What Is 100/300 Insurance?
Last Updated on February 5, 2026
100/300 car insurance is shorthand for your bodily injury liability limits: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. These higher limits can help protect your savings and future income if you cause a serious crash and injuries are expensive.
Below is how 100/300 coverage works, what it pays for, when it makes sense, and how to choose the right liability limits for your situation.
- 100/300 Is a Liability Limit, Not a Coverage Type: It means $100,000 per injured person and $300,000 total per accident for bodily injury claims you cause.
- Per-Accident Limits Matter Most in Multi-Injury Crashes: Even if no one person hits $100,000, the combined injuries can still exceed $300,000.
- Higher Limits Help Protect Assets and Income: Once your policy limit is exhausted, you may still be responsible for remaining damages and legal judgments.
- Compare Multiple Limit Levels Before You Buy: Quote minimum, 50/100, 100/300, and higher options to see what the added protection costs with your insurer.
- What 100/300 Car Insurance Means
- How the Three-Number Format Works (Like 100/300/100)
- What’s Included With 100/300 Coverage?
- Do You Need a 100/300 Policy?
- Why Higher Liability Limits Matter
- When to Consider Limits Above 100/300
- How Much Does 100/300 Car Insurance Cost?
- Final Word on 100/300 Car Insurance
- FAQs on 100/300 Car Insurance
What 100/300 Car Insurance Means
With a 100/300 auto policy, your insurer can pay up to:
| Limit | What It Applies To | Maximum the Insurer Pays |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Bodily injury liability per person | $100,000 for one injured person’s covered damages |
| 300 | Bodily injury liability per accident | $300,000 total for all injured people combined in the same crash |
Quick tip: In a multi-injury crash, you can hit the per-accident limit even if no one person reaches the per-person limit.
How the Three-Number Format Works (Like 100/300/100)
Auto liability limits are often written with three numbers. The first two are bodily injury limits (per person / per accident). The third number is property damage liability (per accident).
The liability portion of most auto policies focuses on two core coverages:
Here’s a quick example using California. California’s minimum liability limits are currently 30/60/15, meaning $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. (If you’re shopping there, see our guide to California auto insurance.) You can also verify current minimums through the California DMV: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/insurance-requirements/
| Number | Coverage Type | What It Pays For |
|---|---|---|
| First | Bodily injury liability (per person) | Covered injuries to one other person if you’re at fault |
| Second | Bodily injury liability (per accident) | Total covered injuries to all people combined in one crash |
| Third | Property damage liability (per accident) | Damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property |
So when you see 100/300, it’s referring to the first two numbers (bodily injury). Many drivers will pair that with a third number like 100 for property damage, creating a 100/300/100 policy.
What’s Included With 100/300 Coverage?
100/300 coverage applies when you cause an accident and other people are injured. It can help pay for things like medical bills, lost wages, and certain legal damages such as pain and suffering, up to your policy limits.
What it does not cover: your own injuries, your own vehicle repairs, or damage to your vehicle unless you carry other coverages (like collision, comprehensive, or medical payments/PIP, depending on your state).
Do You Need a 100/300 Policy?
State minimums vary, and they’re often far lower than what a serious injury claim can cost. You can review your state’s baseline rules here: state-by-state auto insurance requirements.
Minimum limits are designed to meet legal requirements, not to fully protect your finances. That’s why many drivers choose limits above the minimum coverage needed to legally drive.
A 100/300 policy is often worth considering if any of the following improves your risk profile:
- You have income, savings, or property you want to protect from lawsuits or collections.
- You drive frequently, commute in heavy traffic, or drive in areas with higher crash severity.
- You regularly carry passengers (carpooling, family driving, ride-sharing where allowed by your policy).
- You want a larger buffer before you would have to pay damages out of pocket.
Why Higher Liability Limits Matter
Bodily injury claims can add up quickly when multiple people need treatment—especially if injuries require rehab, diagnostics, or ongoing care like physical therapy. Once you hit your liability limit, the insurer stops paying, but your responsibility for damages may continue.
If your limits are low, you can become effectively underinsured in a serious crash—even if you’re “insured” on paper. The remaining damages may become an out-of-pocket problem, especially if you’re sued and a court assigns additional responsibility.
Higher liability limits are different from full coverage. Increasing liability limits protects you against claims from others. “Full coverage” usually refers to adding damage coverage for your own vehicle (like collision and comprehensive) on top of liability.
When to Consider Limits Above 100/300
Some drivers move beyond 100/300—especially if they have higher assets, a higher public exposure risk, or simply want more cushion. Common next steps include increasing auto liability to packages like 250/500 and/or adding an umbrella liability policy for additional protection above your auto limits.
Quick tip: An umbrella policy typically requires you to carry higher auto liability limits first, then extends protection above them.
How Much Does 100/300 Car Insurance Cost?
The price difference between state-minimum liability and 100/300 varies by insurer and driver. In many cases, raising liability limits is one of the more cost-effective ways to improve financial protection—because you’re increasing what the insurer would pay in a major claim, not adding a new type of coverage.
Your rate impact depends on factors like your driving record, location, vehicle type, prior insurance history, and how your insurer prices higher limits. The practical way to evaluate cost is to compare quotes at multiple limit levels (minimum, 50/100, 100/300, and 250/500) and weigh the premium increase against your risk exposure.
Final Word on 100/300 Car Insurance
100/300 insurance means you carry $100,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person and $300,000 per accident. It’s a common “step up” from minimum limits and can help reduce the chance that a serious crash becomes a long-term financial setback.
If you’re unsure where to set your limits, compare quotes at multiple levels, confirm your state’s requirements, and choose the highest limits you can comfortably afford.
