Section 16-325. INSURANCE: TYPES AND AMOUNTS

 

325.1A buyer who executes a retail installment contract may be required to provide, at the buyer's own cost, insurance covering the motor vehicle for the protection of the holder.

 

325.2The insurance required under § 325.1 shall be limited to the following:

 

(a)Collision insurance with a deductible of at least fifty dollars ($ 50);

 

(b)Towing and labor costs; and

 

(c)Comprehensive or fire and theft, with or without combined additional coverage.

 

325.3The charges for insurance allowed under this section shall not exceed the premiums chargeable for the insurance under applicable law.

 

325.4No dealer shall execute any retail installment contract and no sales finance company shall purchase any such contract if the contract contains a charge for single interest insurance protecting the interest of the holder only, unless the policy or policies of the insurance contain a waiver of subrogation rendering it impossible for the insurance company to collect from the buyer any loss which it may pay to the holder.

 

325.5With the agreement of the buyer, charges not exceeding the premiums chargeable under applicable law may be included in the retail installment contract for the cost of the following types of insurance:

 

(a)Automobile bodily injury and property damage caused others;

 

(b)Automobile medical payments; and

 

(c)Credit life insurance.

 

325.6No costs shall be included in the retail installment contract for any type of insurance not authorized by this section.

 

325.7The amount of credit life insurance shall not, at any time, exceed the greater of the scheduled or actual unpaid "TIME PRICE BALANCE."

 

325.8With respect to any insurance purchased by the holder which protects the interests of both the holder and buyer, the holder shall, within thirty (30) days after the execution of the retail installment contract, send or cause to be sent to the buyer a policy or policies or certificate or certificates of insurance, clearly setting forth the amount of the premium, the kind or kinds of insurance, the coverages and, if a policy, all the terms, exceptions, limitations, restrictions, and conditions of the contract or contracts of insurance; or if a certificate, a summary of that certificate.

 

325.9The buyer shall have the privilege of purchasing insurance from an agent, broker, or company of the buyer's own selection; Provided, that inclusion in the retail installment contract of the cost of insurance purchased by the buyer from an agent, broker, or company selected by the buyer shall be at the option of the seller.

 

325.10The buyer shall also have the privilege of utilizing existing insurance in lieu of insurance which the seller may, under this chapter, require the buyer to provide at the buyer's own cost.

 

325.11All insurance referred to in this chapter, whether that insurance may be required by the seller or may be purchased voluntarily by the buyer, means insurance issued or written by a company licensed to do business in the District of Columbia.