State minimum auto coverage rules
A registered car needs insurance even if nobody drives it. In NJ, NY and NC the plates must go back before the policy ends; CA and OK offer non-use filings.
Florida's legal minimum has no bodily injury liability, yet leases ask for $100K/$300K/$50K. A Florida statute protects the leasing company only at those limits.
Rental companies must carry state-minimum liability almost everywhere, except California, Missouri, New York, Texas, and Utah. See how personal auto, credit cards, and the counter's damage waiver actually stack up.
Teen drivers in every U.S. state are subject to the same minimum liability requirements as adult drivers — no reduced minimum exists. A DUI conviction triggers a 3-year SR-22 obligation, and named driver exclusions remove all coverage if a teen drives.
Washington DC requires 25/50/10 liability coverage plus mandatory uninsured motorist protection. DC has a 19% uninsured driver rate and among the highest average premiums in the country at $1,800–$3,000/year.
Vermont requires 25/50/10 liability but mandates uninsured AND underinsured motorist coverage at 50/100 — higher than the base liability minimum. One of few US states where required UM/UIM exceeds liability minimums.
Rhode Island requires 25/50/25 liability plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage at 25/50. It's an at-fault state with no mandatory PIP, and the state's ~15% uninsured driver rate makes UM coverage more than a formality.
New Hampshire is the only US state with no mandatory auto insurance. The Financial Responsibility Law means you're personally liable for all damages after an at-fault accident if you can't pay — license suspended, registration revoked.
Maine requires 50/100/25 liability plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage you cannot waive — one of the strictest requirements in the US. Maine is an at-fault state with no PIP requirement. Moose collisions are extremely dangerous statewide.
Alaska requires 50/100/25 liability — among the highest minimums in the US — due to remote geography and costly medical evacuations. Driving without insurance is a Class A misdemeanor. Moose collisions are a major hazard statewide.
Wyoming requires 25/50/20 liability for all drivers. The state has some of the highest wildlife-collision rates in the US and is the windiest state in the country. Learn state minimums, penalties, and why comprehensive coverage is practically necessary in WY.
South Dakota requires 25/50/25 liability for all drivers and ranks among the highest states for deer-vehicle collisions. Driving uninsured is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Learn state minimums, SR-22 rules, and why comprehensive coverage is essential in SD.
Montana requires 25/50/20 liability for all drivers and has one of the highest uninsured motorist rates in the country at 13-16%. Learn state minimums, SR-22 rules, and why comprehensive coverage is essential for Montana's wildlife and extreme weather.
Idaho requires 25/50/15 liability for all drivers. Driving uninsured is a $75 infraction the first time and a misdemeanor for a second within five years. Learn state minimums, SR-22 rules, and how UM/UIM protects you on Idaho's wildlife-heavy remote roads.
Delaware requires 25/50/10 liability plus mandatory PIP of $15,000/$30,000 — making it one of the few states where personal injury protection is compulsory for car owners. Learn minimums, penalties, and why the $10,000 property damage limit is dangerously low.
West Virginia requires 25/50/25 liability for all drivers. Driving uninsured is a misdemeanor with fines up to $5,000. Learn state minimums, UM/UIM rules, SR-22 requirements, and why comprehensive coverage matters in WV.
Nebraska requires 25/50/25 liability for all drivers. Driving without insurance is a Class III misdemeanor — a criminal offense. Learn state minimums, electronic verification, rural driving risks, and SR-22 requirements.
Mississippi requires 25/50/25 liability for all drivers. With roughly 1 in 4 drivers uninsured — one of the highest rates in the US — learn what coverage actually protects you and the penalties for driving without insurance.
Kansas requires 25/50/25 liability plus mandatory PIP and uninsured motorist coverage. As a no-fault state, your PIP pays first regardless of fault. Learn Kansas's $2,000 tort threshold and full requirements.
Arkansas requires 25/50/25 liability coverage for all drivers. Learn state minimums, penalties for uninsured driving, SR-22 rules, and why tornado and wildlife risks make comprehensive coverage essential.
New Mexico requires 25/50/10 liability, and uninsured motorist coverage is included unless you reject it in writing. With 21-24% of drivers uninsured, learn what coverage protects you in one of the nation's highest uninsured-driver states.
Oklahoma requires 25/50/25 liability coverage for all drivers. Learn state minimums, penalties for driving uninsured, SR-22 requirements, and why Tornado Alley makes comprehensive coverage essential.
Utah moved to 30/65/25 on 1 January 2025, but left the unusual $65,000 per-accident figure exactly where it was — only the per-person and property-damage limits rose.
Alabama requires 25/50/25 liability coverage for all drivers. Learn the minimum requirements, penalties for driving uninsured, and whether state minimums are enough.
Connecticut requires 25/50/25 liability coverage for all drivers. Learn the minimum requirements, uninsured motorist rules, and penalties for driving without insurance.
North Dakota requires 25/50/25 liability coverage. Learn the minimum requirements, UM/UIM rules, penalties for driving uninsured, and whether state minimums are adequate.
Hawaii doubled every liability minimum at once on 1 January 2026, from 20/40/10 to 40/80/20 — the first change in about 25 years. PIP did not move, and nor did motorcycles.
Iowa requires 20/40/15 liability coverage for all drivers. Learn the minimum requirements, penalties for driving uninsured, and whether Iowa's minimums provide adequate protection.
Nevada requires 25/50/20 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, DMV verification, penalties for driving uninsured, and recommended coverage levels.
Louisiana requires 15/30/25 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, the No-Pay No-Play law, penalties for driving uninsured, and why minimums may not be enough.
Oregon requires 25/50/20 minimum liability plus mandatory PIP and uninsured motorist coverage. Learn state requirements, penalties, and why minimums may not be enough.
South Carolina requires 25/50/25 liability plus uninsured motorist coverage at 25/50/25 on every policy; underinsured cover is optional. Learn the penalties, the lapse fees, and why minimums may not be enough.
Missouri requires 25/50/25 minimum liability plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage. Learn state requirements, financial responsibility law, penalties, and recommended coverage levels.
Massachusetts raised its minimums on 1 July 2025 for the first time since 1988. Property damage went from $5,000 to $30,000 — a sixfold jump — while PIP did not move at all.
Kentucky requires 25/50/25 liability plus $10,000 PIP coverage. Learn the state's unique choice no-fault system, tort options, penalties, and recommended coverage levels.
Maryland requires 30/60/15 liability plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage you cannot waive. Learn state requirements, electronic monitoring, and why minimums may not be enough.
Minnesota requires 30/60/10 liability plus mandatory PIP and uninsured motorist coverage. Learn the state's no-fault rules and why minimums may not be enough.
Tennessee's property-damage minimum rose to $25,000 in 2023, and contrary to a widely repeated claim the state requires no PIP at all — nothing covers your own injuries.
Wisconsin requires 25/50/10 minimum liability plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage. Learn state requirements, penalties, and why minimums may not be enough.
Colorado requires 25/50/15 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, penalties for driving uninsured, SR-22 rules, and recommended coverage levels.
New Jersey's Standard policy floor rose to 35/70/25 for policies issued or renewed on or after 1 January 2026 — the second of two increases. The Basic policy was left out of both.
Indiana requires 25/50/25 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, BMV verification, penalties for driving uninsured, and recommended coverage levels.
North Carolina jumped to 50/100/50 on 1 July 2025 and is now the only state requiring $50,000 in property damage — plus uninsured motorist cover you cannot reject.
Virginia raised its minimum to 50/100/25 on 1 January 2025, and the $500 UMV fee that once let drivers register a vehicle uninsured was eliminated on 1 July 2024. There is no longer a legal way to drive uninsured.
Washington requires 25/50/10 liability, and UIM is included unless you reject it in writing. Driving uninsured can cost $550 or more, and an uninsured crash can suspend your license for 3 years.
Arizona requires 25/50/15 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, electronic verification, penalties, and recommended coverage levels.
Pennsylvania requires 15/30/5 liability and a choice between full tort and limited tort. Learn how this unique system works and why minimums are dangerously low.
Illinois requires 25/50/20 liability plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage. Learn state requirements, penalties, and why UM coverage cannot be waived.
Michigan is a no-fault state requiring 50/100/10 liability plus PIP coverage. Learn the unique no-fault rules, 2020 reform changes, and recommended coverage levels.
Ohio requires 25/50/25 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, FILS verification, penalties for lapses, and recommended coverage levels.
New York requires 25/50/10 liability plus $50,000 PIP and mandatory uninsured motorist coverage. Learn the state's no-fault rules and why minimums may not be enough.
Georgia requires 25/50/25 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, GEICS verification, penalties for lapses, and recommended coverage levels.
Florida requires PIP and property damage liability—but no bodily injury coverage. Learn the state's no-fault rules, FR-44 requirements, and why minimums leave dangerous gaps.
Texas requires 30/60/25 minimum liability coverage. Learn state requirements, penalties for driving uninsured, SR-22 rules, and recommended coverage levels.
California requires 15/30/5 minimum liability coverage. Learn what the state mandates, penalties for driving uninsured, and why minimums may not be enough.
Browse insurance requirement guides across other coverage areas
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Side-by-side insurance requirement comparisons
Insurance requirements for delivery & rideshare drivers
Find liability minimums, uninsured motorist rules, SR-22 requirements, and state-specific coverage laws.
All guides are written by the Coverage Criteria editorial team and verified against official government and regulatory sources. We translate complex insurance rules into plain language so you know exactly what coverage is required — without needing a lawyer.
