Car Insurance Requirements by State: Minimum Lookup

Choose a state to see the minimum car insurance it requires: bodily injury and property damage liability limits, any required personal injury protection (PIP), other required coverages and whether it uses a no-fault system. It is for drivers who are moving, buying a first policy or checking that a quote meets the legal floor.

Last updated: October 18, 2026

State

Your result

Bodily injury liability, per person$50,000

This state requires at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries you cause, plus $50,000 for property damage; required PIP: —; also required: Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage; Limits changed July 1, 2025; no-fault state: No (checked October 18, 2026).

Bodily injury liability, per accident: $100,000
Property damage liability: $50,000
Required personal injury protection (PIP) or medical coverage: —
Other required coverage: Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage; Limits changed July 1, 2025
No-fault state?: No
Limits checked as of: October 18, 2026

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Minimum limits in your state compared with 25/50/25

North Carolina
25/50/25 (common minimum)

View as table

	North Carolina	25/50/25 (common minimum)
BI per person	$50,000	$25,000
BI per accident	$100,000	$50,000
Property damage	$50,000	$25,000

Breakdown

State	BI per person	BI per accident	Property damage	PIP	No-fault
Alabama	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Alaska	$50,000	$100,000	$25,000	—	No
Arizona	$25,000	$50,000	$15,000	—	No
Arkansas	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
California	$30,000	$60,000	$15,000	—	No
Colorado	$25,000	$50,000	$15,000	—	No
Connecticut	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Delaware	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	$15,000	No
District of Columbia	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	—	No
Florida	—	—	$10,000	$10,000	Yes
Georgia	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Hawaii	$40,000	$80,000	$20,000	$10,000	Yes
Idaho	$25,000	$50,000	$15,000	—	No
Illinois	$25,000	$50,000	$20,000	—	No
Indiana	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Iowa	$20,000	$40,000	$15,000	—	No
Kansas	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	$4,500	Yes
Kentucky	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	$10,000	Yes
Louisiana	$15,000	$30,000	$25,000	—	No
Maine	$50,000	$100,000	$25,000	—	No
Maryland	$30,000	$60,000	$15,000	$2,500	No
Massachusetts	$25,000	$50,000	$30,000	$8,000	Yes
Michigan	$50,000	$100,000	$10,000	—	Yes
Minnesota	$30,000	$60,000	$10,000	$40,000	Yes
Mississippi	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Missouri	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Montana	$25,000	$50,000	$20,000	—	No
Nebraska	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Nevada	$25,000	$50,000	$20,000	—	No
New Hampshire	—	—	—	—	No
New Jersey	$35,000	$70,000	$25,000	$15,000	Yes
New Mexico	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	—	No
New York	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	$50,000	Yes
North Carolina	$50,000	$100,000	$50,000	—	No
North Dakota	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	$30,000	Yes
Ohio	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Oklahoma	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Oregon	$25,000	$50,000	$20,000	$15,000	No
Pennsylvania	$15,000	$30,000	$5,000	$5,000	Yes
Rhode Island	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
South Carolina	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
South Dakota	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Tennessee	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Texas	$30,000	$60,000	$25,000	—	No
Utah	$30,000	$65,000	$25,000	$3,000	Yes
Vermont	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	—	No
Virginia	$50,000	$100,000	$25,000	—	No
Washington	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	—	No
West Virginia	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000	—	No
Wisconsin	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	—	No
Wyoming	$25,000	$50,000	$20,000	—	No

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How to use this tool

Open the State menu and choose the state where your car is registered and kept.
Read the bodily injury limits (per person and per accident) and the property damage limit.
Check whether the state requires PIP, uninsured motorist or other coverage.
Compare the results with the declarations page of your policy or the limits on a quote.
Confirm the current rules with your state insurance department or DMV before you buy.

How it is calculated

This is a lookup, not a calculation. The tool reads one row from our state table for the state you pick:

Bodily injury liability (BI): the minimum the policy must pay per person and per accident for injuries you cause to others.
Property damage liability (PD): the minimum the policy must pay for damage you cause to other people's cars and property.
PIP: the minimum personal injury protection (or required first-party medical coverage), if the state requires it.
Also required: other coverages the state makes mandatory, such as uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
No-fault: whether the state uses a no-fault system, including choice no-fault states.

Limits are often written as three numbers, for example 25/50/25 = $25,000 BI per person / $50,000 BI per accident / $25,000 PD.

Assumptions

Limits are the legal minimums for a standard private passenger car policy, as listed in our state table reviewed October 18, 2026.
Special cases (for example SR-22 or FR-44 filings, commercial vehicles, low-cost state programs) can require different limits and are not shown.
No-fault includes choice no-fault states, where drivers can pick a no-fault or traditional tort option.
States change minimums from time to time; the as-of date shows when we last checked.

Worked example

How to use the state minimum lookup

Pick your state from the menu. The tool shows the minimum liability limits, any required personal injury protection (PIP), other coverages the state requires and whether it is a no-fault state. You do not need to enter any personal details.

Use the results as a checklist. Put them next to the declarations page (the summary page at the front of your policy that lists your coverages and limits) or next to a new quote. Every number on your policy should be at least as high as the matching number here.

What the results mean

Each result answers a different question:

Result	What it pays for	Who it protects
Bodily injury, per person	Medical bills and other losses for one person you injure	Other people (and your savings)
Bodily injury, per accident	The total for everyone you injure in one crash	Other people (and your savings)
Property damage	Repairs to other cars, fences, buildings and poles	Other people’s property
PIP	Your own and your passengers’ medical bills and some lost wages	You and your passengers
Uninsured motorist (UM/UIM)	Your injuries when an uninsured or underinsured driver is at fault	You and your passengers

A “yes” under no-fault means your own PIP pays first for injuries after a crash, whoever caused it, and lawsuits for pain and suffering are limited unless injuries pass a threshold. Our no-fault vs at-fault states guide explains how this works state by state.

Second example: a choice between two states

State rules that change the answer

A few states work very differently from the usual pattern:

New Hampshire does not require most drivers to buy insurance, as of October 2026. Drivers must still be able to pay for damage they cause.
Florida requires $10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of property damage liability but not bodily injury liability for most drivers (Florida Statutes 627.736 and 324.022, 2025 edition). Our Florida car insurance requirements guide covers the exceptions, such as FR-44 after a DUI.
California raised its minimums to 30/60/15 on January 1, 2025, according to the California DMV.
Some states require uninsured motorist coverage, and others require insurers to offer it so you can turn it down in writing.

Special filings change the numbers too. An SR-22 or FR-44 is a form your insurer files to prove you carry coverage after certain violations, and it can require higher limits than the normal minimum.

Common mistakes

Treating the minimum as a recommendation. It is the least the law accepts. A serious crash can cost more than minimum limits, and you can be responsible for the rest.
Keeping old limits after a move. Your old policy may not meet your new state’s rules.
Forgetting your own car. No state minimum pays to fix or replace your car. That needs collision and comprehensive coverage.
Assuming every quote uses the same limits. Ask for identical limits on each quote, then compare prices with our quote comparison worksheet.
Relying on an old number. Several states changed minimums in 2025 and 2026. Check the as-of date and your state insurance department.

When should you carry more than the minimum?

If you own a home, have savings or earn a steady income, higher limits protect more of what you have. Our liability gap calculator shows what your limits would pay in a sample crash and what could be left for you to pay. For the full state-by-state table and what each coverage does, read our state minimum car insurance guide.

How the lookup works

Behind the menu is a table with one row per state and Washington, DC. Each row holds the bodily injury limits, the property damage limit, any required PIP amount, flags for required uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and a no-fault flag. When you choose a state, the tool reads that row and formats the numbers in dollars. Nothing is estimated or averaged, and no personal data is used or stored.

Each row was checked against the state insurance department, DMV or statute when we last reviewed it, and the as-of date in the results shows that review. When a state passes a law that changes its minimums, we update the row and the date. If you see a difference between this tool and an official state page, trust the state page and let us know at so we can correct it.

Questions to ask before you buy

The minimum tells you what is legal. These questions help you decide what is right for you:

What do I own that a lawsuit could reach? Savings, a home and future wages are all at stake if a crash costs more than your limits.
Would I want help with my own injuries? If your state does not require PIP, ask about medical payments coverage or PIP as an option.
Do many drivers in my area go uninsured? Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when the other driver cannot pay.
How would I replace my car? If you could not afford to replace it out of pocket, ask about collision and comprehensive coverage.
How much more do higher limits cost? Ask for prices at two or three limit levels. The difference is sometimes smaller than people expect, but only real quotes show it.

Write the answers down and use them when you request quotes, so every insurer prices the same coverage.

Limits of this tool

Questions readers ask

What do the three numbers in a state minimum mean?

They are your liability limits in thousands of dollars. In 25/50/25, the policy pays up to $25,000 for each injured person, $50,000 total for all injuries in one accident and $25,000 for property damage. Anything above those limits can become your responsibility. The first two numbers cover people; the last covers cars and property.

Which state does not require car insurance?

New Hampshire does not require most drivers to buy car insurance, as of October 2026. Drivers there must still be able to pay for damage they cause. After certain crashes or violations, the state can require proof of insurance. If you buy a policy there, it must meet state rules.

Why does Florida show no bodily injury requirement?

Florida requires $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability, but not bodily injury liability for most drivers, under Florida Statutes 627.736 and 324.022 (2025 edition). Bodily injury liability can be required after some crashes or a DUI. Many drivers buy it anyway because it protects them if they injure someone.

What does no-fault mean in the results?

In a no-fault state, your own PIP coverage pays your medical bills after a crash up to its limit, no matter who caused it. Your right to sue the other driver for pain and suffering is limited unless injuries pass a set threshold. A 'yes' here also includes choice no-fault states, where you can pick a tort option.

Is the state minimum enough coverage?

It is the legal floor, not a recommendation. Medical bills and car repairs after a serious crash can be much higher than minimum limits, and you can be held responsible for the difference. The Insurance Information Institute recommends carrying more than the state minimum, enough to protect assets such as your home and savings.

Does the state minimum cover damage to my own car?

No. Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. To cover your own car, you need collision coverage (crashes) and comprehensive coverage (theft, hail, fire and similar). A lender or leasing company usually requires both.

Which state's minimum applies if I move?

Generally the state where your car is registered and kept. When you move, you usually need to register the car and update your policy to meet your new state's rules within a set time. Check your new state's DMV for the deadline.

How often are these limits checked?

The as-of date shows our last review. We review the table at least every 12 months and sooner when a state changes a law. Several states raised their minimums in 2025 and 2026, so confirm with your state insurance department before you rely on a number.

Sources

Background on: Compulsory auto/uninsured motorists, Insurance Information Institute (as of Accessed October 2026)
Insurance Requirements, California Department of Motor Vehicles (as of Accessed October 2026)
Auto insurance guide, Texas Department of Insurance (as of Accessed October 2026)
Florida Statutes 627.736: Required personal injury protection benefits, The Florida Senate (as of 2025 Florida Statutes)
Florida Statutes 324.022: Financial responsibility for property damage, The Florida Senate (as of 2025 Florida Statutes)
Background on: No-fault auto insurance, Insurance Information Institute (as of Accessed October 2026)

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