50-State Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements (2026)
Every US state except New Hampshire requires you to carry liability insurance to legally drive. The specific required amounts vary widely — from California's 15/30/5 (the lowest) to Maine's 50/100/25. "Minimum" in every case means the legal floor, not adequate coverage. Below is the full 50-state table, plus what PIP, UM/UIM, and FR-44 mean for your state's rules.
How to read the numbers
State minimums are usually shown as three numbers, e.g., 25/50/25:
- First number = bodily injury liability per person (thousands of dollars)
- Second number = bodily injury liability per accident (thousands)
- Third number = property damage liability per accident (thousands)
50-state minimum liability table
| State | Liability min | Additional req. |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 25/50/25 | — |
| Alaska | 50/100/25 | — |
| Arizona | 25/50/15 | UM/UIM offered |
| Arkansas | 25/50/25 | PIP (optional reject) |
| California | 15/30/5 | UM offered; no credit rating |
| Colorado | 25/50/15 | — |
| Connecticut | 25/50/25 | UM required |
| Delaware | 25/50/10 | PIP $15k required |
| DC | 25/50/10 | UM required |
| Florida | 10/20/10 | PIP $10k required; no BI min except PIP & PD |
| Georgia | 25/50/25 | — |
| Hawaii | 20/40/10 | PIP required; no credit rating |
| Idaho | 25/50/15 | — |
| Illinois | 25/50/20 | UM/UIM required |
| Indiana | 25/50/25 | — |
| Iowa | 20/40/15 | — |
| Kansas | 25/50/25 | PIP required; no-fault state |
| Kentucky | 25/50/25 | PIP required; no-fault (choice) |
| Louisiana | 15/30/25 | — |
| Maine | 50/100/25 | UM required; medical payments $2k |
| Maryland | 30/60/15 | UM/UIM required; PIP (rejectable) |
| Massachusetts | 20/40/5 | PIP $8k; UM required; no credit rating |
| Michigan | 50/100/10 | PIP (levels choosable); no credit rating |
| Minnesota | 30/60/10 | PIP $40k required |
| Mississippi | 25/50/25 | — |
| Missouri | 25/50/25 | UM required |
| Montana | 25/50/20 | — |
| Nebraska | 25/50/25 | UM/UIM required |
| Nevada | 25/50/20 | — |
| New Hampshire | Not required* | *Self-insure if you can demonstrate FR |
| New Jersey | 15/30/5 basic / 25/50/25 standard | PIP required; no-fault (choice) |
| New Mexico | 25/50/10 | — |
| New York | 25/50/10 | PIP $50k; UM required; no-fault |
| North Carolina | 30/60/25 | UM/UIM required |
| North Dakota | 25/50/25 | PIP $30k; UM required; no-fault |
| Ohio | 25/50/25 | — |
| Oklahoma | 25/50/25 | — |
| Oregon | 25/50/20 | PIP $15k; UM required |
| Pennsylvania | 15/30/5 | PIP $5k; UM offered; no-fault (choice) |
| Rhode Island | 25/50/25 | — |
| South Carolina | 25/50/25 | UM required |
| South Dakota | 25/50/25 | UM/UIM required |
| Tennessee | 25/50/25 | — |
| Texas | 30/60/25 | PIP offered (rejectable); UM offered |
| Utah | 25/65/15 | PIP $3k; no-fault |
| Vermont | 25/50/10 | UM required |
| Virginia | 30/60/20 (FR-44 for DUI 50/100/40) | UM/UIM required |
| Washington | 25/50/10 | — |
| West Virginia | 25/50/25 | UM required |
| Wisconsin | 25/50/10 | UM required; medical pay offered |
| Wyoming | 25/50/20 | — |
Verified against state Department of Insurance publications, Q1 2026. Rules change — verify with your state DOI before acting.
Our recommendation
Carry more than the minimum. A reasonable baseline for a driver who owns assets:
- Liability: 100/300/100 (protects a home and typical savings)
- UM/UIM: 100/300 matching liability
- Collision: $500 or $1,000 deductible (on cars worth 10x the deductible)
- Comprehensive: $500 or $1,000 deductible
- PIP / MedPay: state-required + $5,000 for medical
- Umbrella (if you own a home or have $250k+ in savings): $1M umbrella over the auto liability
State minimum questions
Each state sets a minimum amount of liability insurance you must carry to legally drive. Liability covers injuries and property damage you cause to others — not damage to your own vehicle. Minimums are usually written as three numbers (e.g., 25/50/25): bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage.
Almost never. State minimum is the legal floor, not adequate protection. Total an $80,000 SUV in California (25/50/15 minimums) and you're personally liable for $65,000 in damages. For anyone who owns a home or has savings, carrying 100/300/100 is a baseline; 250/500/100 is prudent; umbrella policies cover above that.
Florida (10/20 + $10k PIP, no property damage), New Jersey (15/30/5), California (15/30/5), Louisiana (15/30/25), Pennsylvania (15/30/5). Low minimums often correlate with high overall premiums because of high uninsured rates and litigation.
Alaska (50/100/25), Maine (50/100/25), Virginia (50/100/25 for FR-44). Some states also require PIP (personal injury protection, no-fault) coverage on top of liability — Florida, New York, Michigan, and others.
Penalties vary by state but typically include: $150–$5,000 fines, license suspension, registration suspension, SR-22 filing requirement for 3+ years, and in some states the vehicle can be impounded. If you cause an accident while uninsured, you're personally liable for all damages and may have your wages garnished for years.
About 13% of US drivers are uninsured nationally (III, 2024), higher in some states (30%+ in Mississippi, Michigan, Tennessee). Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage (UM/UIM) fills the gap. UM/UIM is required in about 20 states and strongly recommended everywhere else. Typically costs $50–$150/year for $100,000 in coverage.
Yes. US auto liability policies automatically include the minimum coverage of any state you drive in — your 25/50/25 California policy covers at the higher Maine minimum if you drive there. You don't need to update your policy when traveling interstate.
PIP covers your own medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. Required in no-fault states (FL, HI, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NY, ND, PA, UT). Typical minimum: $10,000. Michigan is unique in having had unlimited PIP, though rules changed in 2019.
In no-fault states (12 states), your own insurance covers your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the accident. You can only sue the at-fault driver for serious injuries or bills above a threshold. In at-fault states, the at-fault driver's insurance pays everyone's medical bills. Each model has tradeoffs; no-fault was intended to speed settlements, though critics argue it doesn't achieve that.
Occasionally. States raise minimums every 10–20 years on average. Recent increases: Virginia (2022), Utah (2021), Idaho (2020). When your state raises the minimum, you typically have 6–12 months to update coverage.