For the Rhode Island Personal Lines exam, the Personal Auto Policy (PAP) is tested two ways: the national policy structure and the Rhode Island auto rules layered on top of it. This standalone guide walks through the lettered parts every PAP uses, then focuses on the Rhode Island rules an agent applies every day—financial-responsibility minimums, the at-fault legal system with pure comparative negligence, the requirement to offer uninsured- and underinsured-motorist coverage, and how policies can be cancelled or nonrenewed. Spend your study time on the Rhode Island overlay; 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 for bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) the insured is legally responsible for, with a duty to defend and defense costs paid on top of the limit.
• Part B — Medical Payments: pays reasonable medical and funeral expenses for the insured and passengers regardless of fault.
• Part C — Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM): pays your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little.
• Part D — Coverage for Damage to Your Auto: Collision (impact or upset) and Other Than Collision (Comprehensive) (theft, fire, hail, hitting an animal), 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 rules.

An insured generally includes the named insured, the resident spouse, resident family members, and anyone using the covered auto with permission. The policy also extends the named insured's liability coverage to a non-owned auto the insured borrows with permission. Eligible vehicles are private passenger autos owned by individuals and households, not commercial trucks or buses. That skeleton is the same nationwide; Rhode Island changes the dollar limits and the legal environment around it.

Rhode Island is an at-fault (tort) state

Rhode Island follows a tort (at-fault) system rather than a no-fault system. Whoever causes the crash is financially responsible, and the injured person recovers from that driver's liability insurance—or sues. Because of this, liability coverage and proof of financial responsibility are the backbone of Rhode Island auto regulation.

When both drivers share blame, Rhode Island uses pure comparative negligence. Each party's recovery is reduced by that party's own percentage of fault, and there is no threshold that bars recovery. A claimant found 70% at fault can still recover the 30% attributable to the other driver. This differs from a modified comparative system (where a claimant past 50% or 51% recovers nothing) and from a no-fault system (where each driver turns first to their own coverage). Remember: Rhode Island is pure comparative.

Minimum limits: 25/50/25

Drivers in Rhode Island must demonstrate financial responsibility, normally by buying liability coverage that meets the statutory minimum split limits, commonly cited as:

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

That is the familiar "25/50/25" (verify the current statutory amounts). Treat these as the legal floor, not a recommendation—producers should explain that medical and repair bills routinely exceed them, so higher limits or an umbrella are prudent. Financial responsibility can also be met with an approved bond or deposit, but an auto policy is the standard route. A driver with a serious violation may have to file an SR-22 certifying that the required coverage is in place.

Keep the order straight: in 25/50/25 the first number is BI per person, the second is BI per accident, and the last number is property damage per accident. Don't let the two $25,000 figures trick you into placing property damage in a bodily-injury slot.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Rhode Island leans hard on UM/UIM because it is a tort state:

• An insurer issuing auto liability coverage must offer / make available uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
• UM pays when the at-fault driver carries no liability insurance and also responds to a hit-and-run driver.
• UIM pays when the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough—it fills the gap up to the insured's UIM limit.
• The other motorist must be legally liable before UM/UIM responds.
• Stacking of UM limits across multiple owned vehicles may be available to raise the coverage in play.

Optional coverages and physical damage

• Medical Payments (Med Pay) is an optional coverage that pays medical and funeral costs regardless of fault. Rhode Island does not require no-fault/PIP.
• Collision covers impact or upset of the covered auto; Comprehensive (Other Than Collision) covers theft, fire, vandalism, hail, glass breakage, and striking an animal. Both are optional but are usually demanded by a lienholder.
• A total loss is settled at actual cash value (ACV); the policy does not pay a loan balance above ACV—that is the job of separate gap coverage. A betterment charge can apply when replacement parts improve the vehicle's pre-loss condition.
• A newly acquired auto typically receives automatic coverage for a limited window if reported in time, and a named driver exclusion can remove coverage while a specific driver operates the vehicle.

Ending the policy: cancellation and nonrenewal

Rhode Island limits how and when an insurer may terminate personal auto coverage:

• A mid-term cancellation requires the insurer to send the advance written notice the statute specifies.
• A nonrenewal at the policy's end also requires advance written notice so the insured has time to replace coverage.
• Unearned premium is refunded when the policy ends early; an insurer-initiated cancellation is generally refunded pro rata with no penalty.

Required vs. optional at a glance

Key Rhode Island numbers to memorize

Common exam traps

• Rhode Island is at-fault, not no-fault—there is no mandatory PIP.
• Pure comparative negligence applies: recovery is reduced by the claimant's own fault with no 50% bar.
• In 25/50/25, the final $25k is property damage—watch the repeated $25,000 figure.
• UM/UIM must be offered; do not treat it as something the producer may quietly omit.
• Animal strikes are Comprehensive, not Collision.
• A total loss pays ACV; only gap coverage addresses a larger loan balance.
• Defense and supplementary payments are paid on top of the liability limit.

Quick recap

• The PAP uses the national Part A–F structure; Rhode Island controls the limits and the legal system around it.
• Rhode Island is tort/at-fault and applies pure comparative negligence—reduced recovery, no cutoff.
• Minimum liability is commonly cited as 25/50/25 (verify).
• UM and UIM must be offered/made available to every auto insured.
• There is no mandatory PIP; Med Pay and physical-damage coverages are optional, and a total loss pays ACV.
• Cancellation and nonrenewal require the statutory advance written notice, with unearned premium refunded.