Ohio Minimum Insurance Requirements

• According to the Ohio Department of Insurance and Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the minimum state auto insurance requirements are limited to two types of liability insurance. Each vehicle must be insured with a minimum of $12,500 bodily injury liability for a single person in a single accident, and $25,000 for everyone you injure in a single accident. The second type of insurance you are required to have is property damage liability, at a minimum amount of $7,500.
  
  

Age and Legal Contracts

• Insurance is a legally binding contract between the vehicle owner and the insurance company. As such, applicants are required to be at least 18 years old or legally emancipated. For a person under 18 to purchase a car insurance policy, she must show proof of being self-supporting, such as maintaining a private place of residence and no longer being a dependent on a guardian's income taxes.
  
  

Get Listed

• Insurance professionals at the DMV.org website recommend that young drivers be listed as a driver on their parent's insurance policy rather than purchasing their own coverage. Because teen insurance can be as much as double the cost of insurance for a more experienced driver, being added as an occasional driver on someone else's policy translates into less time behind the wheel and a reduction in the car premiums.
  
  

Auto Insurance Alternatives

• Instead of purchasing car insurance, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) also accepts alternative proof of financial responsibility. A $30,000 bond issued by an insurance carrier or surety company or a certificate of proof of financial responsibility issued by an insurance agent are both accepted. You also may deposit cash or government bonds for an amount equal to or greater than $30,000 with the state treasurer or receive a BMV-issued bond certificate signed by two people with total property equity of at least $60,000.
  
  

Young Driver Discounts

• Young drivers are eligible for discounts on their car insurance rates in a couple ways. The first is to be a good student, maintaining grade-point averages of at least 3.0. The second way is to complete a voluntary driver improvement course, but the course cannot be part of a court order or school curriculum.