issued by your carrier, a digital insurance card displayed on your phone, or a certificate of insurance. The card must show your name, the vehicle identification number, the policy number, and the coverage period.
Driving without insurance or failing to provide proof during a traffic stop results in a citation. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services, administers penalties. A first offense typically results in a fine and a requirement to file proof of insurance with Driver Control.
Compare Carriers That Write Arkansas Policies
Arkansas is served by 25 carriers that write standard, preferred, and non-standard auto policies. State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, and Nationwide write the majority of policies statewide. All six offer liability-only policies that meet state minimums, and all six offer optional uninsured-motorist and collision coverage.
Carriers price liability-only policies differently. The only way to identify the lowest rate for your household is to compare quotes from multiple carriers. See Arkansas carrier options and compare rates to find the policy that fits your vehicles and budget.