Understanding your state’s minimum car insurance requirements is essential for staying legal on the road and protecting yourself financially.
Always verify current requirements with your state’s department of motor vehicles or insurance commissioner, as these requirements can change over time.
Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to carry at least some form of auto insurance, though the specific requirements vary significantly across the country.
This guide breaks down the minimum insurance requirements for all 50 states, helping you understand what coverage you need where you live.
Understanding Insurance Coverage Types
Before diving into state-by-state requirements, it’s helpful to understand the common types of coverage:
Bodily Injury Liability (BI): Covers injuries you cause to others in an accident. Expressed as two numbers, such as 25/50, meaning $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Property Damage Liability (PD): Covers damage you cause to another person’s property, typically expressed as a single number like $25,000.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Covers your own medical expenses regardless of fault, required in no-fault states.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM): Protects you if you’re hit by a driver with insufficient or no insurance.
State-by-State Minimum Requirements
Alabama
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
Alaska
- Bodily Injury: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 50/100/25
Arizona
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/15
Arkansas
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
California
- Bodily Injury: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $5,000
- Minimum coverage: 15/30/5
Colorado
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/15
Connecticut
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus UM
Delaware
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $15,000 minimum
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/10 plus PIP
Florida
- Personal Injury Protection: $10,000
- Property Damage Liability: $10,000
- Note: Florida does not require bodily injury liability coverage, though it’s highly recommended
Georgia
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
Hawaii
- Bodily Injury: $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $10,000
- Minimum coverage: 20/40/10 plus PIP
Idaho
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/15
Illinois
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $20,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/20 plus UM
Indiana
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
Iowa
- Bodily Injury: $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Minimum coverage: 20/40/15
Kansas
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $4,500
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus PIP and UM
Kentucky
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $10,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus PIP
Louisiana
- Bodily Injury: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 15/30/25
Maine
- Bodily Injury: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
- Medical Payments: $2,000
- Minimum coverage: 50/100/25 plus UM and Med Pay
Maryland
- Bodily Injury: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $2,500
- Uninsured Motorist: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 30/60/15 plus PIP and UM
Massachusetts
- Bodily Injury: $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $5,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $8,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 20/40/5 plus PIP and UM
Michigan
- Bodily Injury: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Personal Injury Protection: Required (coverage levels vary)
- Minimum coverage: 50/100/10 plus PIP
Minnesota
- Bodily Injury: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $40,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 30/60/10 plus PIP and UM
Mississippi
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
Missouri
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus UM
Montana
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $20,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/20
Nebraska
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus UM
Nevada
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $20,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/20
New Hampshire
- No mandatory insurance requirement
- Financial responsibility must be demonstrated after an accident
- Recommended minimums: 25/50/25
New Jersey
- Bodily Injury: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $5,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $15,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident (optional but must be offered)
- Minimum coverage: 15/30/5 plus PIP
New Mexico
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/10
New York
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $50,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/10 plus PIP and UM
North Carolina
- Bodily Injury: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 30/60/25 plus UM
North Dakota
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $30,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus PIP and UM
Ohio
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
Oklahoma
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
Oregon
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $20,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $15,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/20 plus PIP and UM
Pennsylvania
- Bodily Injury: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $5,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $5,000
- Minimum coverage: 15/30/5 plus PIP
Rhode Island
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25
South Carolina
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus UM
South Dakota
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus UM
Tennessee
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/15
Texas
- Bodily Injury: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Minimum coverage: 30/60/25
Utah
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $65,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $15,000
- Personal Injury Protection: $3,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/65/15 plus PIP
Vermont
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/10 plus UM
Virginia
- Bodily Injury: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $20,000
- Alternative: Pay $500 uninsured motorist fee (not recommended)
- Minimum coverage: 30/60/20
Washington
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/10
West Virginia
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $25,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/25 plus UM
Wisconsin
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $10,000
- Uninsured Motorist: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/10 plus UM
Wyoming
- Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $20,000
- Minimum coverage: 25/50/20
Important Considerations
While meeting your state’s minimum requirements keeps you legal, these minimums often fall short of providing adequate protection. Medical costs and vehicle repairs can easily exceed minimum coverage limits, leaving you responsible for the difference. Many financial experts recommend carrying higher liability limits, such as 100/300/100, to better protect your assets.
Additionally, minimum liability coverage doesn’t protect your own vehicle or injuries. Consider adding comprehensive and collision coverage if your car has significant value, and explore umbrella policies for additional liability protection beyond your auto policy limits.
Always verify current requirements with your state’s department of motor vehicles or insurance commissioner, as these requirements can change over time.