Wherever you live in the United States, you should carry auto insurance. Most states require it, along with minimum coverage levels you must buy. In states that don't require auto insurance, you must show that you have enough assets in case you cause an accident, and if you don't have enough assets you then have to buy auto insurance.
However, the state minimum is not necessarily "adequate." The Insurance Information Institute recommends you carry $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident.
Here's how to read the following table of liability minimums.
First number: bodily injury liability maximum for one person injured in an accident.
Second number: bodily injury liability maximum for all injuries in one accident.
Third number: property damage liability maximum for one accident.
Thus, in Alabama, for example, the minimum liability limits are $20,000 for injury liability for one person in an accident, $40,000 for all injuries in an accident, and $10,000 for property damage in an accident.
If your state has a "no-fault" auto insurance law, your auto policy must pay medical bills for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the accident. No-fault laws are intended to keep insurance fraud down.
| State |
Liability required? Liability minimums (in thousands of dollars) |
PIP required? |
No-fault state? |
Uninsured motorist coverage required? |
| Alabama |
Yes, 20/40/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Alaska |
Yes, 50/100/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Arizona |
Yes, 15/30/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Arkansas |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
Yes |
No |
No |
| California (1) |
Yes, 15/30/5 |
No |
No |
No |
| Colorado |
Yes, 25/50/15 |
No |
No |
No |
| Connecticut |
Yes, 20/40/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Delaware |
Yes, 15/30/10 |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Florida (2) |
No, 10/20/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Georgia |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Hawaii |
Yes, 20/40/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Idaho |
Yes, 25/50/15 |
No |
No |
No |
| Illinois |
Yes, 20/40/15 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Indiana |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Iowa |
Yes, 20/40/15 |
No |
No |
No |
| Kansas |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Kentucky |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Louisiana |
Yes, 10/20/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Maine (3) |
Yes, 50/100/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Maryland (4) |
Yes, 20/40/15 |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Massachusetts |
Yes, 20/40/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Michigan |
Yes, 20/40/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Minnesota |
Yes, 30/60/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Mississippi |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Missouri |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Montana |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Nebraska |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Nevada |
Yes, 15/30/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| New Hampshire |
No, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| New Jersey (5) |
Yes, 15/30/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| New Mexico |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| New York (6) |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| North Carolina |
Yes, 30/60/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| North Dakota |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ohio |
Yes, 12.5/25/7.5 |
No |
No |
No |
| Oklahoma |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Oregon |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Pennsylvania |
Yes, 15/30/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Rhode Island (2) |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| South Carolina |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| South Dakota |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Tennessee (2) |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Texas |
Yes, 25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Utah (2) |
Yes, 25/50/15 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Vermont |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Virginia |
Yes, 25/50/20 |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Washington |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Washington D.C. |
Yes, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| West Virginia |
Yes, 20/40/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Wisconsin |
No, 25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Wyoming |
Yes, 25/50/20 |
No |
No |
No |
Courtesy of Insurance Information Institute
1) Low-cost policy limits for drivers in the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan are 10/20/3.
(2) Instead of policy limits, policyholders can satisfy the requirement with a single combined policy. Amounts vary by state.
(3) In addition, policyholders must carry $1,000 for medical payments.
(4) PIP may be waived for the policyholder but it is compulsory for passengers.
(5) Basic policy (optional) limits are 10/10/5. UM/UIM coverage is not available under a basic policy but UIM is required under a standard policy.
(6) In addition, policyholders must have 50/100 for wrongful death coverage. |
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