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When you’re buying a new car, you’ll also need to properly insure your new wheels to avoid heartbreak down the road. 

Not only is it smart to get car insurance, but it’s also usually required by law. Nearly every state requires you to buy a minimum amount of car insurance. 

States usually have a minimum of how much car insurance coverage you should purchase. And while getting this amount will keep you out of hot water with the law — it’s usually not robust enough to fully protect yourself from the financial damage of an accident. 

Read on to learn more about the minimum level of car insurance you need to drive legally in your state and how to get the coverage you actually need.

Key Takeaways

  • Most states require you to purchase car insurance, although New Hampshire and Virginia are exceptions.
  • States have their own rules for the minimum coverage that you must purchase.
  • Some states require drivers purchase forms of car insurance coverage that are optional in other states.
  • Typically, buying the minimum amount of insurance – and nothing more – isn’t adequate to protect your finances.

What is the state minimum for car insurance?

The minimum amount of car insurance is the level of coverage your state requires you to purchase if you plan to drive legally.

Nearly every state requires you to buy at least some liability insurance. This is the type of insurance that reimburses you when you damage a car, another person’s property or a person’s health. 

“Insurance is regulated at the state level, and legal requirements vary from state to state,” says Scott Holeman, media relations director at the Insurance Information Institute.

Some states also require you to buy minimum levels of other coverages, such as: 

State auto insurance rules differ depending on where you live, so make sure you know which laws apply to you.

Why do states impose a minimum for car insurance?

States impose minimum insurance requirements to make sure drivers have enough insurance to pay claims when accidents occur. 

If these requirements were not in place, millions of accidents likely wouldn’t be reimbursed, causing financial hardship for those involved. 

Minimum car insurance requirements by state 

Minimum car insurance requirements vary by state. Here’s a look at each state’s requirements.

StateMinimum car insurance limits
AlabamaLiability: 25/50/25
AlaskaLiability: 50/100/25
ArizonaLiability: 25/50/15
ArkansasLiability: 25/50/25
CaliforniaLiability: 15/30/5
ColoradoLiability: 25/50/15
ConnecticutLiability: 25/50/25
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
DelawareLiability: 25/50/10
 PIP: 15/30
District of ColumbiaLiability: 25/50/10
 UM BI: 25/50
 UMPD: $5,000
FloridaLiability: 10/20/10
 PIP: $10,000
 BI liability not required by Florida but many carriers require 10/20
GeorgiaLiability: 25/50/25
HawaiiLiability: 20/40/10
 PIP or PPO: $10,000
IdahoLiability: 25/50/15
IllinoisLiability: 25/50/20
 UM BI: 25/50
IndianaLiability: 25/50/25
IowaLiability: 20/40/15
KansasLiability: 25/50/25
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
 PIP: $4,500/person for medical expenses
$900/month for one year for disability/loss of income
$25/day for in-home services
$2,000 for funeral, burial or cremation expense
$4,500 for rehabilitation expense
KentuckyLiability: 25/50/25
 PIP: $10,000
LouisianaLiability: 15/30/25
MaineLiability: 50/100/25
 UM/UIM BI: 50/100
 Medical payments: $2,000
MarylandLiability: 30/60/15
 UM/UIM BI: 30/60
 UMPD: $15,000
 PIP $2,500
MassachusettsLiability: 20/40/5
 UM/UIM BI: 20/40
 PIP: $8,000
MichiganLiability: 50/100/10
 PIP: 6 choices from $50,000 to unlimited medical
 PPI: $1,000,000
MinnesotaLiability: 30/60/10
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
 PIP: $40,000
MississippiLiability: 25/50/25
MissouriLiability: 25/50/10
 UM BI: 25/50
MontanaLiability: 25/50/20
NebraskaLiability: 25/50/25
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
NevadaLiability: 25/50/20
New Hampshire*Liability: 25/50/25
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
 Medical payments: $1,000
 *Insurance not mandatory in New Hampshire
New JerseyLiability: 15/30/5 (standard policy)
 UM/UIM BI: 15/30
 UMPD: $5,000
 PIP: $15,000
New MexicoLiability: 25/50/10
New YorkLiability: 25/50/10
 UM BI: 25/50
 PIP: $50,000
North CarolinaLiability: 30/60/25
 UM BI: 30/60
 UMPD: $25,000
North DakotaLiability: 25/50/25
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
 PIP: $30,000
OhioLiability: 25/50/25
OklahomaLiability: 25/50/25
OregonLiability: 25/50/20
 UM BI: 25/50
 PIP: $15,000
PennsylvaniaLiability: 15/30/5
 First-party benefits (PIP): $5,000
Rhode IslandLiability: 25/50/25
South CarolinaLiability: 25/50/25
 UM BI: 25/50
 UMPD: $25,000
South DakotaLiability: 25/50/25
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
TennesseeLiability: 25/50/15
TexasLiability: 30/60/25
UtahLiability: 25/65/15
 PIP: $3,000
VermontLiability: 25/50/10
 UM/UIM BI: 50/100
 UMPD: $10,000
VirginiaLiability: 30/60/20
 UM/UIM BI: 25/50
 UMPD: $20,000
WashingtonLiability: 25/50/10
West VirginiaLiability: 25/50/25
 UM BI: 25/50
 UMPD: $25,000
WisconsinLiability: 25/50/10
 UM BI: 25/50
WyomingLiability: 25/50/20

Source: Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and Insurance Information Institute; state departments of insurance and motor vehicles.

New Hampshire doesn’t require car insurance, but you must be able to show proof of financial responsibility if you’re in an accident.

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What is the minimum amount of liability coverage required for car insurance? 

The minimum liability coverage required for drivers is 25/50/25, which costs $25,000 per person, $50,000 in personal injury liability, and $25,000 in property damage liability.  

  • 25 – The first number in the liability coverage depicts the highest amount your insurance policy will pay for bodily injury claims for a single person. In this case, 25 represents $25,000 in coverage
  • 50 – The maximum amount your insurance company will pay for bodily injury claims in a whole accident is the second number in your liability coverage. This does not overlap the per-person limit of your liability coverage. In this case, 50 represents $50,000 in coverage
  • 25 – The maximum amount your insurance coverage will pay for property damage claims in the event of an at-fault accident is determined by the third number, which is typically 100. In this case, 25 represents $25,000 in coverage

“Most insurance experts would recommend that auto insurance consumers purchase more coverage than the minimum requirements,” Holeman says. 

In a worst-case scenario, you could be sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars – or more – if you seriously injure someone in a car accident. 

“If a driver is at fault in an accident, the liability could far exceed the minimum required coverage,” Holeman says.

So, it’s important to purchase enough insurance to protect your assets. 

How to read auto insurance liability limits 

Auto insurance liability coverage has two parts. The first is bodily injury and the second is property damage. 

Bodily injury pays for the medical expenses of those you harmed in an auto accident, up to your limits. Property damage covers the damage you caused to another vehicle or other property, such as a fence, in an auto accident. 

Payment is up to your limits. Liability coverage does not cover your injuries or damages to your vehicle. Instead, it only covers damages to someone else’s vehicle, property or well-being. 

Here’s how to read auto insurance liability minimum limits:

  1. First number: Bodily injury liability maximum for one person injured in an accident.
  2. Second number: Bodily injury liability maximum for all injuries in one accident.
  3. 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 (written as 25/50/10). 

Keep in mind that state requirements are the lowest limits you can carry and may not be adequate. A car accident can cost far more than the limits mandated by most states as medical expenses have skyrocketed and the value of vehicles has gone up.

You want to make sure you have enough car insurance coverage to protect you if you get in an accident. That includes protection to cover other driver and passenger injuries and against potential lawsuits. 

Experts recommend at least:

  • $100,000 in bodily injury protection per person per accident
  • $300,000 in bodily injury protection per accident
  • $100,000 in property damage per accident

That’s often referred to as 100/300/100 coverage. 

Higher liability limits offer better protection and don’t cost that much more. So, if you can afford it, raise your limits to protect your assets, such as home and motor vehicles. 

Car insurance coverage abbreviations 

Here’s your guide to the car insurance acronyms in the chart below that lists the minimum car insurance coverages in each state. New Hampshire doesn’t mandate car insurance in its laws but instead requires you to provide financial responsibility if you cause an accident. The easiest way to provide this is with a car insurance policy.

Many states just require liability coverages, so you have a way to cover damages you cause to others. But some states require a variety of other coverages.  Here is your cheat sheet for the abbreviations used in our chart for various coverages.

  • UM: Uninsured motorist coverage
  • UIM: Underinsured motorist coverage
  • UMBI: Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage
  • UMPD: Uninsured motorist property damage coverage
  • BI liability: Bodily injury liability
  • PIP: Personal injury protection
  • PPI: Property protection insurance (Michigan)

What are the minimum state standards for insurance?  

The minimum state standards for insurance are as follows:  

  • Bodily injury liability (BI): Helps cover the medical expenses related to the other driver’s injuries. It also covers the legal fees, in case of the other driver suing you for their losses. 
  • Property Damage liability: Pays for the property damage caused to the others. For example, if you hit a car in an accident the property damage coverage will pay for the vehicle repairs of the other driver.  
  • Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage: This type of coverage provides financial protection, if the at-fault driver is uninsured or does not have enough coverage to pay for your losses 
  • Personal injury protection (PIP): A requirement in states with no-fault laws. It will cover the medical expenses, wage loss or repair costs irrespective of who caused the accident 
  • Medical payments coverage: Considered optional coverage in most states. It can be used in non-PIP states. It mostly covers medical expenses after an accident but is considered less effective than PIP.

Average car insurance rates for state minimum liability limits

The average national rate is $511, but the average annual rate varies state by state. See the average annual rate based on each state’s minimum requirements. The states are listed from cheapest to most expensive. Use the search box to find a specific state.

StateState Minimum Premium
Alaska$336
Alabama$420
Arkansas$422
Arizona$494
California$582
Colorado$467
Connecticut$773
Washington D.C.$577
Delaware$821
Florida$908
Georgia$567
Hawaii$389
Iowa$263
Idaho$326
Illinois$484
Indiana$384
Kansas$389
Kentucky$717
Louisiana$726
Massachusetts$523
Maryland$607
Maine$330
Michigan$711
Minnesota$479
Missouri$525
Mississippi$434
Montana$389
North Carolina$396
North Dakota$340
Nebraska$350
New Hampshire$411
New Jersey$989
New Mexico$376
Nevada$683
New York$875
Ohio$308
Oklahoma$352
Oregon$551
Pennsylvania$398
Rhode Island$648
South Carolina$628
South Dakota$267
Tennessee$368
Texas$520
Utah$526
Virginia$469
Vermont$306
Washington$505
Wisconsin$375
West Virginia$474
Wyoming$293

Average car insurance rates for state minimum liability limits by company

Car insurance companies don’t have standard rates for state minimum liability limits. 

Here are the average rates by insurance company for state minimum liability limits by company. 

CompanyLiability only — state Minimum
American National Finance$187
Vermont$231
Mapfre$270
USAA$294
Frankenmuth$302
Iowa Farm Bureau$305
Berkshire Hathaway$326
Southern Farm Bureau$333
Erie Insurance$334
North Carolina Farm Bureau$353
Auto Owners$355
Western National Mutual$355
Chubb Ltd$372
Westfield$394
Island Ins Co$415
Safety$426
Kentucky Farm Bureau$432
State Farm$432
American Mercury Ins Co$446
Country$453
Arbella Insurance$483
New Jersey Manufacturers$494
Nationwide$495
Oklahoma Farm Bureau$509
Auto Club$517
CSAA$525
Shelter$530
Travelers$531
Automobile Club Mi$533
Palisades$535
Progressive$551
Allstate$555
American Family Ins$563
Hartford$623
Farmers$632
Kemper Corp$694
Mercury Casualty$719
National Gen$786
Metropolitan$835
Safeway$1,075
Sentry$1,588
The Hanover Ins$1,601

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to field rates for car insurance minimums in 2022 by state and company for 40-year-old male drivers with a Good insurance score and no driving violations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of minimum insurance coverage?

The purpose of minimum insurance coverage is to make sure that you meet the legal requirement to drive your vehicle and pay for any damage or injuries you cause to others in an at-fault accident.

Is car insurance required in all states?

Car insurance is required in most states except for New Hampshire and Virginia. Residents of Virginia can skip having car insurance if they can pay the state $500 per year. While those staying in New Hampshire are still responsible for damage caused due to a car accident.

Which states don’t require car insurance?

New Hampshire and Virginia don’t require car insurance. To forgo coverage in Virginia, you can pay a fee of $500 when you are registering your vehicle.

The rules for other types of auto insurance coverage – such as uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection coverage — vary by state.

Is 50/100 insurance enough?

This coverage means you have $50,000 in bodily coverage per person, with a maximum of $100,000. Whether or not that’s enough insurance depends on your situation. 

A higher liability limit protects your personal assets if you’re found at fault in an accident. Opting for more liability insurance will protect your assets. So, the more insurance you can afford, the better off you will be in the event of an accident. But don’t purchase more liability coverage than you can comfortably fit into your budget. Use the free Insure auto insurance comparison tool to find the best coverage for your needs and budget.

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Sarah Sharkey
Contributing Researcher

 
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Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer with a master’s degree in management from the Hough School of Business at the University of Florida. She enjoys helping readers find money solutions that work. She has written for numerous personal-finance publications including Money Under 30 and The College Investor.