Do You Need Insurance to Register a Car in Delaware in 2025

State law in Delaware mandates that all motor vehicle owners maintain liability insurance coverage and Personal Injury Protection before registering or operating vehicles on public roadways. The Delaware mandatory insurance framework, established under Title 21, Section 2118 of the Delaware Code, creates enforceable financial responsibility standards that apply to vehicle registration, renewal transactions, and continuous operation throughout each registration period. Compliance with these insurance provisions represents a foundational requirement for lawful vehicle ownership and operation in Delaware.

Legal Requirement for Insurance Coverage

Delaware's mandatory liability insurance framework prohibits any person from operating, registering, or maintaining registration of a motor vehicle intended for public highway use without establishing financial responsibility through approved mechanisms. No owner of a motor vehicle required to be registered in Delaware, other than a self-insurer, shall operate or authorize any other person to operate such vehicle unless the owner has insurance on such motor vehicle providing minimum coverage as prescribed by Delaware's Financial Responsibility Law.

The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles administers the state's mandatory insurance program through facilities located in New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County. This division processes all vehicle registration applications, renewals, and compliance enforcement actions. The Division implements electronic insurance verification protocols to confirm coverage during registration transactions and conducts ongoing monitoring to identify coverage lapses after registration completion.

Vehicle owners must maintain uninterrupted insurance coverage throughout the entire registration period. According to Delaware law, even when a vehicle with active registration is not being operated, liability insurance must be in effect at all times. Allowing coverage to lapse constitutes a violation of Delaware law and may result in registration suspension, monetary penalties, and criminal charges. Violators are subject to a fine of $1,500 for the first offense, $3,000 for subsequent offenses, and a suspension of the vehicle registration.

Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles
303 Transportation Circle, P.O. Box 698, Dover, DE 19903
Phone: (302) 744-2500
Official Website: Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles

Minimum Insurance Coverage Requirements

Delaware establishes specific minimum liability insurance coverage amounts that all policies must meet or exceed. All vehicles registered in Delaware are required to have minimum Delaware liability insurance coverage and Personal Injury Protection coverage.

Delaware requires Personal Injury Protection as mandatory coverage in addition to liability insurance. PIP coverage provides compensation to injured persons for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred within two years from the date of the accident, including medical, hospital, dental, surgical, medicine, x-ray, ambulance, professional nursing services, net amount of lost earnings, and extra expenses for personal services which would have been performed by the injured person had they not been injured.

Only liability insurance policies validly issued by companies authorized to write in Delaware shall satisfy the insurance requirements. Insurance from other states will not be accepted to title and register vehicles in Delaware. Vehicle owners may purchase coverage amounts exceeding statutory minimums for enhanced financial protection.

Delaware Department of Insurance
1351 West North Street, Suite 101, Dover, DE 19904
Phone: (302) 674-7300
Official Website: Delaware Department of Insurance

Proof of Insurance Documents

Delaware law requires every motor vehicle operator subject to mandatory insurance provisions to carry evidence of insurance within the vehicle during operation. A valid Delaware insurance identification card is required to be in the possession of the driver or carried in the vehicle and shall be produced upon the request of a police officer or any other party involved in an accident with the insured. The state accepts multiple formats of insurance documentation:

• Insurance Identification Card: Standard card issued by the insurance carrier containing policy information, vehicle details, coverage dates, and insurance company identification
• Electronic Evidence of Insurance: Digital proof of insurance displayed on a smartphone, tablet, or other electronic device through the insurance company's mobile application
• Current Declarations Page: Declaration page from the liability insurance policy showing coverage details
• Automobile Insurance Policy: The actual insurance policy document showing required coverage
• Garage Keeper's Insurance Policy: For vehicles covered under commercial garage keeper's policies
• Personal Insurance Policy: For vehicles covered under personal insurance arrangements

Law enforcement officers, court officials, and license plate issuing officials may request proof of insurance during traffic stops, accident investigations, court proceedings, or registration transactions. Failure to produce an insurance identification card at the time of a traffic stop or an accident results in issuance of a summons to appear in court. An operator shall not be convicted if, prior to conviction, the operator produces to the court the insurance identification card or other sufficient proof showing that insurance was in full force and effect at all pertinent times.

Exceptions to Insurance Requirements

Delaware law provides specific statutory exemptions from mandatory liability insurance requirements for certain vehicle categories under the Delaware Code Title 21:

• Self-insured vehicles: Motor vehicles covered by certification as a self-insurer pursuant to Delaware law
• Government-owned vehicles: Motor vehicles owned and operated by governmental entities
• Federally regulated vehicles: Vehicles subject to federal motor carrier regulations
• Trailers under specific conditions: Certain trailer types as defined by Delaware law
• Vehicles with alternative compliance: Motor vehicles complying with laws requiring insurance in amounts meeting or exceeding minimum requirements
• Non-highway vehicles: Vehicles not operated on public roadways
• Implements of husbandry: Agricultural equipment and farm machinery designed primarily for agricultural purposes
• Special mobile equipment: Equipment not designed for highway transportation
• Dealer inventory vehicles: Motor vehicles owned by licensed motor vehicle dealers held in inventory and covered by blanket liability insurance or commercial automobile liability insurance
• Vehicles properly registered in other jurisdictions: Vehicles registered and insured in other states operating temporarily in Delaware

Insurance Requirements for Vehicle Registration

The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles verifies insurance coverage as a mandatory element of all vehicle registration transactions. A motor vehicle registration shall not be issued or renewed for any vehicle not covered by a vehicle insurance policy meeting the requirements of Delaware law.

• Registration applicants must provide Delaware insurance policy information during all titling and registration transactions. The Division confirms coverage before processing registration applications or renewals. A motor vehicle owner shall, upon request of the Division, offer proof of insurance in full force and effect as a condition of registration or continued registration of a motor vehicle.
• New residents relocating to Delaware must obtain Delaware-issued insurance coverage before registering vehicles in the state. Proof of liability insurance must be submitted at the time of titling or registering a vehicle. Insurance policies issued by carriers in other states do not satisfy Delaware registration requirements. The policy must be a Delaware policy issued by an insurance company qualified to issue motor vehicle liability insurance in Delaware.
• Registration renewals require active insurance coverage verified by the Division. Owners are required to provide the Division with valid Delaware liability insurance reading prior to renewal. Vehicles with lapsed or unverifiable insurance coverage cannot complete renewal transactions until valid coverage is established and confirmed. The Division, upon proof from its records or other sufficient evidence that required insurance has not been provided or maintained or has terminated or otherwise lapsed at any time, shall immediately suspend the registration of the uninsured vehicle.

The Division of Motor Vehicles randomly audits for proof of insurance on active registrations. The penalty for being uninsured is $100 for 1-30 days and an additional $5 per day until insurance is obtained, tags are surrendered, or the registration expires. When the Division assesses a vehicle owner with a penalty, the Division shall not reinstate a registration suspended until the penalty is paid, and the owner has also paid a registration reinstatement fee of $50.