Insurance in Washington, DC: What Residents Should Know

The District has its own quirks for auto and home insurance, and we are licensed to write coverage across all eight wards. Here is what DC residents should know.

DC Follows Contributory Negligence Too

Washington DC is one of the few jurisdictions, alongside Maryland and Virginia, that still generally applies contributory negligence to driver-versus-driver crashes. If you are found even slightly at fault, recovery from the other driver can be barred. There is a statutory exception: under the Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act of 2016, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users can still recover as long as they were not more than 50 percent at fault. For a driver in a city with heavy pedestrian, cyclist, and scooter traffic, that combination makes solid liability limits and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage essential.

Auto Insurance in a Dense City

• Theft and vandalism rates make comprehensive coverage worthwhile.
• Street parking raises the odds of hit-and-run damage, where UM coverage matters.
• DC's minimums are not enough for city driving exposure — we recommend stronger limits.

Rowhouses and Condos

DC's attached rowhouses and condo buildings need the right policy form. Condo owners need an HO-6 sized to their walls-in responsibility plus loss assessment coverage for the building's master-policy gaps. Rowhouse owners need to understand shared-wall and ordinance-or-law exposure on older construction.

Why a Local Independent Agent

We shop DC-admitted carriers for auto, home, condo, and renters and coordinate with your Maryland or Virginia coverage if you own property in more than one jurisdiction. See our Washington DC insurance page.

Living in the District? Request a free quote and we will shop your coverage across our carriers.

This article is general information from a licensed insurance agency, not legal or tax advice. Policy terms and your carrier's decisions control; consult an attorney about your specific situation.