For the Ohio Personal Lines exam, the Personal Auto Policy (PAP) is tested two ways: the national policy structure and the Ohio auto laws layered on top of it. This standalone guide walks through the lettered parts every PAP uses, then focuses on the Ohio rules that earn state credit—financial responsibility minimums, the at-fault legal system, the comparative-negligence cutoff, and the requirement that uninsured-motorist coverage be offered. Learn the Ohio overlay especially well, because that is where the state questions live.

The national fundamentals (quick version)

The Personal Auto Policy insures individuals and families for the vehicles they own and drive. It is divided into clearly labeled parts:

• Part A — Liability Coverage: pays bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) the insured is legally responsible for, and includes a duty to defend with defense costs paid on top of the limit.
• Part B — Medical Payments: pays medical and funeral expenses for the insured and passengers regardless of fault.
• Part C — Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM): pays the insured's injuries when an at-fault driver has no coverage or too little.
• Part D — Coverage for Damage to Your Auto: Collision and Other Than Collision (Comprehensive), each with a deductible, paid at Actual Cash Value (ACV).
• Part E — Duties After an Accident or Loss and Part F — General Provisions set the ground rules.

An insured generally includes the named insured, the resident spouse, resident family members (including a child away at school), and anyone using the covered auto with permission. Eligible vehicles are private passenger autos, pickups, and vans not used primarily for business. That national skeleton is identical everywhere; Ohio changes the limits and the legal environment around it.

Ohio is an at-fault (tort) state

Ohio follows a tort (at-fault) system rather than a no-fault model. The driver who causes the crash bears the financial responsibility, and the injured party recovers from that driver's liability insurance (or through a lawsuit). Because of this, liability coverage and proof of financial responsibility dominate Ohio's personal-auto rules.

Ohio also uses modified comparative negligence to divide blame. A person's damages are reduced by their own share of fault, and a person who is more than 50% at fault is barred from recovering at all. So a claimant who is 50% or less responsible can still collect (less their percentage), while one whose fault crosses the 50% line recovers nothing. The exam likes to contrast this with pure no-fault and pure comparative systems.

Financial responsibility: the 25/50/25 minimums

Ohio drivers must show financial responsibility (FR), most commonly by buying liability insurance that meets the state minimum split limits of 25/50/25:

• $25,000 bodily injury per person
• $50,000 bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 property damage per accident

Ohio markets this as "25/50/25." These are minimum floors—agents routinely recommend higher limits to protect a client's assets. FR can also be demonstrated through approved alternatives such as a $30,000 surety bond, a deposit with the state Treasurer, or a self-insurance certificate for owners of large fleets, but auto liability insurance is by far the usual route. Driving without FR can trigger license and registration suspension, reinstatement fees, and full personal exposure for the damages caused.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist offer rules

UM/UIM protects the insured when an at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough to cover the injuries. In Ohio:

• The insurer must offer UM/UIM coverage, but the applicant may reject it in writing.
• It responds to bodily injury caused by an uninsured or underinsured at-fault motorist.
• Because Ohio is at-fault, the other driver must be legally liable for the coverage to apply.

The recurring theme: UM/UIM is offered, and a valid written rejection is what keeps it off the policy. A client who simply says nothing typically ends up with the coverage.

Medical Payments, Collision, and Comprehensive

• Medical Payments (Part B) covers reasonable medical and funeral costs for the insured and passengers no matter who caused the crash. It is optional but frequently added for first-dollar medical protection.
• Collision pays for damage when the auto hits another vehicle or object or rolls over.
• Other Than Collision (Comprehensive) covers theft, fire, vandalism, falling objects, glass breakage, and striking an animal.

Both physical-damage coverages are optional under Ohio law but are usually required by a lender while a car is financed or leased.

Required vs. optional coverages in Ohio

Key Ohio numbers to memorize

Common exam traps

• Ohio is at-fault, not no-fault. There is no mandatory PIP requirement here.
• 25/50/25—remember the $25k figure shows up for both BI-per-person and property damage; the $50k is the per-accident BI total.
• UM/UIM is offered and can be rejected in writing—it is not a coverage the insured must hunt for, nor one that is forced on them.
• The comparative-negligence bar is "more than 50%," so a claimant exactly at 50% can still recover.
• Striking an animal is Comprehensive (Other Than Collision), not Collision—a classic personal-lines question.
• Liability defense costs are paid on top of the limit (national rule that still applies in Ohio).

Quick recap

• The PAP keeps its national Parts A–F structure; Ohio changes the limits and legal context.
• Ohio is a tort/at-fault state using modified comparative negligence—fault over 50% bars recovery.
• Financial responsibility minimums are 25/50/25, satisfied by a policy or an approved bond/deposit/self-insurance.
• UM/UIM must be offered and stays on the policy unless rejected in writing.
• Med Pay and physical damage coverages are optional unless a lender requires them.
• Driving without FR leads to suspension and personal liability for the damages caused.