State-by-State Auto Insurance Requirements

Last Updated on October 24, 2026

By James Shaffer Reviewed by Thomas Rockford, insurance industry executive and financial analyst, on October 24, 2026 How we fact-check

Auto insurance rules aren’t one-size-fits-all. Each state sets its own minimum coverage requirements—usually liability insurance—and some states also require additional coverages like PIP or uninsured motorist protection.

This guide explains how state minimums work, what the common “25/50/25” format means, and includes a searchable state lookup plus a 50-state-and-D.C. reference table. Because laws change, always verify requirements with official state sources before buying or changing coverage.

Want your state’s limits right away? Jump to the state minimum insurance lookup to check liability limits and key mandatory coverage rules.

Auto insurance minimums are set by each state and usually require liability coverage for injuries and property damage you cause.
Minimum limits are often shown as “25/50/25.” The figures are in thousands of dollars and always come in the same order: $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, $25,000 of property damage liability per accident.
Some states also require additional coverages like PIP (common in no-fault systems) or uninsured/underinsured motorist protection.
Minimum limits can change—California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia changed in 2025, while Hawaii and New Jersey changed in 2026—so always verify current rules before relying on an older chart. One more is already on the calendar: Washington, D.C. goes to 50/100/20 on October 1, 2027, and the current 25/50/10 requirement applies until then.

Table Of Contents

Why Auto Insurance Is Compulsory in Most States
What the Minimum Liability Numbers Mean
What Most States Require for Auto Insurance
What Are the Minimum Insurance Requirements by State?
State Rules the Three Numbers Don’t Show
Recent Minimum-Limit Changes to Know About
Is State-Minimum Coverage Enough?
What Minimum Coverage Costs
Alternatives to Traditional Auto Insurance
FAQs on State-by-State Auto Insurance Requirements
Final Word on State Auto Insurance Requirements
Sources

Why Auto Insurance Is Compulsory in Most States

Most states require drivers to carry at least a minimum amount of liability insurance, or otherwise prove they can pay for damages they cause (often called “financial responsibility”). The goal is simple: if you injure someone or damage property in an accident, there’s money available to pay for losses.

There are a few notable exceptions and special rules. For example, in New Hampshire, drivers generally aren’t required to carry traditional auto insurance—but they can still be held financially responsible after a crash. Virginia previously had a long-running option related to driving uninsured; if you’re curious how that changed, see Virginia’s requirements and always check your state’s current DMV/insurance department guidance.

Bottom line: even if your state minimum seems “low,” you can still be sued for damages above your policy limits—so compliance is only the starting point.

What the Minimum Liability Numbers Mean

State minimum liability limits are usually shown like “25/50/25”. This is shorthand for:

$25,000 bodily injury liability per person
$50,000 bodily injury liability per accident (total for multiple people)
$25,000 property damage liability per accident

A handful of states let one number do the whole job. Instead of three split limits, a combined single limit policy carries one pot of money that covers bodily injury and property damage together. Florida accepts $30,000 for registration purposes, Pennsylvania $35,000, Kentucky $60,000, Rhode Island $75,000, Utah $90,000 and Maine $125,000. If your declarations page shows one liability figure rather than three, that is what you are carrying.

If you cause a serious crash, these minimums can be exhausted quickly—especially with today’s medical and repair costs. That’s why many drivers choose limits above the state minimum even when they’re not required.

What Most States Require for Auto Insurance

Most states require at least liability coverage, which is made up of:

Bodily Injury (BI) Liability – Helps pay for other people’s medical bills, lost wages, and legal costs if you cause an accident that injures someone.
Property Damage (PD) Liability – Helps pay for damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property (like a fence, pole, or building).

Depending on where you live, you may also see required (or strongly encouraged) add-ons such as:

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Often tied to “no-fault” systems. It generally helps cover your own medical expenses (and sometimes lost wages) regardless of fault.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Helps protect you if a driver with no insurance (or not enough insurance) hits you. Some states require it, and some allow you to waive it in writing.

Important: State minimums are about what you must carry to drive legally. If your car is financed or leased, your lender will usually require collision and comprehensive coverage as well—regardless of state law.

What Are the Minimum Insurance Requirements by State?

Use the lookup first for a quick answer, then use the reference table if you want to compare states. The figures below focus on common private-passenger requirements and do not replace your declarations page, policy, or current state guidance.

State Minimum Insurance Lookup

Select your state to see the current minimum liability limits and a quick summary of other required or commonly mandated auto coverages. The three liability figures are labeled in the result, so you can see which number is bodily injury per person, which is bodily injury per accident and which is property damage. The lookup is for private passenger vehicles and was checked on October 6, 2026. Commercial vehicles, high-risk filings, rideshare use, and lender or lease requirements can be different.

State Minimum Car Insurance Lookup

Choose a state to check its current private-passenger liability minimum and key mandatory coverage rules.

Search for a state

Or choose from the list

Private passenger vehicles only. Data checked October 6, 2026; always verify before buying or changing coverage.

Current State Minimum

Bodily injury / person

Bodily injury / accident

Property damage / accident

Other Required or Default Coverage Rules

State-Specific Note

Official Source State car insurance guide

These are the legal minimums for common private-passenger policies. They do not tell you how much coverage you personally need. Rules can differ for commercial vehicles, rideshare or delivery use, high-risk filings, drivers subject to special financial-responsibility orders, and financed or leased vehicles. State laws can also change between updates.

The reference table below uses the same October 6, 2026 figures as the lookup tool. Read every liability cell the same way: the figures are in thousands of dollars, and the order is bodily injury per person, then bodily injury per accident, then property damage per accident. So Delaware’s 25/50/10 means $25,000 for any one person you injure, $50,000 for everyone injured in one crash, and $10,000 for the car or property you damage. Where a state’s rule needs more than a cell, the section after the table spells it out.

State	Minimum Liability In thousands of dollars: bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage per accident	Other Required / Default Coverage
Alabama	25/50/25	UM 25/50 bodily injury included unless the named insured rejects it
Alaska	50/100/25	UM/UIM 50/100/25 included unless rejected in writing
Arizona	25/50/15	—
Arkansas	25/50/25	PIP ($5,000 medical) and UM included unless rejected in writing
California	30/60/15	UM 30/60 included unless deleted by written agreement
Colorado	25/50/15	UM/UIM included unless rejected in writing; $5,000 MedPay included unless rejected
Connecticut	25/50/25	UM/UIM required
Delaware	25/50/10	PIP 15/30 required; UM included unless rejected in writing
Florida	0/0/10	$10,000 PIP required; no general BI minimum; $30,000 single limit accepted
Georgia	25/50/25	UM 25/50/25 included unless the named insured rejects it in writing
Hawaii	40/80/20	$10,000 PIP required
Idaho	25/50/15	UM/UIM included unless rejected in writing
Illinois	25/50/20	UM 25/50 required; UIM required once you buy UM above 25/50
Indiana	25/50/25	UM/UIM included unless rejected
Iowa	20/40/15	UM/UIM included unless the named insured rejects it in writing
Kansas	25/50/25	PIP + UM/UIM required
Kentucky	25/50/25	$10,000 PIP/basic reparation benefits; UM included unless rejected in writing; $60,000 single limit accepted; tort rejection must be in writing
Louisiana	15/30/25	UM included unless the named insured rejects it, lowers it or picks economic-only
Maine	50/100/25	UM/UIM 50/100 + $2,000 MedPay + $500 towing and storage
Maryland	30/60/15	UM/UIM required; $2,500 PIP on the policy unless waived in writing
Massachusetts	25/50/30	Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto 25/50 + $8,000 PIP
Michigan	50/100/10 minimum; 250/500 BI default	PIP + $1M PPI; 250/500 BI default
Minnesota	30/60/10	$40,000 PIP ($20,000 medical / $20,000 other) + UM 25/50 + UIM 25/50
Mississippi	25/50/25	UM included unless rejected in writing
Missouri	25/50/25	UM bodily injury required
Montana	25/50/20	UM included unless the named insured rejects it
Nebraska	25/50/25	UM/UIM required
Nevada	25/50/20	—
New Hampshire	25/50/25*	No general mandate; if insured, UM + $1,000 MedPay
New Jersey	35/70/25**	Standard Policy: PIP; Basic Policy differs
New Mexico	25/50/10	UM/UIM included unless the named insured rejects it
New York	25/50/10 (50/100 for death)	$50,000 PIP + UM 25/50; death limits are higher at 50/100
North Carolina	50/100/50	UM bodily injury at your BI limits; UMPD at your PD limit less $100; UIM on every policy
North Dakota	25/50/25	PIP + UM/UIM required
Ohio	25/50/25	—
Oklahoma	25/50/25	UM included unless the named insured rejects it in writing
Oregon	25/50/20	$15,000 PIP + UM/UIM required
Pennsylvania	15/30/5	$5,000 first-party medical benefits; $35,000 single limit accepted
Rhode Island	25/50/25	UM bodily injury required; only UM property damage can be rejected in writing; $75,000 single limit accepted
South Carolina	25/50/25	UM + UMPD required
South Dakota	25/50/25	UM/UIM must equal your BI limits, capped at 100/300
Tennessee	25/50/25	UM included unless the named insured rejects it in writing
Texas	30/60/25	PIP + UM/UIM offered; written rejection allowed
Utah	30/65/25	$3,000 PIP; UM/UIM unless rejected in writing; $90,000 single limit accepted
Vermont	25/50/10	UM/UIM + UMPD required
Virginia	50/100/25	UM/UIM required
Washington	25/50/10	PIP must be offered; it comes off only by written rejection
Washington, D.C.	25/50/10 (50/100/20 from October 1, 2027)	UM 25/50 + UMPD $5,000 with a $200 deductible
West Virginia	25/50/25	UM bodily injury + property damage required
Wisconsin	25/50/10	UM required; $1,000 MedPay offered/rejectable
Wyoming	25/50/20	UM included unless the named insured rejects it

*New Hampshire generally does not require every driver to carry auto insurance. The 25/50/25 figures are the state financial-responsibility benchmark and the minimum liability limits available when insurance is purchased or required. **New Jersey’s 35/70/25 figure is the Standard Policy minimum for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026; New Jersey also permits a separate Basic Policy with substantially lower protection.

Before you rely on this: every figure above was checked against current state materials in 2026, but laws can change after publication. Verify your current requirement with your state insurance department or DMV before buying or changing coverage. The NAIC directory of state insurance departments is a useful official-contact hub.

State Rules the Three Numbers Don’t Show

Most states and the District of Columbia have a rule the three liability figures do not show, and the last column of the table names it. In most cases it is a coverage you already carry and did not know about, or one you signed away years ago. These are the ones worth reading before you shop:

Alabama: uninsured motorist coverage is not part of the minimum, but state law puts it in every auto liability policy unless the named insured rejects it. It runs at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and it covers bodily injury only. There is no property damage side to Alabama uninsured motorist coverage, so it does not follow the third number in 25/50/25. Once you have rejected it, the coverage stays off renewals from that same insurer until you ask for it back in writing. Worth checking your declarations page for.
Georgia: the same arrangement as Alabama, with one difference worth knowing. Uninsured motorist coverage goes in every Georgia policy unless the named insured rejects it in writing, and the Georgia version includes property damage at $25,000 alongside the 25/50 for bodily injury. Most states leave property damage out. A rejection carries forward to renewals from the same insurer, and the amount does not have to go up on renewal once the policy is issued.
Louisiana: uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage goes in every policy unless the named insured signs otherwise, and left alone it matches the bodily injury liability limits on your own policy rather than the state minimum. There are three ways to sign it down rather than one: reject it outright, choose lower limits, or choose economic-only coverage, which pays medical bills and lost earnings but not pain and suffering. All three have to be on the form the insurance commissioner prescribes.
Tennessee: uninsured motorist coverage goes in every policy unless the named insured rejects it in writing, and left alone it matches the bodily injury liability limits on your own policy. Two details catch people out. A rejection carries forward to renewals from the same insurer, but a new application resets it, so the coverage can reappear without you asking. And uninsured motorist property damage is a separate coverage that has to be offered rather than included, with the first $200 of any loss on you.
Idaho: the same arrangement, and it covers underinsured motorist coverage too. An Idaho policy carries both unless the named insured rejects either or both in writing or in an electronic record.
Illinois: uninsured motorist bodily injury is required at 25/50. The part people miss is what happens when you raise it. Buy uninsured motorist limits above 25/50 and Illinois law requires underinsured motorist coverage as well, so one change buys two coverages.
Kentucky: a Kentucky policy can meet the requirement with a single limit of $60,000 covering bodily injury and property damage together, instead of 25/50/25. Kentucky also runs a choice no-fault system. Basic reparation benefits of $10,000 come with the policy, and you can reject the limitation on your right to sue, but that rejection has to be in writing or electronic, on the form the Department of Insurance prescribes, and filed with the department before the crash it is meant to apply to.
Maine: alongside 50/100/25, a Maine policy carries $2,000 per person of medical payments coverage, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least 50/100, and $500 per accident for towing and storage when the police have your car towed after a crash. The towing piece is the newest and the easiest to miss: it applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2024, and not to policies covering more than four vehicles. Maine also makes your uninsured motorist limits match your bodily injury liability limits when those are above the minimum, unless you ask in writing for less.
Maryland: personal injury protection of at least $2,500 is on the policy unless the first named insured waives it in writing, on the form the Insurance Commissioner requires. The waiver reaches further than most people expect. It binds every named insured, every listed driver, and every family member in the household who is at least 16 years old.
Massachusetts: the compulsory package has four parts, and the one that covers you when an uninsured driver hurts you is called Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto. That is the name on the policy, and it is not the same product as the uninsured motorist coverage sold in other states. Three of the four limits rose for policies written or renewed on or after July 1, 2025: bodily injury to others to 25/50, damage to someone else’s property to $30,000, and Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto to 25/50. Personal injury protection stayed at $8,000.
Minnesota: the $40,000 of no-fault benefits is really two buckets. The Department of Commerce splits it $20,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for everything else, such as wage loss and replacement services, and you cannot move money from one to the other. Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage are each required at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
North Carolina: 50/100/50 took effect for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, and the uninsured motorist rules are the half most summaries leave out. Uninsured motorist bodily injury has to equal the highest bodily injury liability limits on your policy, so a minimum-limits policy carries 50/100 of it. Uninsured motorist property damage has to equal your highest property damage limit, $50,000 at the minimum, less a built-in $100 deductible, so a $900 repair pays out $800. Underinsured motorist coverage now sits on every new and renewed policy, where before July 1, 2025 it skipped minimum-limits policies.
South Dakota: there is no flat uninsured or underinsured motorist minimum here. Each one has to equal the bodily injury liability limits on your own policy, capped at $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident unless you ask for more. A bare 25/50/25 policy carries 25/50 of each, and a 100/300 policy carries 100/300 of each.
Washington: liability is all the state requires, and Washington is not a no-fault state. No policy can be issued or renewed, though, unless personal injury protection is offered, and the only way to be without it is to reject it in writing. That rejection binds everyone who would otherwise have been covered, passengers included, and it carries forward to later policies until you ask for the coverage back in writing.
Washington, D.C.: uninsured motorist coverage is required at 25/50 for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage, and the property damage side comes with a $200 deductible written into the statute. PIP is optional in the District.
Florida, Pennsylvania and Utah: each accepts a combined single limit in place of split limits. Florida takes $30,000 for registration purposes, Pennsylvania $35,000, and Utah $90,000. Kentucky’s is $60,000 and Maine’s is $125,000.

Recent Minimum-Limit Changes to Know About

State minimums can change, which is why older charts are easy to get wrong. The lookup and table above include these major 2025–2026 updates:

California (effective January 1, 2025): Standard minimum liability limits increased to 30/60/15.
Utah (effective January 1, 2025): Minimum liability limits increased to 30/65/25, and the combined single limit alternative went to $90,000 at the same time. Utah also requires at least $3,000 of PIP for most private passenger auto policies.
Virginia (effective January 1, 2025): Minimum liability limits increased to 50/100/25. Virginia had already ended the uninsured-motor-vehicle fee option on July 1, 2024.
Massachusetts (effective July 1, 2025): Three of the four compulsory limits increased for policies written or renewed on or after that date. Bodily injury to others went to 25/50, damage to someone else’s property to $30,000, and Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto to 25/50. Personal injury protection was left at $8,000 and remains part of the compulsory package.
North Carolina (effective July 1, 2025): Minimum liability limits increased to 50/100/50, from 30/60/25. The same date put underinsured motorist coverage on every new and renewed policy, including minimum-limits policies, which it used to skip.
Hawaii (effective January 1, 2026): Minimum liability limits increased from 20/40/10 to 40/80/20; at least $10,000 of PIP remains required.
New Jersey (effective January 1, 2026): The Standard Policy minimum increased to 35/70/25. New Jersey also has a separate Basic Policy with different, substantially lower limits.

Not in force yet, and not until October 1, 2027: Washington, D.C. If you are buying or renewing a D.C. policy today, the requirement is still 25/50/10, with uninsured motorist coverage at 25/50 for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage. That is what the lookup and the table show, and it is what you have to carry. The Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Amendment Act of 2026 takes the minimums to 50/100/20 and makes enhanced underinsured motorist coverage the default, so it will go on a D.C. policy unless the named insured signs a written waiver. The law itself took effect on August 14, 2026, but it does not apply to policies until October 1, 2027, so nothing about a D.C. policy changes before that date. The increases then step up again every ten years starting January 1, 2037.

If your state recently changed its minimums, your insurer may adjust a minimum-limit policy at renewal, but you should still confirm the limits and mandatory coverages shown on your declarations page.

Is State-Minimum Coverage Enough?

State-minimum coverage is a legal floor, not a personalized recommendation. Medical bills, vehicle repairs, and liability claims can exceed minimum limits, which can leave you responsible for amounts above your policy limits.

If you have savings, home equity, income, or other assets you want to protect, compare the price of higher liability limits and consider how much loss you could comfortably absorb yourself. The right limit depends on your finances and risk tolerance.

What Minimum Coverage Costs

Meeting the minimum costs wildly different amounts in different places, and the figure you see quoted depends almost as much on whose study it came from as on where you live. Our state guides quote Insure.com’s rate study, last updated September 25, 2026. It prices a 40-year-old driver with a clean record and a good insurance score, in a Honda Accord LX, driving about 10,000 miles a year, and it prices full coverage at $100,000 of bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident and $100,000 of property damage, with $500 collision and comprehensive deductibles. The national full-coverage average in that study is $2,578 a year. It publishes no national average for minimum coverage.

If you want to compare one state against another, that is the study to use. An average from a different study will not line up with it, because the sample driver and the coverage priced are different, and minimum-coverage figures are where two studies diverge the most.

None of these are quotes. A sample driver is a sample driver, and your own price moves with your ZIP code, your record, your car and your deductibles far more than it moves with the state line.

Alternatives to Traditional Auto Insurance

Some states allow alternatives to a traditional auto insurance policy, such as self-insurance certificates, surety bonds, or cash deposits. These options are typically designed for people or organizations that can demonstrate significant financial resources and meet strict state rules.

For example, California lists several ways to meet financial responsibility requirements—including liability insurance, a cash deposit, a DMV-issued self-insurance certificate, or a surety bond—on its official DMV guidance page.

California DMV: Insurance (Financial Responsibility) Requirements

If you’re considering a bond or self-insurance route, confirm the exact requirements with your state DMV or insurance department first—these options are not available (or practical) in every state.

FAQs on State-by-State Auto Insurance Requirements

Is Car Insurance Required in Every State?

Almost. Most states require at least liability insurance, but a small number have different rules (for example, allowing certain financial-responsibility alternatives). Even where insurance isn’t strictly mandatory in all situations, you can still be held financially responsible for damages you cause.

What Does “25/50/25” Mean on a State Minimum Chart?

It’s shorthand for split liability limits. The figures are in thousands of dollars and the order never changes: $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $25,000 of property damage liability per accident. A few states also accept one combined single limit in place of the three, in which case your declarations page shows a single figure instead.

Do State Minimums Include Collision and Comprehensive Coverage?

Usually not. State minimum requirements typically focus on liability (and sometimes PIP or UM/UIM). Collision and comprehensive are often optional under state law, but they’re commonly required by lenders if your vehicle is financed or leased.

What Happens if I’m Caught Driving Without the Required Insurance?

Penalties vary by state but can include fines, license or registration suspension, reinstatement fees, and higher insurance premiums. If you cause a crash while uninsured, you may be personally liable for injuries and property damage.

Can I Use a Surety Bond or Cash Deposit Instead of Buying Auto Insurance?

In some states, yes—certain drivers can meet “financial responsibility” rules with alternatives like a surety bond, cash deposit, or self-insurance certificate. These options are state-specific, often expensive, and typically require strict approval, so confirm details with your DMV or insurance department.

If I Move to Another State, When Do I Need to Update My Auto Insurance?

Generally, you should update your policy as soon as you establish residency and register your vehicle in the new state. Minimum requirements can differ significantly, and your old policy may not meet the new state’s legal limits or mandatory coverages.

Are State Minimum Liability Limits Usually Enough to Protect Me Financially?

Not necessarily. Minimum limits satisfy the legal baseline, but a serious claim can exceed them. Whether higher limits make sense depends on your finances, assets, vehicle use, and how much liability risk you are comfortable retaining.

Is Any State’s Minimum About to Change?

Washington, D.C. is the next one on the calendar. Its liability minimums go from 25/50/10 to 50/100/20 on October 1, 2027, and enhanced underinsured motorist coverage becomes the default on D.C. policies the same day. Until then the 25/50/10 requirement is what applies, so a D.C. driver shopping now should be buying to the current limits. California has a later step already written into its law: policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2035 go to 50/100/25. Nothing else is scheduled as of October 6, 2026, though states usually pass these increases a year or two ahead, so check the current rule before you trust any chart.

Final Word on State Auto Insurance Requirements

State minimum auto insurance laws set the legal baseline, but they don’t guarantee you’re fully protected financially. Start by meeting your state’s rules, then decide whether you need higher limits or additional coverage based on your vehicle, assets, and risk exposure.

My advice is to read your own state’s row here and then pull out your declarations page and go down it line by line. The people who find out they were short on a required coverage usually find out after a crash, which is the expensive way to learn it, and this check takes about five minutes.

To stay compliant, review your policy at least once a year, use the lookup above to spot major state-law changes, verify the current requirement with your state insurance department or DMV, and keep proof of coverage current.

Sources

Checked October 6, 2026