What is the required state minimum car insurance in each state?
The state minimum car insurance varies for each area in the nation. On average, the state minimum auto insurance is about $50/month. However, your insurance rates are based on where you live. Some states only have BI and PD liability attached to their state minimum, but other states include UM/UIM and PIP insurance. Extra coverages can drive up rates, but you can get a good deal if you shop around and compare multiple companies.
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Ty Stewart
Licensed Insurance Agent
Ty Stewart is the founder and CEO of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as an insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications. As an independent licensed insurance agent, he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simpl...
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UPDATED: Mar 25, 2024
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Mar 25, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right car insurance coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our car insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different car insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Each state carries a minimum coverage limit
- Liability insurance includes bodily injury and property damage
- Some states include personal injury protection within the state minimum requirements
Did you know that liability car insurance carries the minimum insurance requirements? Although state minimum auto insurance regulations vary for each state, your car insurance requirements are covered under liability insurance.
But how do minimum requirements vary? What is the minimum amount of liability insurance coverage required in California? Don’t worry — we’re here to answer your questions and more.
Our guide discloses the state minimum insurance requirements by state, reveals what each coverage does under liability, and explains how to read coverage levels.
Continue reading to learn about each state’s minimum car insurance requirements in America.
What is the required state minimum car insurance in each state?
Liability insurance is the minimum requirement for most states except New Hampshire and Virginia. New Hampshire and Virginia don’t require the minimum requisites, but the insurance companies in those states may recommend specific limits.
But what about states like California, New Jersey, and Texas? Let’s examine the minimum auto insurance requirements for each state.
Minimum Liability Auto Insurance Requirements by State
| STATE | INSURANCE REQUIRED | MINIMUM LIABILITY LIMITS |
|---|---|---|
| AL | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| AK | BI & PD Liab | 50/100/25 |
| AZ | BI & PD Liab | 15/30/10 |
| AR | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 25/50/25 |
| CA | BI & PD Liab | 15/30/5 |
| CO | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/15 |
| CT | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/20 |
| DE | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 25/50/10 |
| DC | BI & PD Liab, UM | 25/50/10 |
| FL | PD Liab, PIP | 10/20/10 |
| GA | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| HI | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 20/40/10 |
| ID | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/15 |
| IL | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/20 |
| IN | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| IA | BI & PD Liab | 20/40/15 |
| KS | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 25/50/25 |
| KY | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 25/50/25 |
| LA | BI & PD Liab | 15/30/25 |
| ME | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM, Medpay | 50/100/25 |
| MD | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 30/60/15 |
| MA | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 20/40/5 |
| MI | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 20/40/10 |
| MN | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 30/60/10 |
| MS | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| MO | BI & PD Liab, UM | 25/50/25 |
| MT | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/20 |
| NE | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/25 |
| NV | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/20 |
| NH | FR only | 25/50/25 |
| NJ | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 15/30/5 |
| NM | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/10 |
| NY | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 25/50/10 |
| NC | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 30/60/25 |
| ND | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 25/50/25 |
| OH | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| OK | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| OR | BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM | 25/50/20 |
| PA | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 15/30/5 |
| RI | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/25 |
| SC | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/25 |
| SD | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/25 |
| TN | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/15 |
| TX | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 30/60/25 |
| UT | BI & PD Liab, PIP | 25/65/15 |
| VT | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/10 |
| VA | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/20 |
| WA | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/10 |
| WV | BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM | 25/50/25 |
| WI | BI & PD Liab, UM, Medpay | 25/50/10 |
| WY | BI & PD Liab | 25/50/20 |
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The meaning of state minimum car insurance varies depending on your location. Some states only offer BI and PD coverage.
But what does it all mean? BI is short for bodily injury liability, and PD is a quicker way of saying property damage liability.
Meanwhile, PIP stands for personal injury protection, and MedPay refers to medical payments coverage. Finally, UM/UIM is an alternative way of saying uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
The numbers listed in the last column are the coverage limits. Insurance companies abbreviate these limits for easier readability.
What is the minimum amount of liability insurance required for a commercial motor vehicle?
Commercial cars are under the same standard as personal vehicles. However, commercial auto insurance companies will recommend higher limits to prevent your business from taking significant losses with insufficient coverage limits.
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How do you read coverage limits?
Car insurance companies shorten coverage limits to a series of numbers, such as 25/50/25. These numbers indicate:
- $25,000 for bodily injury of one person per accident
- $50,000 for bodily injury of multiple people per accident
- $25,000 for property damage per accident
Instead of writing that out each time, you’ll see limits like this for liability insurance. But if you have UM/UIM coverage attached, you’ll have more limits.
Liability insurance provides coverage for another driver when you’re at fault in a car accident.
UM/UIM coverage has its own limits because it usually covers you when a driver either doesn’t have insurance or lacks sufficient coverage.
What does liability car insurance cover?
Liability auto insurance has different coverages for each state. For example, Kentucky car insurance requirements have five coverages in its liability requirements, but Mississippi has two. In addition, Kentucky drivers don’t pay extra for owning more insurance coverages, but Mississippi drivers must pay more if they necessitate more options.
But what does each insurance coverage pay for under an insurance policy? Let’s find out together.
What is bodily injury liability?
Bodily injury (BI) liability covers the cost of medical and hospital bills of another driver and their passengers when you’re at fault in an accident. You can’t obtain coverage from your own liability insurance policy.
But if you’re not at fault in an auto accident, the other driver’s liability coverage pays for you and your passengers’ medical and hospital bills.
What is property damage liability?
Property damage (PD) liability pays for damage expenses on a driver’s vehicle that isn’t at fault in a car accident. Your auto insurance company won’t cover damage to your vehicle if you’re at fault in an accident unless you have collision insurance.
What is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage?
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage pays for hospital and medical bills when you’re injured by a driver who either doesn’t have insurance or lacks sufficient funds on their coverage limits to pay for your injuries.
UM/UIM coverage also covers property damage under the same circumstances. If a hit-and-run driver injures you, the UM portion could compensate the cost of medical bills.
What is personal injury protection?
Personal injury protection (PIP) covers medical bills, lost wages, child care expenses, and other essential costs even if you’re at fault in an accident. Your PIP insurance could even pay for the cost of funeral expenses.
What is MedPay?
Medical payments coverage (MedPay) covers expenses such as X-rays, co-payments, and other health-related items. MedPay limits can reach up to $5,000, and it’s an excellent supplement for health insurance.
How much is state minimum car insurance?
Since the state minimum is liability coverage, we’ll show you the latest estimates for liability-only auto insurance in each state. Use the search box in the upper right hand corner to quickly locate your home state.
Average Monthly Liability Rates by State
| States | Average Monthly Liability Rates |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $37 |
| Alaska | $47 |
| Arizona | $48 |
| Arkansas | $36 |
| California | $45 |
| Colorado | $49 |
| Connecticut | $59 |
| Delaware | $69 |
| District of Columbia | $58 |
| Florida | $76 |
| Georgia | $55 |
| Hawaii | $39 |
| Idaho | $32 |
| Illinois | $40 |
| Indiana | $34 |
| Iowa | $27 |
| Kansas | $32 |
| Kentucky | $47 |
| Louisiana | $73 |
| Maine | $30 |
| Maryland | $55 |
| Massachusetts | $52 |
| Michigan | $72 |
| Minnesota | $39 |
| Mississippi | $41 |
| Missouri | $38 |
| Montana | $34 |
| Nebraska | $33 |
| Nevada | $64 |
| New Hampshire | $35 |
| New Jersey | $76 |
| New Mexico | $44 |
| New York | $71 |
| North Carolina | $31 |
| North Dakota | $25 |
| Ohio | $35 |
| Oklahoma | $40 |
| Oregon | $53 |
| Pennsylvania | $43 |
| Rhode Island | $68 |
| South Carolina | $50 |
| South Dakota | $26 |
| Tennessee | $37 |
| Texas | $49 |
| Utah | $45 |
| Vermont | $30 |
| Virginia | $38 |
| Washington | $53 |
| West Virginia | $43 |
| Wisconsin | $33 |
| Wyoming | $29 |
| *National Average* | $48 |
Read more: How much car insurance do I need in Florida?
The national average for liability insurance is approximately $50 a month, but your insurance rates could be different. Several factors determine whether or not you qualify for cheap car insurance quotes.
As you can see from the table, your location is one of the most significant factors that impacts auto insurance.
Should you get full coverage car insurance?
If you’re still making payments on your vehicle, you’ll need full coverage insurance. Lenders and dealerships want to expand protections on their investments, and full coverage on your insurance policy is a way of exhibiting that.
In addition to protecting your investment, full coverage insurance can prevent complicated situations from multiple perspectives.
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State Minimum Car Insurance: The Bottom Line
The state minimum for auto insurance is different for each state in America. But some states have similar coverage limits and coverage attached to their mandates.
New Hampshire and Virginia are the only states that don’t have mandatory car insurance requirements, but we recommend acquiring insurance if you plan to drive in those states.
If you have a flexible budget, consider raising your coverage level to 50/100/50 and adding full coverage to your auto insurance policy. This provides you more options to cover complex situations.
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Ty Stewart
Licensed Insurance Agent
Ty Stewart is the founder and CEO of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as an insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications. As an independent licensed insurance agent, he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simpl...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.