What Is Standard Coverage for Auto Insurance?

Last Updated on December 30, 2025

Standard auto insurance is a common (non-technical) way to describe the coverage most “average-risk” drivers buy to stay legal and protect themselves financially. In practice, it usually means:

• Your state’s minimum required liability coverage (and any state-required add-ons like PIP or uninsured motorist coverage), plus
• Optional protections you add based on your situation (often collision and comprehensive, especially if you lease or finance your car).

What “standard” isn’t: a single universal policy type. Coverage requirements and what insurers consider a “standard” package can vary by state, carrier, and whether your vehicle is owned outright or financed.

Key Takeaways

• “Standard auto insurance” isn’t a single policy type—it usually means your state’s required coverage plus any optional protections you add (like collision and comprehensive).
• Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to others; it doesn’t repair your car.
• Collision and comprehensive typically come with deductibles and are often required if you lease or finance your vehicle.
• State minimums can be very low, so many drivers choose higher liability limits (and sometimes umbrella coverage) to better protect their assets.

Qualifying for Standard Auto Insurance

Most drivers qualify for standard auto insurance if they have a relatively clean driving record and a typical risk profile. Drivers with frequent accidents, serious violations, or multiple claims may be pushed into high-risk auto insurance or, in some states, an assigned-risk plan.

Insurers price policies based on many factors, including the vehicle you insure, your driving history, where you live, and how much you drive.

Other rating factors can include gender (allowed in some states but restricted or banned in others), age, and credit rating/history (also restricted in certain states).

What Standard Auto Insurance Typically Includes

A “standard” policy usually starts with liability insurance, because that’s what most states require to legally drive.

Liability Coverage: Bodily Injury and Property Damage

Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to others in an at-fault accident. It’s generally split into:

• Bodily injury liability (medical bills, lost income, and legal costs for other people you injure)
• Property damage liability (repairs or replacement for vehicles and property you damage)

Liability limits are often shown like 100/300/50. That example means up to $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 total per accident for injuries, and $50,000 for property damage. Your state minimum might be far lower—which is why many drivers choose higher limits than the legal minimum.

Collision and Comprehensive Coverage Explained

Liability protects other people. If you want your own car protected, you typically add collision and comprehensive.

Collision helps pay to repair or replace your car after a crash (regardless of fault in many cases, depending on how the claim is handled). Comprehensive helps pay for non-collision damage like theft, weather, fire, and animal strikes.

Comprehensive claims can include things like:

• Vandalism damage
• Rodent damage (like chewed wiring)
• Damage from natural disasters
• Hitting a deer or other large animal

Important: Deductibles usually apply to collision and comprehensive (not liability). Choosing a higher deductible can lower your monthly premium, but it also means you’ll pay more out of pocket before coverage kicks in.

PIP, Medical Payments, and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Depending on your state, a standard policy may also include personal injury protection (PIP), medical payments (MedPay), and/or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

PIP is required in many no-fault states and can help pay medical bills and (in many cases) lost income after a crash—regardless of fault.

MedPay is similar but more limited. It can help with medical bills after an accident, but it typically does not cover lost wages. If you already have strong health insurance, you may decide MedPay is unnecessary—but it can still help with deductibles, copays, and gaps.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can protect you if the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough insurance. It may also apply to hit-and-run accidents in many states and situations.

When Minimum Coverage Might Be Enough (And When It Isn’t)

If money is tight, you drive infrequently, or your car is older, you may decide that a basic “standard” setup (state minimums and only the coverages you truly need) is the right starting point. If your vehicle is paid off and not worth much, you might skip collision and comprehensive to save money.

But if you lease a vehicle or finance it with a loan, your lender will typically require collision and comprehensive. Learn more about car insurance for financed vehicles and how requirements often work for leased cars.

Don’t Let “Standard” Coverage Put Your Assets at Risk

State minimums are designed to meet legal requirements—not to fully protect your finances after a serious crash. If you have meaningful assets or income to protect, consider higher liability limits. For added protection, some drivers add umbrella insurance or choose a combined single limit (CSL) policy instead of split limits.

Standard Auto Insurance Coverage Differs by State

Auto insurance requirements vary by state. Most states require liability coverage, but some also require PIP, uninsured motorist coverage, MedPay, or other protections.

Below are the minimum coverage requirements for each state (and Washington, D.C.). Notation like 25/50/25 refers to bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage per accident.

FAQs on Standard Auto Insurance Coverage

Final Word on Standard Auto Insurance Coverage

Standard auto insurance usually starts with your state’s required coverage, then adds protection based on your vehicle and your financial risk. If you’re unsure what to buy, price out a few options: state minimums, a mid-level liability option (like 50/100/50), and a higher-limit option (like 100/300/100). Often, the jump in protection costs less than people expect.