State-Minimum Car Insurance Requirements: What You Need, How to Get It, and Ways to Save

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Written by Lindsay Frankel Edited by Nick Versaw Reviewed by Amanda Clear

Updated April 12, 2024

Most states require you to have liability insurance for any motor vehicle that you drive on public roads. While states require varying amounts of liability insurance, some require you to purchase additional coverages, such as personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage.

And don’t think these requirements are merely suggestions — penalties for driving uninsured can be steep, and a car accident can drain your bank account if you don’t have adequate coverage. In fact, your state’s minimum requirements may not be enough to protect your finances after a car wreck. In most cases, it’s a good idea to purchase higher liability limits, as well as full-coverage insurance.

This guide will cover what you need to stay legal on the road, where to find an affordable car insurance policy, and why experts recommend full coverage.

Key Takeaways:

• Most states require bodily injury liability insurance and property damage liability insurance at a minimum.
• Most drivers should consider purchasing higher liability limits than required, as well as comprehensive and collision insurance.
• The average monthly premium for state-minimum car insurance is $92, according to national data from Compare.com, but it’s possible to get a lower rate if you shop around.

Understanding Minimum Coverage Requirements

Car insurance helps cover the costs of a car accident, such as repair costs and medical expenses. Minimum liability insurance only covers these costs for others if you injure them or damage their property.

Here’s why that’s important and why most states have legal requirements for drivers.

Why car insurance is mandatory

Most states require liability insurance, which helps pay for the other driver’s medical bills and property damage when you cause an accident. Most people are in support of state governments legally requiring liability coverage and enforcing auto insurance laws, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

To understand why, put yourself in the other driver’s shoes. If you were in a crash that wasn’t your fault, you’d want the person responsible to pay for the damages. Minimum requirements for liability insurance help ensure the at-fault driver reimburses you even if they don’t have enough money to cover the costs on their own.

Why requirements vary by state

State governments, rather than the federal government, are responsible for regulating insurance. Requirements vary because officials have differing ideas about what constitutes sufficient insurance coverage. Those ideas may be informed by local driving conditions and accident rates within the state, along with how each state determines liability.

Let’s take a look at the two types of states when it comes to liability — “at-fault” (or “tort”) states and “no-fault” states.

At-fault vs. no-fault states

Most states have at-fault or tort liability laws, which allow you and your passengers to file a lawsuit against the person responsible for the accident. But some states have adopted no-fault systems. In these states, each policyholder files a claim for any injuries with their own insurance company, no matter who caused the accident. The goal of no-fault laws is to reduce legal fees for insurers so they can charge lower premiums.

No-fault states require you to buy an auto insurance policy with personal injury protection (PIP), which covers your medical expenses and lost wages if you’re injured in an accident.

In these states, the law allows you to sue only under certain conditions. For example, the state may only permit lawsuits over a certain dollar amount or if a disfiguring injury or death occurred.

The following states have no-fault laws:

• Florida
• Hawaii
• Kansas
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New York
• North Dakota
• Utah

Three other states — Kentucky, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania — have what’s called a “choice no-fault” system, which allows you to choose between no-fault car insurance and a tort policy. And in some states, drivers file claims with their own insurers, but there aren’t litigation restrictions like in true no-fault states. These are known as “add-on” states.

States that don’t require car insurance

Only two U.S. states allow you to drive uninsured. In Virginia, you’ve historically been able to pay an annual $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles and drive at your own risk. But as of July 1, 2024, the state will require all drivers to provide proof of insurance when registering a vehicle.

New Hampshire is the only state after July 1, 2024, that doesn’t require car insurance. But if you want to drive uninsured, you must show that you have enough funds to meet the state’s financial responsibility requirements if you cause an accident.

Some states also allow self-insurance instead of a traditional insurance policy. Laws vary by state, but you may need to register a certain number of vehicles in your name, provide a sizable surety bond or cash deposit, or prove your net worth above a certain threshold in order to qualify for self-insurance. And you’ll still be responsible for paying for the other party’s medical bills and repairs if you (or one of your employees) cause an accident.

Types of Mandatory Car Insurance

State laws require between two and four different auto insurance coverages, depending on where you live. Laws also specify the minimum limits for each coverage type. Policy limits tell you the maximum dollar amount you can get from your insurance company if you file a claim. Below are explanations of the four coverages that your state may require.

Bodily injury liability

If you cause an accident that injures another driver or their passengers, bodily injury liability coverage helps pay for their medical treatment. All states that mandate auto insurance also require this coverage, except Florida. Bodily injury claims can be costly, so it’s important to buy enough coverage. The average bodily injury claim cost $24,211 in 2022, according to Triple-I, but a severe accident could cost much more.

Per person vs. per accident

The per-person limit refers to the maximum payout your insurer will provide for each person who’s injured (in the vehicle you hit or a pedestrian), while the per-accident limit refers to the maximum payout for everyone involved. Many experts suggest buying a policy with $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, which you may see expressed as 100/300 — quite a bit more than what most states require.

With a 100/300 policy, if you cause an accident and injure only the driver, your car insurance company can pay up to $100,000 for eligible medical bills. If you injure the other driver and a passenger, your insurance company can pay a maximum of $200,000. If three or more people are injured in the other vehicle, your auto insurer will pay up to $300,000 for approved medical bills for the claim.

Property damage liability

If you or someone you’ve allowed to drive your insured vehicle causes damage to another car or property — such as a fence, guardrail, or building — property damage liability coverage helps pay for the repairs. It may also go toward replacing the other driver’s vehicle if their car is totaled. But liability insurance won’t cover damage to your own vehicle in an accident you cause — you’d need to purchase collision coverage for that.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist

If you’re the victim of a hit-and-run or face expenses from an accident that an uninsured driver caused, uninsured motorist coverage kicks in to cover the costs. If the at-fault driver doesn’t have sufficient insurance coverage, underinsured motorist coverage may pay the difference.

If an uninsured or underinsured driver hits you, this coverage also protects your passengers and anyone who borrows your car (as long as you’ve given them permission). It can also help pay your medical bills if you’re injured as a pedestrian.

Not all states require this coverage, but it’s a good idea to have. After all, about 14% of drivers don’t have car insurance coverage, according to a 2023 study by the Insurance Research Council.

Personal injury protection or medical payments coverage

PIP and medical payments coverage (MedPay) pay for your and your passengers’ medical treatment and other costs after an accident, regardless of who caused it. Depending on where you live, the law may require one of these coverages. In some states, you may have the option to choose between the two coverages.

While similar, there are some key differences. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Personal injury protection (PIP)

No-fault states require PIP, and it’s optional in some other states. It may be primary coverage, which means it pays out before your health insurance, or secondary, which means it’ll kick in to cover any deductibles, copays, or other out-of-pocket costs once your health insurance company pays its share. In some states, you can choose whether you want PIP to be primary or secondary.

In addition to covering any reasonable medical expenses or funeral costs, PIP covers lost wages if you aren’t able to work due to your injury. It may also help pay for essential services that you’d otherwise provide for your family, such as child care.

Medical payments (MedPay)

MedPay is similar to PIP except that it doesn’t cover lost wages or essential services. Depending on your state and your car insurance company, it may be primary or secondary coverage, and there may be time limits on when you can use the benefits.

In most states, this coverage is optional, but Maine requires it. If you choose to buy auto insurance in New Hampshire, you must also purchase MedPay. In Colorado, the coverage is automatically added to new policies and at renewal, but you can opt out in writing.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Each State

Each state has different insurance requirements that you must meet to drive legally. The table below shows each state’s required coverages and minimum limits. Keep in mind that if you have a loan or a lease, your lender may have additional coverage requirements.

Cheapest Companies for State-Minimum Coverage

The national average cost for state minimum coverage is $92 per month, according to Compare.com data. But if you compare car insurance quotes, you’ll probably find even lower rates. That’s because auto insurers use different parameters when setting rates, and some may evaluate your driving profile more favorably than others.

Most car insurance companies use similar criteria when evaluating drivers, such as age, gender, annual mileage, driving history, credit history, and the vehicle being insured. A history of accidents or other violations on your driving record can increase your rate, along with poor credit or minimal driving experience. But each auto insurer weighs the information differently.

The table below shows the average monthly premiums for minimum coverage from the five cheapest car insurers based on national quote data from Compare.com. It also highlights each company’s Compare.com Rating and the average monthly savings compared to the national average.

USAA offers the cheapest average rates for state-minimum coverage and the greatest savings, but the company insures only military members, veterans, and their immediate families. State Farm is the most affordable option that’s available to the general public — drivers save an average of $37 per month when choosing State Farm over other insurers.

Keep in mind that these are national averages, and pricing varies widely between states. In addition to evaluating the information in your driver profile, car insurers set rates based on your location due to local differences in theft and accident rates, medical care costs, weather, and the frequency and cost of lawsuits.

Your specific ZIP code and parking location also affect your rates. The best way to find the lowest premium for your individual situation is to compare customized quotes.

Why State-Minimum Coverage Often Isn’t Enough

Liability-only insurance won’t help cover the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle if you cause an accident. For the best financial protection, consider “full-coverage” insurance, which typically includes collision and comprehensive coverage. While legally optional, your lender will likely require these coverages to protect their financial stake in your car.

If you own an old vehicle that’s on its last leg and not worth much, it might make sense to forgo comprehensive and collision insurance. But if you need your car to get to work and can’t afford to purchase a new or used vehicle if yours is totaled, you should consider adding comprehensive and collision coverage to your policy.

New vehicles sold for an average of more than $47,000 in January 2024, according to Kelley Blue Book, and repairs can be costly as well — insurers paid an average of $5,992 for collision claims in 2022, according to Triple-I.

You may also want to consider gap insurance if you bought a new car with an auto loan, which covers the difference between your car’s “actual cash value” (ACV) and your loan balance. Otherwise, you could owe your lender more than you receive from your insurer if your car is stolen or totaled.

You’ll likely want higher liability limits as well. If you don’t have enough coverage to pay for medical bills and repair costs after an accident you cause, the other driver and their passengers could sue you for the remaining balance.

If you have a high net worth, you may even consider an umbrella policy in addition to the maximum liability limits insurance companies offer in your state. This can protect you from severe financial losses after a serious accident.

State-Minimum Car Insurance FAQs

From New York to Alaska and everywhere in between, you’ll find significant differences in car insurance requirements, and the laws can be confusing. If you still have questions, we’ve got your back — find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions below.

What’s the minimum amount of car insurance most states require?

Most states require at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, but some states have lower or higher requirements. Nearly every state also requires at least $5,000 in property damage liability insurance, though a $15,000 to $25,000 limit is more common.

What’s the lowest level of car insurance you can get?

Car insurance requirements vary by state. Most states require bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage, and some states require other coverages as well. The most common minimum limits are $25,000 and $50,000 in per-person and per-accident bodily injury coverage, as well as $10,000 in property damage liability.

Does minimum coverage provide enough protection?

No. Minimum coverage won’t pay for damages to your vehicle if you cause an accident with another driver or hit an animal in the road. It also won’t reimburse you if someone steals your vehicle. If you rely on your car, it’s generally a good idea to have full-coverage car insurance to cover those possible scenarios and more.

When does it make sense to get higher limits than your state requires?

Even in states with robust requirements, the minimum required liability limits may not be sufficient. If you cause a serious accident, you may face a costly lawsuit.

For example, a car accident that causes a severe spinal cord injury results in an average of more than $700,000 in medical bills and more than $500,000 in lost wages for the victim, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). And that doesn’t include legal fees or pain and suffering.

Data Methodology

Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.

All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.

Sources

1. Insurance Information Institute, “Background on: Compulsory Auto/Uninsured Motorists,” accessed April 1, 2024.
2. Insurance Information Institute, “Background on: No-Fault Auto Insurance,” accessed April 1, 2024.
3. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Insurance Requirements,” accessed April 1, 2024.
4. New Hampshire Insurance Department, “2022 Automobile Insurance Consumer Frequently Asked Questions,” accessed April 1, 2024.
5. Insurance Information Institute, “Facts and Statistics: Auto Insurance,” accessed April 1, 2024.
6. Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, “Colorado Auto Insurance Requirements,” accessed April 1, 2024.
7. Insurance Information Institute, “Facts and Statistics: Uninsured Motorists,” accessed April 1, 2024.
8. Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, “Understanding PIP vs MedPay,” accessed April 1, 2024.
9. Maine Bureau of Insurance, “Insurance Required by Law,” accessed April 1, 2024.
10. Kelley Blue Book, “Average New Car Price Tumbling,” accessed April 2, 2024.
11. Insurance Information Institute, “Automobile Financial Responsibility Laws by State,” accessed April 2, 2024.
12. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2019,” accessed April 2, 2024.

Lindsay Frankel Insurance Writer

Lindsay Frankel is a content writer specializing in personal finance and insurance topics. Her work has been featured in publications such as Investopedia, LendingTree, The Balance, SFGate, Bankrate, and FinanceBuzz.