Arkansas Minimum Car Insurance Requirements: 25/50/25 and What It Covers
The legal answer fits in three numbers. The practical answer is that those numbers are the least you can carry, and the gap between the minimum and a serious crash is where drivers end up paying out of pocket. Here is what Arkansas requires, how it is enforced, and how to decide what to carry above it.
What is the minimum car insurance required in Arkansas?
Liability coverage of 25/50/25 under Ark. Code § 27-22-104. The requirement is liability only: money for the people you injure and the property you damage in a crash you cause.
$25,000 bodily injury per person
Pays for injury to or death of any one person in an accident you cause, up to $25,000.
$50,000 bodily injury per accident
The total for everyone injured in that accident, however many people are hurt. Two seriously injured people share it.
$25,000 property damage
Pays for the other driver’s vehicle and any other property you damage in one accident, such as a fence or storefront.
Both the car and the driver must be covered
The statute makes it illegal to drive in Arkansas unless both the vehicle and the driver are covered by an insurance policy from an authorized insurer or by a certificate of self-insurance.
What the minimum leaves out
Nothing in 25/50/25 repairs your own car, pays your own medical bills or pays you when an uninsured driver hits you. Those come from collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage. Our guide to the types of car insurance explains each one.
Can I show proof of insurance on my phone in Arkansas?
Yes. Under Ark. Code § 27-22-104, your proof of insurance card may be shown on paper or electronically on a phone or other portable device, as long as the screen shows the required information as clearly as a paper card.
Showing your phone is not consent to a search
The statute says presenting electronic proof does not authorize a search of anything else on the device without a warrant or probable cause, and it neither expands nor limits an officer’s search authority.
No proof creates a presumption
If you cannot show a proof of insurance card at a stop, or the state’s online verification system does not show current coverage, the law presumes the vehicle is uninsured. The presumption is rebuttable, so you can still prove you were covered.
Insured but could not show it: $25
Under Ark. Code § 27-22-111, if you later prove the required coverage was in effect at the time of the stop, the fine for failing to present proof is $25. Court costs are still assessed, but no other costs or fees are added.
Keep proof handy in Northwest Arkansas
Whether you are driving through Bentonville, Rogers, Fayetteville or Bella Vista, keep a current card in the car or your insurer’s app on your phone. It is the simplest way to avoid a citation.
What is the penalty for driving without insurance in Arkansas?
Fines rise with each offense under Ark. Code § 27-22-103, and the registration consequences can cost more than the fine.
| Situation | What the law provides |
|---|---|
| First offense | Mandatory fine of $100 to $250 |
| Second offense | Fine of $250 to $500, with the minimum mandatory |
| Third or later offense | Fine of $500 to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both |
| Coverage not shown when the charge is resolved | The court orders the vehicle’s registration suspended until proof of coverage is presented |
| Reinstating a suspended registration | Proof of coverage plus a $20 reinstatement fee, in addition to any fines |
| Coverage was in effect at the time of arrest | The judge may dismiss the charge, and the penalties are not imposed |
| Insured, but could not show proof at the stop | A $25 fine under § 27-22-111, plus court costs |
Beyond the state’s penalties, the NAIC notes insurers may charge more when you had no coverage before applying, so a lapse can raise the price of your next policy.
Does Arkansas minimum car insurance include uninsured motorist coverage and PIP?
They are not part of the 25/50/25 requirement, but your insurer must include them unless a named insured rejects them in writing. Many drivers rejected one on a form years ago and never revisited it.
Uninsured motorist coverage
Under Ark. Code § 23-89-403, uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage is included unless rejected in writing, and the rejection lasts until withdrawn in writing. Underinsured coverage must be offered under § 23-89-209 and is available only alongside it. Our uninsured motorist guide covers the details.
Personal injury protection
Under § 23-89-202, private passenger policies include medical benefits up to $5,000 per person, income benefits and a $5,000 death benefit, paid without regard to fault. A named insured may reject any or all of them in writing under § 23-89-203.
Collision and comprehensive are optional
State law never requires coverage for your own car. A lender or leasing company almost always does. Our guide to full-coverage car insurance explains how those coverages fit together.
Is 25/50/25 enough car insurance in Arkansas?
For many drivers, no. The minimum makes you legal, but Arkansas uses a fault-based (tort) system, with modified comparative fault under Ark. Code § 16-64-122, so if you cause a crash, anything above your limits can be yours to pay.
Your assets are behind the limit
Your insurer pays up to your limits. Past them, you can be personally responsible. Regulators give a simple example: $250,000 in injuries against a $100,000 limit can leave $150,000 owed from your own assets.
Ordinary claims can pass the minimum
A $25,000 property damage limit may not cover one newer vehicle, and $25,000 per person can be used up by a short hospital stay before lost wages. The Insurance Information Institute recommends carrying enough liability to protect your home and savings.
Uninsured drivers are a separate risk
About 1 in 8 Arkansas drivers were uninsured in 2023, according to the Insurance Research Council. Your liability limits do nothing for your own injuries in that case. Uninsured motorist coverage does.
An umbrella can sit above higher limits
Drivers with homes and savings to protect often pair higher auto limits with a personal umbrella. Our guide on whether a personal umbrella is right for you explains how the layers fit.
How do I check whether my policy meets the Arkansas minimum?
Your declarations page shows everything you need.
- Find the liability limits.
They may appear as 25/50/25 or as separate bodily injury and property damage lines. Each must be at least the state minimum.
- Look for uninsured motorist and PIP.
If either is missing, it was rejected in writing at some point. You can ask for it back in writing.
- Check that every driver and vehicle is listed.
Arkansas requires both the vehicle and the driver to be covered.
- Keep proof in the car and on your phone.
Either form is valid at a traffic stop.
- Price a higher tier.
Ask what higher liability and uninsured motorist limits would add, then decide with both numbers in front of you.
See what the next tier costs before you settle for the floor.
Cribb Insurance Group is an independent agency in Bentonville serving Northwest Arkansas. Seeing what the tier above the minimum costs, side by side, makes the choice clearer. We compare options from multiple insurance companies, price the minimum and a higher tier side by side, and check whether uninsured motorist coverage was ever rejected on your policy. The decision stays yours.
Ask Cribby about Arkansas requirements
Cribby is Cribb Insurance Group’s AI assistant for general insurance questions. Start with one of these, or ask your own. For your own policy, talk with our team.
Want to see what your current policy says? Upload your declarations page to Coverage Compare. It shows your liability limits next to the Arkansas minimum and flags missing uninsured motorist or personal injury protection coverage.
Use Coverage CompareArkansas minimum car insurance questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Arkansas?
Liability coverage of 25/50/25 under Ark. Code § 27-22-104: $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. None of it pays for your own vehicle or your own injuries.
Can I show proof of insurance on my phone in Arkansas?
Yes. Ark. Code § 27-22-104 allows proof of insurance to be shown electronically on a phone or other portable device. Presenting it that way does not authorize a search of anything else on the device without a warrant or probable cause, and it neither expands nor limits an officer’s search authority.
What happens if I had insurance but could not show proof?
If you later prove the required coverage was in effect at the time of the stop, Ark. Code § 27-22-111 sets the fine for failing to present proof at $25. Court costs are still assessed, but no other costs or fees are added. If you cannot prove coverage, the uninsured driving penalties apply instead.
What is the penalty for driving uninsured in Arkansas?
Under Ark. Code § 27-22-103, a first offense carries a mandatory fine of $100 to $250. A second offense carries $250 to $500, with the minimum mandatory. A third or later offense carries $500 to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both. Registration suspension can also follow.
Does my registration get suspended for driving uninsured?
It can. If you cannot show coverage was in effect when the charge is resolved, the court sends an order to the Office of Motor Vehicle suspending the vehicle’s registration until you present proof of coverage. Reinstating it requires that proof and a $20 reinstatement fee, in addition to any fines.
Is 25/50/25 enough?
For many drivers it is not. Arkansas uses a fault-based (tort) system, with modified comparative fault under Ark. Code § 16-64-122, so if you cause a crash, damages above your limits can be yours to pay from savings or other assets. A newer vehicle or a short hospital stay can pass the minimum. Ask to see a higher tier priced side by side before you decide.
Does the minimum include uninsured motorist coverage?
It is not part of the 25/50/25 requirement, but your insurer must include uninsured motorist coverage unless you reject it in writing under Ark. Code § 23-89-403. Personal injury protection works the same way under § 23-89-202. Check your declarations page to see whether either was rejected.
Sources we checked for this guide:
- Ark. Code § 27-22-104, insurance required and minimum limits
- Ark. Code § 27-22-103, penalties
- Ark. Code § 27-22-111, failure to present proof of insurance
- Ark. Code § 23-89-403, uninsured motorist coverage
- Ark. Code § 23-89-202, personal injury protection
- Maryland Insurance Administration: umbrella insurance example
- Insurance Information Institute: uninsured motorists
Insurance answers you can understand. From a local agency you can know.
We believe good insurance decisions start with clear information. Our Northwest Arkansas insurance guides explain coverage, pricing considerations and policy differences in everyday language, so you can shop with greater confidence.
Go beyond the minimum with the numbers in front of you.
Send us your declarations page or start a quote. We will price the Arkansas minimum and a higher tier side by side from multiple insurance companies and tell you whether uninsured motorist coverage or personal injury protection was ever rejected on your policy.
A quote is an estimate. It is not a guarantee of final premium, coverage or eligibility. The insurance company sets the actual rate and the actual coverage terms after its underwriting review, and they may differ from any figure shown here. Cribb Insurance Group Inc is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company. Your insurance company issues the policy and pays covered claims. Coverage cannot be bound, changed or cancelled through this website, email, social media or voicemail, and is not in force until Cribb Insurance Group Inc or the insurance company confirms it in writing. Coverage, eligibility, discounts and prices vary by insurance company, policy and individual situation. Cribb Insurance Group Inc, 1601 SW Regional Airport Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72713, (479) 286-1066.