In order to legally operate a vehicle on the public roadways in your state, you’ll need to have an auto insurance policy that meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements.
Each state sets a minimum amount of coverage that may include:
- Bodily Injury Liability
- Property Damage Liability
- Personal Injury Protection
- Uninsured Motorist Protection
Most states only require you to carry Bodily Injury and Property Damage coverage.
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements by State
Find you state below to see the type of required insurance coverage and the minimum amounts you’ll need.
| State | Minimum Car Insurance Requirements |
| Alabama | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Alaska | $50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Arizona | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Arkansas | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| California | $15,000 bodily injury/death liability per person $30,000 bodily injury/death liability to more than one person $5,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Colorado | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Connecticut | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Delaware | $25,000 bodily injury or death per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Florida | $10,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection |
| Georgia | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Hawaii | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection |
| Idaho | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Illinois | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Indiana | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Iowa | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Kansas | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Kentucky | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection |
| Louisiana | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Maine | $50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $100,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $2,000 medical payments coverage |
| Maryland | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Massachusetts | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $20,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $40,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $8,000 personal injury protection |
| Michigan | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Minnesota | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $40,000 personal injury protection |
| Mississippi | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Missouri | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Montana | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Nebraska | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Nevada | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
| New Hampshire | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage $1,000 medical payments coverage |
| New Jersey | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $15,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury |
| New Mexico | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| New York | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $50,000 liability for death per person $100,000 liability for death per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 personal injury protection $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| North Carolina | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $30,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| North Dakota | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $30,000 personal injury protection |
| Ohio | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Oklahoma | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Oregon | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $15,000 personal injury protection |
| Pennsylvania | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $5,000 medical benefits |
| Rhode Island | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| South Carolina | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage |
| South Dakota | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Tennessee | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Texas | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Utah | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $65,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident $3,000 personal injury protection |
| Vermont | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $10,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| Virginia | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Washington | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Washington DC | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $20,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $5,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| West Virginia | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person |
| Wisconsin | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Wyoming | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
Understanding a Car Insurance Policy
Most insurance policy coverage amounts are expressed as 25/50/15 or $25,000/$50,000/$15,000, which translates to:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury coverage.
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury coverage.
- $15,000 per accident for property damage coverage.
Your auto insurance policy will typically contain the following sections:
- Declarations: Includes your personal information and information about your vehicle.
- Coverage: Includes information about the type of coverage in the policy as well as the limits for the coverages.
- Exclusions: Includes information on things or drivers that are not covered by your policy.
- Conditions: Includes the information about making payments, filing a claim, and resolving disputes.
- Definitions: Terms and legal rights referred to throughout the policy document are defined.
Car Insurance Premiums
Your car insurance premium is the amount of money you’ll need to pay to maintain your coverage throughout the policy period.
You typically have the choice to pay monthly, annually, or a few months at a time. Some insurance providers may give you a discount if you pay your entire premium upfront.
The cost of your premium depends on:
- The type of coverage.
- The amount of coverage.
- Your driving record.
- The type of vehicle.
- Where you live and park the vehicle.
- How often you drive the vehicle.
- Demographics (age, gender).
Be sure to compare car insurance quotes to save the most money on premiums.
Car Insurance Deductibles
A deductible is the amount of money that you will need to pay before your coverage kicks in for your collision or comprehensive coverage..
The deductible you choose will affect the cost of your premium:
- A higher deductible will mean a lower premium.
- A lower deductible will mean a higher premium.
If you have a $500 deductible on your policy and get into an accident that causes $1,000 in damage to your vehicle, you’ll need to pay $500 and your insurance company will pay $500.