Car Insurance Requirements by State

By Shamit Choksey

How to read this chart:

Types of coverage required: Bodily Injury (BI); Physical Damage Liability (PD); No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP); Uninsured Motorist (UM); Underinsured Motorist (UIM). 

Minimum Liability Limits: The first two numbers refer to bodily injury liability limits and the third number to property liability.  For example, 20/40/10 means coverage up to $20,000 per individual injured in an accident, $40,000 for all persons injured in an accident and $10,000 coverage for property damage.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements by State
This information was verified with each state's insurance commission. In some cases, the limits and requirements have recently changed. Forthcoming changes have been denoted with asterisks.
State Insurance Required
 Minimum Liability Limits
Alabama BI & PD Liab
 25/50/25
Alaska BI & PD Liab 50/100/25
Arizona BI & PD Liab 15/30/10
Arkansas BI & PD Liab, PIP
 25/50/25
California BI & PD Liab 15/30/51
Colorado BI & PD Liab 25/50/15
Connecticut BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM
 20/40/10
Delaware BI & PD Liab, PIP
 15/30/10
District of Columbia BI & PD Liab, UM
 25/50/10
Florida PD Liab, PIP
 10/20/102
Georgia BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Hawaii BI & PD Liab, PIP
 20/40/10
Idaho BI & PD Liab 25/50/15
Illinois BI & PD Liab, UM
 20/40/15
Indiana BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
Iowa BI & PD Liab 20/40/15
Kansas BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM
 25/50/10
Kentucky BI & PD Liab, PIP
 25/50/10
Louisiana BI & PD Liab 15/30/25
Maine BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM
 50/100/253
Maryland BI & PD Liab, PIP4, UM, UIM
 20/40/15*
Massachusetts BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM
 20/40/5
Michigan BI & PD Liab, PIP
 20/40/10
Minnesota BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM,UIM
 30/60/10
Mississippi BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Missouri BI & PD Liab, UM
 25/50/10
Montana BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
Nebraska BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Nevada BI & PD Liab 15/30/10
New Hampshire FR only7, UM
 25/50/253
New Jersey BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM
 15/30/55
New Mexico BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
New York BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM
 25/50/106
North Carolina BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM
 30/60/25
North Dakota BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM
 25/50/25
Ohio BI & PD Liab 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Oregon BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM
 25/50/20
Pennsylvania BI & PD Liab, PIP
 15/30/5
Rhode Island BI & PD Liab, UM8
 25/50/257
South Carolina BI & PD Liab, UM
 25/50/25
South Dakota BI & PD Liab, UM
 25/50/25
Tennessee BI & PD Liab 25/50/152
Texas BI & PD Liab 25/50/25**
Utah BI & PD Liab, PIP
 25/65/152
Vermont BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
Virginia BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM
 25/50/20
Washington BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
West Virginia BI & PD Liab, UM
 20/40/10
Wisconsin BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM
 50/100/15
Wyoming BI & PD Liab 25/50/20


1. Low-cost policy limits for low-income drivers in the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan are 10/20/3.
2. Instead of policy limits, policyholders can satisfy the requirement with a combined single limit policy.
3. In addition, policyholders must also carry at least $1,000 for medical payments.
4. May be waived for the policyholder but is compulsory for passengers.
5. Basic policy (optional) limits are 10/10/5. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage not available under the basic policy, but uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage are required under the standard policy.
6. In addition, policyholders must have 50/100 for wrongful death coverage.
7. Financial responsibility only; insurance not compulsory.
8. Policyholder can decline to purchase uninsured coverage if he or she chooses to buy only the minimum limits of bodily injury and property damage liability coverage.

*Minimum coverage requirements will increase to 30/60/15 on Jan. 1, 2011.
**Minimum coverage requirements will increase to 30/60/25 on Jan. 1, 2011.

Source: Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
© Cars.com 07/1/2012