Guide to Auto Insurance in Arkansas

Arkansas isn’t a no auto insurance requirement state; every vehicle lessee or owner needs auto coverage. Here are the bare minimums required by law.

• Property damage liability: You’ll need a minimum of $25,000 coverage for property damage liability. This covers damages to third parties’ vehicles or property that you or someone else on your policy made while driving your car.
• Bodily injury liability: You’ll also need a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per accident involving one person, or $50,000 per accident involving two or more people.¹ It covers any injuries or deaths that occur from you or someone else on your policy driving your car.

Arkansas does not require full coverage, just liability coverage. This means that you can get cheap car insurance with fewer requirements from car insurance companies.

What Happens if You Don’t Have Insurance?

If you are caught driving without insurance in Arkansas, you could be fined $50 and have your car’s registration suspended.

Property damage and bodily injury liability are the bare minimum; you’ll probably want to add on supplemental coverage such as comprehensive and collision coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive coverage will reimburse you for thefts or damage from events other than collisions, such as falling rocks, floods, and fires.

Collision

Collision coverage reimburses you for at-fault accidents. We recommend it in case you accidentally hit another vehicle or object, run into a pothole, etc.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Even though Arkansas requires auto insurance, not everyone complies. If you get into an accident with someone who has no insurance or insufficient insurance, this coverage will reimburse you for the costs. It also covers hit-and-runs.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

If you have any medical expenses or lost wages due to injuries from at-fault accidents, PIP will reimburse you up to your limits.

In 2020, the last time the National Association of Insurance Commissioners released national data, the average annual cost of car insurance in Arkansas was $879— 16 percent lower than the national average. We’ve seen estimates in the range of $266 per year all the way up to $1,914, however.

If you’re shopping for car insurance in Arkansas, consider the following companies:

• Allstate
• Auto-Owners
• Columbia Insurance Group
• Farm Bureau
• Farmers
• GEICO
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• Safeco
• Shelter Insurance
• Southern Farm Bureau
• State Auto
• State Farm
• Travelers
• USAA

These are some ways to lower auto insurance premiums in Arkansas:

1. Take advantage of your provider’s discounts. We’ve seen providers offer discounts for things like taking defensive driving courses, choosing annual policies, and paying your premiums early.
2. Undergo life changes like getting married, turning 25, or improving your credit score (obviously, some of these options are not under your control).
3. Raise your deductible (but make sure you could afford it if you caused an accident tomorrow).
4. Drop unnecessary coverages, like comprehensive coverage on an older car.
5. Lower your limits.

Your best bet here is certainly the auto insurance discounts.

When you’re driving in Arkansas, you’ll need your proof of liability insurance, which can be physical or digital. If you get caught driving without proof of insurance, you could pay a fee of $50 to $250 and have your registration suspended until you provide proof of insurance and pay an additional $20 fee.

Driving isn’t just about getting insurance. You also need to know the laws of the land so you can avoid penalties, fines, and license suspensions and revocations. Here’s some legal information about uninsured motorists, seat belts, distracted driving, teen drivers, and more.

Fault System

Arkansas is a no-fault state, meaning that if you cause an accident, you’ll be responsible for only the other party’s property damage. You and the other party each pay your own medical costs.

Now that you’re familiar with the driving laws in Arkansas, it’s time to take action. Whether you’re registering a car, scrounging up your car’s title, or contacting the state’s insurance department, we’ve covered the contact information below.

Registration Information

To register your car in Arkansas, you’ll need to either call or visit the DMV after you obtain insurance. Here’s how:

1. To contact the Arkansas DMV over the phone, call 501-371-5581.⁹
2. Go to your nearest office to show your documents.
3. Bring your insurance card, a primary document such as a bill of sale, and a federal odometer statement.

How to Get a Copy of Your Car Title

Follow these steps if you need your car’s title to prove ownership:

1. Go to https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/motorVehicleOffice/VehicleRegistrationApplication.pdf.
2. Print out the form.
3. Fill it out.
4. Enclose a $10 payment in an envelope along with the form.
5. Send it to this address:
   • Charles D. Ragland Taxpayer Services Center
     Room 1040
     1900 W. 7th St.
     Little Rock, AR 72201

How to Contact the Arkansas Insurance Department

In case you have any questions about insurance in Arkansas that we haven’t answered, here is the state insurance department’s contact information:

• Phone number: 501-371-2600
• Mailing address:
  • 1 Commerce Way
    Little Rock, AR 72202
• URL: https://insurance.arkansas.gov/

So you’ve gotten into an accident and you need repairs. Here’s what they’ll cost in Arkansas, on average.

• Labor and parts: $382.76
• Labor: $155.66
• Parts: $227.10

Crime rates affect insurance rates, as insurance companies factor in risk. The more crime in an area, the higher its average cost of auto insurance.

Motor Vehicle Theft

In 2020, there were 262 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 Arkansas inhabitants — six percent higher than the national average of 246. Rates were higher in cities like the Memphis, Little Rock, and Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Areas, to name a few.

Fatalities

In Arkansas, there were 505 traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2019. This is 40 percent less than the national average.

If you want to learn more, read our state-by-state driving statistics guide. The laws are different in every state, so if you’re planning to travel, it’s important to brush up before you drive.