Robert Konrad
Car Insurance Expert
- Auto Insurance Tips
- State guides
- Car insurance coverage
- Young drivers
- Legal issues
- Insurance companies
What Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need?
Decide how much liability coverage is enough for similar type of drivers.
Minimum Levels of Car Insurance Required by Law
Car insurance is required in almost every state in the US. Because the levels vary by state, be sure that you are aware of what your specific state requires. Each state falls into one of three basic "categories" of insurance requirements. There are:
- No-fault states.
- Tort states.
- States that do not require insurance to register your vehicle.
| Florida | Hawaii | Kansas | Kentucky |
| Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | New Jersey |
| New York | North Dakota | Pennsylvania | Utah |
All states use tort system except for those who use a no-fault state system.
- New Hampshire
- Virginia
What's the Difference: No-Fault vs. Tort Auto Insurance
States that require you to carry a minimum level of insurance can be classified as either no-fault or tort states. In the event that you are in an accident, both of these classifications of states would require you to be carrying an insurance policy that would cover any and all damage done to the other vehicle and its passengers. Minimum levels of car insurance required by law are listed in a series of three amounts.
For example, California requires its drivers to carry a policy of $15,000, $30,000, $5,000. This breaks down to $15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 bodily injury per accident, and $5,000 property damage. Every state that requires insurance has their amounts listed this way, but the amounts vary from state to state.
| State | 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 liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $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 | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $20,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $40,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Delaware | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 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 $10,000 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 Personal injury protection, including $4,500 in medical expenses, up to $900 per month for disability or loss of income, $25 per day for in-home services, $2,000 for funeral burial or cremation costs, $4,500 for rehabilitation |
| Kentucky | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 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 $30,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $15,000 uninsured/underinsured property damage coverage 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 Personal injury protection (unlimited) $1 million property protection |
| 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 $10,000 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 | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| New Hampshire | (Minimum limits if driver purchases car insurance, which is optional.) $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 personal injury protection |
| 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 |
| 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 $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $20,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage 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, D.C. | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 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 $5,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| West Virginia | $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 |
| 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 |
The difference between no-fault and tort states is that tort states require someone to be found at fault. This means that in the event of an accident, either you or the other driver will be paying for the damages done. Car insurance is even more critical in tort states because drivers could, at one time or another, be paying for damages done to another vehicle. You may find that minimum levels of car insurance are slightly higher in tort states.
There are some states within the US that do not require car insurance to register a vehicle with the DMV. However, drivers are required to show proof of financial responsibility. This means that the driver must show that he has money either in savings or in earnings that would allow him to pay for damages in the event of an accident.
Some states, regardless of their standing as tort, no-fault, or no required insurance, require their drivers to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance. This insurance protects you if you are hit or if you hit a driver that is carrying either too little insurance or none at all. Regardless of your state's standing, be sure that you are fully aware of insurance laws so that you are financially protected.
What is included in your minimum car insurance requirement?
Having a car insurance is essential for everyone and this is mandatory in some states. But the requirements of car insurance differ from one state to another. It mostly depends on the state law for their residents.
To know the basic requirements for car insurance you need to visit the insurance commissioner of your state.
There are some basic requirements for minimum car insurance:
- Liability for bodily injury (coverage level of every person and every accident).
- Property damage (for every accident but only if you are responsible for other people’s property damage).
- Protection of personal injury.
- (Coverage for each accident and each person with the limits of disabilities, medical cost, cremation or burial cost etc).
- Protection for under or uninsured motorist (for every accident and every person).
But some of the states require only two types of coverage like property damage and bodily injury liability.
Expert:
Add new comment