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State automobile insurance minimums
Each state has different requirements for automobile insurance. However, most states do mandate that you carry a minimum amount of liability protection, as indicated in the table below. Remember that liability insurance pays for the bodily injury and property damage expenses caused to third parties in an accident, including legal bills. Bodily injury expenses include medical bills and lost wages. Property damage expenses pay for the repair or replacement of things you damaged. The third party may also decide to sue you in order to collect "pain and suffering" damages. Therefore, these stated mimimums may not cover you adequately, especially if you have financial assets.
How to read liability limits
Liability coverage limits are usually stated as a series of three numbers. For example, you might note that your policy carries liability limits of 100/300/500. That stands for $100,000 (maximum) in bodily injury coverage per person per accident, $300,000 (maximum) in total bodily injury coverage per accident, and $50,000 (maximum) in property damage coverage per accident. State-mandated minimum amounts of coverage are outlined in the table below.
What are no-fault insurance and PIP?
As indicated in the table below, some states have "no-fault" laws, meaning that your automobile policy must pay for bodily injury and property damages regardless of who caused the accident. The table also depicts which states require personal injury protection (PIP) which pays medical expenses for covered persons, regardless of fault, for treatment due to an automobile accident.
What is UM?
Uninsured motorists (UM) coverage pays for your injuries and damage to your automobile if you're struck by a hit-and-run driver or someone who doesn't have automobile insurance. You might be surprised by how many people don't have insurance, so make sure you have this coverage. It is required in some states, as shown in the far right column in the table below.
State minimum amounts of coverage
| State |
Liability limits
(in thousands)1 |
No-fault |
PIP |
UM |
| Alabama |
20/40/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Alaska |
50/100/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Arizona |
15/30/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Arkansas |
25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| California2 |
15/30/5 |
No |
No |
No |
| Colorado |
25/50/15 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Connecticut |
20/40/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Delaware |
15/30/5 |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Florida3 |
10/20/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Georgia |
25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Hawaii |
20/40/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Idaho |
25/50/15 |
No |
No |
No |
| Illinois |
20/40/15 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Indiana |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Iowa |
20/40/15 |
No |
No |
No |
| Kansas |
25/50/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Kentucky |
25/50/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Louisiana |
10/20/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Maine |
50/100/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Maryland |
20/40/15 |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Massachusetts |
20/40/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Michigan |
20/40/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Minnesota |
30/60/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Mississippi |
10/20/5 |
No |
No |
No |
| Missouri |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Montana |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Nebraska |
25/50/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| Nevada |
15/30/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| New Hampshire5 |
25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| New Jersey4 |
15/30/5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| New Mexico |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| New York6 |
25/50/10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| North Carolina |
30/60/25 |
No |
No |
No |
| North Dakota |
25/50/25 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ohio |
12.5/25/7.5 |
No |
No |
No |
| Oklahoma |
10/20/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Oregon |
25/50/10 |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Pennsylvania |
15/30/5 |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Rhode Island |
25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| South Carolina5 |
15/30/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| South Dakota |
25/50/25 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Tennessee5 |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Texas |
20/40/15 |
No |
No |
No |
| Utah |
25/50/15 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Vermont |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Virginia5 |
25/50/20 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Washington |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
No |
| Washington D.C. |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| West Virginia |
20/40/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Wisconsin5 |
25/50/10 |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Wyoming |
25/50/20 |
No |
No |
No |
1. Updated March 2002
2. Low-cost policy minimums for Los Angeles and San Francisco for eligible low-income drivers in the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan are 10/20/3, effective July 1, 2000, to Jan. 1, 2004.
3. Property-damage liability only is required
4. Drivers can choose a standard or basic policy. Basic policy limits are 10/10/5; only property-damage liability is mandatory
5. Liability insurance not required; limits are for financial responsibility
6. Liability rises to 50/100 if injury results in death
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