Minimum levels of car insurance you are required to buy
By Insure.com Last updated Jan. 15, 2009
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, 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
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, 25/50/10
No
No
No
Texas**
Yes, 25/50/25
No
No
No
Utah (2)
Yes, 25/65/15
Yes
Yes
No
Vermont
Yes, 25/50/10
No
No
Yes
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, 25/50/10
No
No
Yes
Wyoming
Yes, 25/50/20
No
No
No
Source: 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 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.
*Minimum coverage requirements will increase to 15/30/25 on Jan. 1, 2010.
**Minimum coverage requirements will increase to 30/60/30 on Jan. 1, 2011.
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