Washington State Law Library · Guide 15 of 23

Rideshare & Transportation Network Company Insurance in Washington

Washington has a specialized insurance system for app-based passenger transportation. Coverage changes according to exactly what the driver was doing when the crash occurred: personal driving, logged into the platform waiting for a request, traveling after accepting a ride, or transporting a passenger. Those digital timestamps can determine which insurer, liability limit, UIM protection and PIP coverage apply.

Current-law review: Sept. 13, 2026 RCW 46.72B.180 $1 million during prearranged ride $100K / $300K passenger UIM
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Coverage Structure App Off Logged In / Waiting Ride Accepted Passenger Onboard UIM PIP Personal Policy Exclusions Multiple Apps Digital Records TNC Liability Citizen Workflow Authorities

Washington ties rideshare insurance to the driver's exact platform status

The controlling Washington statute is RCW 46.72B.180. It requires qualifying commercial transportation services to be covered by a primary automobile insurance policy specifically covering that activity.

The coverage analysis should be divided into distinct time periods.

Driver status Statutory insurance structure
App off / personal driving Ordinary personal automobile insurance generally governs, subject to the actual policy.
Logged in but no ride accepted At least $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident bodily-injury liability and $30,000 property damage, plus UIM and PIP to the extent required by Washington law.
Ride accepted / traveling to passenger The statutory prearranged-ride period has begun. At least $1 million combined single-limit liability applies, together with PIP to the extent required by Washington law.
Passenger enters until passenger exits $1 million combined single-limit liability continues, and the statute specifically requires $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident of UIM coverage during this passenger-occupancy period.
The critical evidence is time. Determine when the driver logged in, when the ride was accepted, when the passenger entered the vehicle and when the passenger exited.

When the app is off, the specialized TNC insurance mandate ordinarily is not controlling

Washington defines commercial transportation services to begin when the driver is logged into the provider's digital network or software application.

Purely personal driving before login or after the driver has ended commercial transportation activity should therefore begin with the driver's ordinary personal automobile policy.

Washington protects otherwise covered personal use. RCW 46.72B.180 provides that a personal automobile insurer may not deny an otherwise covered claim arising exclusively from personal use solely because the insured uses the same vehicle for rideshare work at other times.
The actual facts still matter. A dispute can arise over whether the driver was truly offline or had merely stopped accepting rides while remaining logged into the platform.

Logged in but waiting for a ride: 50 / 100 / 30 liability minimums

The first commercial period begins when the driver logs into the TNC's digital network but has not yet accepted a requested ride.

Bodily injury

$50,000

Minimum liability limit for bodily injury to one person.

Bodily injury

$100,000

Minimum liability limit for bodily injury to all persons in one accident.

Property damage

$30,000

Minimum liability protection for property damage.

During this period, the statute also requires:

  • UIM coverage to the extent required by RCW 48.22.030; and
  • PIP coverage to the extent required by RCW 48.22.085 and RCW 48.22.095.
This period carries substantially more liability insurance than Washington's ordinary 25/50/10 private-vehicle minimum.

The $1 million liability period begins when the driver accepts the ride

Washington defines a prearranged ride to begin when the driver accepts a passenger's requested ride through the digital network.

Once the ride is accepted: the required primary policy must provide at least $1 million combined single-limit liability coverage for death, personal injury and property damage.

This means the $1 million liability requirement is not limited to the period when the passenger is physically sitting in the car.

It begins while the driver is traveling to pick up the passenger after accepting the ride and continues during transportation until the prearranged ride ends.

Do not use passenger occupancy as the start of the $1 million liability period. Acceptance of the ride is the statutory starting event.

Passenger entry triggers a separate statutory UIM requirement

Once the passenger enters the TNC vehicle, Washington adds a specific minimum UIM requirement:

Passenger UIM

$100,000 per person

Minimum statutory UIM coverage during passenger occupancy.

Passenger UIM

$300,000 per accident

Minimum statutory aggregate UIM limit for the passenger-occupancy period.

The statutory $100,000 / $300,000 UIM requirement runs from the moment the passenger enters the TNC vehicle until the passenger exits it.

The distinction is important because the $1 million liability period begins earlier—when the ride is accepted.

UIM protects against the uninsured or inadequately insured driver who causes the crash

UIM is first-party protection rather than liability insurance for the rideshare driver.

Examples include a passenger injured because:

  • another driver has no insurance;
  • another driver carries inadequate liability limits;
  • a hit-and-run vehicle causes the collision; or
  • a qualifying phantom vehicle causes the loss.
Do not confuse $1 million liability with $1 million UIM. Washington specifically mandates $1 million liability during the prearranged ride, but the express passenger-occupancy UIM minimum is $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident.

The policy may provide broader UIM protection than the statutory minimum. The actual policy should always be obtained.

For the interval after a driver accepts a ride but before the passenger enters the vehicle, do not assume that the passenger-occupancy $100,000 / $300,000 UIM mandate applies. Review the commercial policy and all otherwise applicable UIM coverage.

Washington also incorporates its PIP statutes into TNC coverage

RCW 46.72B.180 requires PIP coverage during the commercial periods to the extent required by Washington's automobile PIP statutes.

Washington PIP can provide benefits for qualifying:

  • medical and hospital expenses;
  • funeral expenses;
  • income continuation; and
  • loss-of-services benefits.

But Washington ordinarily permits PIP to be rejected in writing under RCW 48.22.085.

Do not assume every TNC crash automatically produces payable PIP. Obtain the commercial policy, applicable PIP selection or rejection documents and any driver's personal policy that may independently apply.

The driver's ordinary personal policy may exclude rideshare activity entirely

Washington expressly authorizes private-passenger automobile insurers to exclude losses occurring while a driver is:

  • logged into a commercial transportation provider's digital network; or
  • providing a prearranged ride.

RCW 46.72B.180 permits the exclusion to reach:

  • bodily-injury liability;
  • property-damage liability;
  • PIP;
  • UIM;
  • medical payments;
  • comprehensive coverage; and
  • collision coverage.
A normal personal auto policy is not automatically backup rideshare insurance. Read the commercial-use, for-hire and TNC endorsements before assuming personal coverage applies.

Washington does not require the personal insurer to provide either primary or excess coverage—or a duty to defend—during properly excluded commercial transportation activity.

The driver can purchase an approved rideshare endorsement

RCW 46.72B.180 allows a driver, as an alternative to provider-secured insurance, to obtain qualifying commercial transportation coverage from an admitted or surplus-lines insurer.

The coverage may be added as a rider or endorsement to the driver's private-passenger policy if approved for that purpose by the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

The required insurance may therefore be supplied by:

• the transportation network company;
• the driver; or
• a combination of both.

If the driver's required rideshare policy fails, the provider must step in

Washington prevents a driver-purchased policy lapse from simply leaving a statutory coverage hole.

If the driver's primary commercial transportation policy does not provide coverage—including because it lapsed or did not exist—the transportation provider must supply the coverage required by RCW 46.72B.180 beginning with the first dollar of the claim.
A missing or lapsed driver policy does not end the investigation. Obtain the TNC's statutory insurance immediately.

The commercial transportation insurer has the statutory defense duty

RCW 46.72B.180 provides that the insurer or insurers supplying the required commercial transportation coverage are the insurers with the duty to defend liability claims arising from accidents occurring while commercial transportation services are being provided.

This provision is one reason a personal automobile insurer may decline both defense and indemnity during properly excluded TNC activity.

Drivers logged into multiple rideshare apps create a special allocation rule

Some drivers remain logged into more than one platform while waiting for a passenger request.

Washington expressly addresses that situation.

If the driver is logged into more than one provider's network but has not yet been matched with a passenger, liability is divided equally among applicable insurance policies that specifically cover commercial transportation services.

Once the driver has been matched with a passenger, the provider that matched the driver and passenger supplies the applicable TNC insurance under the statute, subject to the alternative driver/provider insurance arrangements authorized by RCW 46.72B.180.

Ask about every app. One driver's phone can contain several simultaneously active coverage sources.

Digital-platform records can prove which insurance period existed

A TNC crash is unusually dependent on electronic evidence.

RCW 46.72B.180 requires the provider or its insurer to cooperate with other insurers in a coverage investigation and exchange specified timing information.

Upon the insurer request described by the statute, the provider must provide within 10 business days its electronic record showing the precise times the participating driver logged onto and off the digital network on the day of the accident or loss.

The statute also requires the provider or insurer to retain insurance- coverage and accident-related data, communications and documents for at least the applicable limitation period plus two years.

Separately, RCW 46.72B.130 requires TNCs to retain individual trip records for at least three years from the end of the calendar year in which the trip occurred.

Preserve the digital timeline immediately. Request records identifying login, logout, ride acceptance, passenger pickup, passenger drop-off and cancellation times.

The passenger's app and receipt can provide independent timing evidence

Do not rely solely on the driver's recollection.

Preserve:

  • ride request time;
  • driver match;
  • driver identification;
  • vehicle identification;
  • pickup location;
  • route map;
  • trip receipt;
  • drop-off time;
  • messages with the driver;
  • cancellation notices; and
  • screenshots of the app after the crash.
These records can independently establish that the driver had accepted the ride or that the passenger was already onboard when the collision occurred.

TNC insurance coverage and TNC tort liability are separate questions

The existence of statutory TNC insurance does not by itself establish that the transportation network company is vicariously liable for every negligent act of every driver.

Washington law expressly provides that a commercial transportation services provider is not deemed to own, control, operate or manage the driver's personal vehicle merely because it provides the digital platform.

RCW 46.72B.120 also states that a TNC's public-safety policies, products, processes, standards or equipment are not, standing alone, indicators of an employment or agency relationship.

Do not collapse insurance into agency. The statutory insurance may apply even where the company's separate tort liability remains disputed.

Direct-liability issues involving the company's own conduct require their own factual and legal analysis.

The TNC driver must maintain ordinary automobile insurance too

Washington's driver-qualification statute requires a prospective TNC driver to provide information including motor-vehicle registration and automobile liability insurance.

A person cannot qualify to drive if the person lacks proof of automobile liability insurance for the vehicle or vehicles used to provide rides.

This produces two different insurance layers to investigate:

1. the vehicle's ordinary personal insurance; and
2. the specialized commercial transportation coverage required when the driver is providing TNC services.

Build the rideshare coverage matrix from the driver's status at the instant of impact

Status Liability UIM PIP
App off / personal use Personal policy Personal policy Personal policy
Logged in, no accepted ride 50 / 100 / 30 minimum To extent required by RCW 48.22.030 To extent required by RCW 48.22.085 and .095
Ride accepted, passenger not yet onboard $1 million CSL minimum Check actual commercial policy and other applicable UIM To extent required by Washington law
Passenger onboard $1 million CSL minimum $100,000 / $300,000 minimum To extent required by Washington law
This table states statutory minimums, not necessarily the total insurance available. Policies can provide broader protection, and other personal, household, employer, umbrella or excess coverage may also need investigation.

Citizen workflow after a Washington rideshare crash

Identify whether any driver was using a TNC platform. Ask about Uber, Lyft and every other passenger-transport app.
Determine the exact digital status at impact. App off, logged in waiting, ride accepted, passenger onboard, or trip completed.
Preserve the passenger's app records. Save screenshots, receipt, route, pickup, drop-off and driver information.
Request the provider's electronic timeline. Preserve login, logout, ride acceptance, pickup and drop-off records.
Identify the TNC's primary commercial insurer. Obtain policy number, carrier, applicable coverage period and limits.
Obtain the driver's personal automobile policy. Determine whether TNC activity is excluded or a rideshare endorsement exists.
Determine whether the driver purchased separate commercial TNC coverage. Washington permits qualifying driver-secured coverage.
If the driver's rideshare coverage failed, pursue the provider policy. The statute requires provider coverage from the first dollar when the driver's required policy does not provide coverage under the statutory conditions.
Separate liability coverage from UIM. Do not mistake the $1 million liability limit for passenger UIM limits.
Investigate PIP independently. Obtain the applicable PIP coverage and any rejection documentation.
Ask whether multiple apps were active. Washington has a special allocation rule when the driver is logged into multiple networks before matching with a passenger.
Identify all additional policies. Search the passenger's personal and household UIM/PIP and any other potentially applicable insurance.
Preserve accident and platform records immediately. Digital evidence can determine which million-dollar or lower-limit coverage period existed.
Keep insurance and liability questions separate. Statutory TNC insurance can exist even where agency, employment or direct company negligence remains disputed.

Primary authority behind this guide

RCW 46.72B.180 — Commercial transportation insurance

Washington's principal rideshare insurance statute. Establishes required liability, UIM and PIP coverage; permits driver or provider policies; authorizes personal-policy exclusions; establishes defense duties and multiple-platform allocation; and requires exchange and preservation of coverage records.

RCW 48.177.005 — Commercial transportation definitions

Defines commercial transportation services, provider, driver, passenger, personal vehicle and prearranged ride. Critically, a prearranged ride begins when the driver accepts the requested ride and ends when the passenger leaves the vehicle.

RCW 46.72B.020 — TNC definitions

Defines Washington's digital network, passenger, prearranged ride, transportation network company and TNC vehicle for chapter 46.72B.

RCW 46.72B.090 — Driver requirements

Requires driver qualification information including vehicle registration and proof of automobile liability insurance and establishes Washington TNC driver screening requirements.

RCW 46.72B.120 — Public-safety measures and agency status

Provides that TNC safety policies, products, standards or equipment are not by themselves indicators of an employment or agency relationship with the driver.

RCW 46.72B.130 — TNC records

Requires retention of individual trip records for at least three years from the end of the calendar year in which the trip occurred and establishes a corresponding driver-record retention requirement.

RCW 48.22.030 — Underinsured motorist coverage

Supplies Washington's general UIM framework incorporated into the rideshare insurance statute for specified commercial transportation periods.

RCW 48.22.085 and RCW 48.22.095 — PIP

Govern Washington's PIP offer/rejection system and statutory minimum PIP benefits referenced by RCW 46.72B.180.

Bottom line

Washington rideshare insurance is controlled by the driver's digital status at the moment of the crash. While the driver is logged in but has not accepted a ride, the statutory minimum is 50/100/30 liability plus UIM and PIP to the extent required by Washington law. Once the driver accepts a passenger request, the required liability coverage increases to $1 million combined single limit—even before the passenger enters the vehicle. When the passenger enters, Washington separately requires at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident in UIM protection until the passenger exits. Personal automobile policies may exclude TNC activity entirely, but if driver-secured statutory rideshare insurance fails, the provider must supply the required coverage from the first dollar. Preserve the electronic timeline because login, acceptance, pickup and drop-off records can determine hundreds of thousands of dollars in available insurance.

← Guide 14: Work, Employer & Commercial Vehicles Guide 16: Government Vehicle Crashes →
Public legal education only. Current Washington statutes, the actual TNC commercial policy, the driver's personal policy and the precise digital timeline govern. Statutory limits are minimum requirements and do not necessarily identify every applicable policy or the maximum insurance available after a particular crash.