Minimum Car Insurance by State: Liability Limits and Required Cover
State minimums cover the other driver, not you, and several states raised them in 2025 and 2026. Here is the full table and what the numbers mean.
Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to carry liability insurance, and the most common minimum is 25/50/25: $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash for injuries and $25,000 for property damage. As of November 2026, minimums run from Pennsylvania’s 15/30/5 to Michigan’s 250/500/10 default, and roughly 28 states plus DC also require personal injury protection or uninsured motorist cover.
Several states raised their minimums recently: California and Virginia in January 2025, North Carolina in July 2025, and Hawaii and New Jersey in January 2026.
What do the numbers like 25/50/25 mean?
The three numbers are your bodily injury limit per person, your bodily injury limit per accident and your property damage limit, in thousands of dollars. A 30/60/15 policy pays up to $30,000 for one injured person, $60,000 for all injuries in one crash and $15,000 for damage to other people’s cars and property.
Liability cover pays for harm you cause to others. It does not pay to fix your own car or treat your own injuries, which is what collision, PIP, medical payments and uninsured motorist cover are for.
What is the minimum car insurance in each state?
The table is based on the Insurance Information Institute’s state table as of July 2024, updated for the increases that took effect through January 2026 from state regulators, including the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and the Hawaii Insurance Division. PIP is personal injury protection; UM and UIM are uninsured and underinsured motorist cover.
| State | Liability minimum | Other required cover and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 25/50/25 | |
| Alaska | 50/100/25 | |
| Arizona | 25/50/15 | |
| Arkansas | 25/50/25 | PIP |
| California | 30/60/15 | Raised from 15/30/5 in January 2025 |
| Colorado | 25/50/15 | |
| Connecticut | 25/50/25 | UM, UIM |
| Delaware | 25/50/10 | PIP |
| District of Columbia | 25/50/10 | UM |
| Florida | $10,000 PD only | PIP $10,000; bodily injury liability not generally required |
| Georgia | 25/50/25 | |
| Hawaii | 40/80/20 | PIP $10,000; raised from 20/40/10 in January 2026 |
| Idaho | 25/50/15 | |
| Illinois | 25/50/20 | UM, UIM |
| Indiana | 25/50/25 | |
| Iowa | 20/40/15 | |
| Kansas | 25/50/25 | PIP, UM, UIM |
| Kentucky | 25/50/25 | PIP |
| Louisiana | 15/30/25 | |
| Maine | 50/100/25 | Medical payments, UM, UIM |
| Maryland | 30/60/15 | PIP, UM, UIM |
| Massachusetts | 20/40/5 | PIP, UM |
| Michigan | 250/500/10 default | PIP; lower 50/100 option with written consent |
| Minnesota | 30/60/10 | PIP, UM, UIM |
| Mississippi | 25/50/25 | |
| Missouri | 25/50/25 | UM |
| Montana | 25/50/20 | |
| Nebraska | 25/50/25 | UM, UIM |
| Nevada | 25/50/20 | |
| New Hampshire | 25/50/25 if you buy a policy | Insurance not mandatory; must show financial responsibility |
| New Jersey | 35/70/25 standard policy | PIP, UM, UIM; raised January 2026; basic policy option |
| New Mexico | 25/50/10 | |
| New York | 25/50/10 | PIP, UM; 50/100 for death |
| North Carolina | 50/100/50 | UM, UIM; raised July 2025 |
| North Dakota | 25/50/25 | PIP, UM, UIM |
| Ohio | 25/50/25 | |
| Oklahoma | 25/50/25 | |
| Oregon | 25/50/20 | PIP, UM |
| Pennsylvania | 15/30/5 | Medical benefits (PIP) |
| Rhode Island | 25/50/25 | |
| South Carolina | 25/50/25 | UM |
| South Dakota | 25/50/25 | UM, UIM |
| Tennessee | 25/50/25 | |
| Texas | 30/60/25 | |
| Utah | 30/65/25 | PIP; raised January 2025 |
| Vermont | 25/50/10 | UM, UIM |
| Virginia | 50/100/25 | UM, UIM; raised January 2025 |
| Washington | 25/50/10 | |
| West Virginia | 25/50/25 | UM |
| Wisconsin | 25/50/10 | UM |
| Wyoming | 25/50/20 |
Some states let you meet the requirement with a combined single limit or a bond or deposit instead of a policy. Uninsured motorist rules are especially varied: in several states the insurer must offer it and you must reject it in writing. Your state insurance department has the current rules.
Which states require PIP or no-fault coverage?
No-fault states require personal injury protection, which pays your own medical bills and some lost wages after a crash regardless of who caused it. Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Utah are among them, and several other states require PIP without full no-fault rules.
Florida is unusual. It requires $10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of property damage liability, but not bodily injury liability for most drivers. A Florida driver with only the minimum has no cover for injuries they cause to others.
What does minimum coverage leave unpaid?
Minimum liability limits are often far below the cost of a serious crash, and you can be sued for the difference. A hospital stay or a new pickup truck can each exceed a $15,000 or $25,000 limit on their own.
- Your own car. Liability does not repair or replace it. If you have a loan or lease, the lender will require collision and comprehensive cover anyway.
- Your own injuries outside PIP or medical payments limits.
- Uninsured drivers. Without UM cover, you depend on the at-fault driver’s assets.
- Loan balance. If the car is totaled, collision pays its value, not what you owe. Our guide to GAP insurance covers that gap.
The right level depends on what you could lose in a lawsuit, such as home equity or savings. Ask for quotes at two or three limits and compare the price difference.
What happens if I drive without the minimum?
Penalties include fines, license or registration suspension and, in many states, a requirement to file proof of insurance such as an SR-22 for several years. Many states check insurance electronically and can suspend a registration when a policy lapses.
If you cause a crash while uninsured, you are personally liable for the damage. New Hampshire makes insurance optional, but drivers there must still be able to show financial responsibility after a crash.
Bottom line
Check that your policy meets your state’s current minimum, especially in states that raised limits in 2025 or 2026, then decide how far above it to go. The minimum keeps you legal; it rarely covers a serious crash. Our article on why car insurance went up explains what moves the price of higher limits.
FAQ
Does my policy update automatically when my state raises the minimum?
Insurers generally apply the new minimum at your next renewal. New Jersey, for example, applied its January 2026 increase to new policies and to renewals on or after that date.
Does the minimum apply when I drive in another state?
Most policies automatically adjust to meet the minimum of the state you are driving in. Check your policy’s out-of-state coverage clause to confirm.
Is full coverage required by law?
No state requires collision or comprehensive cover. Lenders and leasing companies require it until the loan or lease is paid off.
Can I carry less than the minimum if I rarely drive?
No. A registered car generally must be insured at the state minimum. If you store a car, ask your state DMV about turning in plates or a storage option before you drop coverage.
