Minimum Car Insurance Requirements by State

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State minimum insurance requirements are the car insurance laws for each state. These laws can usually be found on the state insurance commissioner's website.

As you go down the list, you will notice that driving without insurance is against the law in almost every state. Make sure you have met the minimum requirements in your state before you drive.

Key Takeaways

What Is Minimum Car Insurance? 

If you own a car, you will need car insurance that meets the laws in your state. Each state is different, which is why it is vital to confirm the laws where you live. You can also contact your company if you have questions.

Four basic types of coverage may be in your state's laws. You may need bodily injury liability, defined per person as well as per accident. States might order you to have property damage liability (also per accident).

State laws might also call for personal injury protection (per person and per accident). One of the most common laws is uninsured or underinsured motorist protection that covers you and your car, per person, per accident.

Car insurance liability coverages may be given in a series of numbers, which state the amounts covered for injury per person, accident, and total damages. For example, you might see $20,000/$40,000/$15,000, or 20/40/15. This provides bodily injury liability of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident, and property damage liability would be $15,000 per accident.

Note

There isn't an insurance product called "full coverage." Rather, you may be fully covered with combined policies such as bodily injury liability and property damage liability. When people refer to "full coverage," they generally mean comprehensive and collision insurance in addition to required liability coverage.

Do All States Require Car Insurance?

Nearly all states require some level of car insurance. However, there are some special cases.

For instance, New Hampshire does not mandate that you buy car insurance to drive. It does require that you can pay anyone you injure as a result of your driving. You'll also need to pay for any property damage you cause. This means you'll need a large savings account if you don't have insurance. If you do buy a policy, New Hampshire law requires you to carry 25/50/25.

Virginia, too, offers a second approach. Virginia drivers must either maintain a minimum of 25/50/20 or pay an uninsured motor vehicle (UMV) fee of $500. If they fail to carry insurance and fail to pay the (UMV) fee, they'll lose their driving privileges.

Note

Knowing whether you have enough insurance for your needs depends on how much risk you are willing to take. If you do not have enough money to cover damages, you'll have to pay out-of-pocket.

Minimums by State

Here's each state's car insurance mandates.

Alabama 

Alaska 

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Washington, D.C.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much is car insurance on average per month?

The average annual car insurance cost is a bit more than $1,000. It comes out to about $88 per month.

How do you get cheap car insurance?

The best way to get cheap car insurance is to shop around and take advantage of any promotional offers. Common discounts and promo offers include good-driver discounts for avoiding tickets, bundle discounts for adding different types of coverage, and anti-theft discounts for installing anti-theft accessories.

What is comprehensive car insurance?

Comprehensive car insurance covers situations that don't occur while driving. For example, comprehensive coverage will cover the stolen car when a thief breaks into your car in your driveway (but often will not cover the contents of the car), or when a storm knocks down a tree branch that breaks your windshield. Comprehensive coverage is not required.

How soon do you have to get insurance after buying a used car?

In most states, it's illegal to drive any car without required insurance coverage. States set grace periods for insuring a recently acquired car. In general, you can expect to have between a week and a month to get insurance after buying a used car.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "A Shopping Tool for Automobile Insurance," Pages 4-5.

State of New Hampshire Insurance Department. "Your Guide to Understanding Auto Insurance in the Granite State," Page 1.

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. "Insurance Requirements."

Alabama Department of Insurance. "Automobile Insurance FAQs."

Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. "Mandatory Insurance."

Arizona Department of Transportation. "Vehicle Information."

Arkansas Insurance Department. "Consumers FAQ - Private Passenger Automobile Insurance."

State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. "Insurance Requirements."

Colorado General Assembly. "Mandatory Automobile Insurance in Colorado."

State of Connecticut Insurance Department. "What Is Auto Insurance."

Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. "Vehicle Services Registration - Insurance Requirements."

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "Florida Insurance Requirements."

Georgia Officer of Commissioner of Insurance & Safety Fire. "Auto Insurance."

State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. "Motor Vehicle Insurance Information."

Idaho Department of Insurance. "Consumers - Automobile Insurance - Basic Coverages."

Illinois Department of Insurance. "Auto Insurance Shopping Guide - Required Auto Insurance Coverages."

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. "Proof of Financial Responsibility."

Iowa Insurance Division. "Automobile Insurance."

Kansas Insurance Department. "Introduction to Auto Insurance."

Kentucky Department of Insurance. "No Fault Rejection/Verification (PIP)."

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. "Mandatory Insurance."

Louisiana Department of Insurance. "Consumers Guide to Auto Insurance," Page 4.

State of Maine Professional and Financial Regulation. "Auto Insurance Basics."

Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. "Auto Insurance Guide," Page 11.

Massachusetts Attorney General's Insurance and Financial Services Division. "Understanding Auto Insurance - Required Coverage."

Michigan.gov. "Choosing Bodily Injury Coverage."

Michigan.gov. "Choosing PIP Medical Coverage."

Minnesota Commerce Department. "Auto Insurance Guide," Page 3.

Mississippi Insurance Department. "What the Law Requires."

Missouri Department of Revenue. "Motor Vehicle Insurance (Financial Responsibility)."

Montana Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division. "Insurance and Verification."

Nebraska Department of Insurance. "Auto Liability Insurance," Page 2.

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. "Nevada Insurance Requirements."

State of New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. "Standard Auto Insurance Policy."

New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division. "Insurance."

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. "New York State Insurance Requirements."

North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. "Insurance Requirements."

North Dakota Insurance Department. "Auto - The Basics."

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. "Mandatory Insurance."

Oklahoma Insurance Department. "Auto Insurance."

Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services. "Minimum Insurance Requirements."

Pennsylvania Insurance Department. "Automobile Insurance Guide," Page 3.

Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation Insurance Division. "Consumers Guide to Auto Insurance," Page 5.

South Carolina Department of Insurance. "What Is Auto Insurance?"

South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. "Automobile Insurance - Mandatory Insurance Coverage."

Tennessee Department of Revenue. "Why You Should Have Auto Insurance."

Texas Department of Insurance. "Types of Auto Coverages."

Utah State Legislature. "31A-22-304 Motor Vehicle Liability Policy Minimum Limits."

Vermont General Assembly. "23 V.S.A. § 800 Maintenance of Financial Responsibility."

Vermont General Assembly. "23 VSA § 941. Insurance Against Uninsured, Underinsured, Or Unknown Motorists."

Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. "Washington State's Mandatory Auto and Motorcycle Insurance Law."

District of Colombia Department of Motor Vehicles. "Vehicle Insurance."

State of West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner. "Mandatory Compulsory Insurance Requirements."

State of Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. "Frequently Asked Questions Automobile Insurance," Pages 1-2.

Wyoming Insurance Department. "Auto Insurance FAQs."

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