Car Insurance Quotes
Minimum levels of car insurance you are required to buy
By Insure.com
Last updated Jan. 4, 2010
Most states require you have car insurance and have laws that outline the minimum level of coverage you must buy. In states that don't, you must prove that you have enough assets in case you cause an accident. If you don't have enough assets, you will be required to buy car insurance.
However, the minimum limits your state requires may not necessarily be adequate. A car accident can cost far more than the limits mandated by most states. The Insurance Information Institute recommends you carry at least $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident (known as 100/300).
What is no-fault?
If your state has a "no-fault" auto insurance law, your 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.
How to read liability limits
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.
For example, if you live in New York, the minimum liability limits are $25,000 for injury liability for one person, $50,000 for all injuries and $10,000 for property damage in an accident. Plus, New York requires you to have personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured motorist coverage (UM).
The minimums
| State | Liability required? Liability minimums (in thousands of dollars) | PIP required? | No-fault state? | Uninsured motorist coverage required? |
| Alabama | Yes, 25/50/25 | 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, 15/30/25 | 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 | Yes |
| 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, 25/50/15 | No | No | No |
| Texas | Yes, 30/60/30 | No | No | No |
| Utah (2) | Yes, 25/65/15 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Vermont | Yes, 25/50/10 | No | No | No |
| Virginia | Yes, 25/50/20 | No | 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, 50/100/55 | No | No | Yes |
| Wyoming | Yes, 25/50/20 | No | No | No |
* As of June 1, 2010, auto insurance in Wisconsin will be required.
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 at least $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.
Ready to get a quote?
Get quick and easy auto insurance quotes
