State laws don’t just dictate whether you need to have car insurance, they also set minimum standards that all policies sold in the state must meet. These standards include legal requirements for the types and amounts of coverage that must come with every policy.

The requirements for your state are the minimum amount of coverage that you can buy. However, buying a minimum policy may not be such a good idea. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners warns that they “are usually not enough to fully protect you and your assets.” If you’re thinking of buying a minimum policy, keep in mind that if accident-related damages go above the limits, you may have to pay any remaining costs yourself.

The following table lists the minimum limits for the coverage types required in each state. To learn about what different types of coverage pay for, visit our coverage page.

Table notes:

  • All amounts in the table are in thousands. So if the minimum medical payments limit is listed as “5” drivers in that state must have $5,000 worth of coverage.
  • Slashes (/) separate the per-person limit and the per-accident limit. So if bodily injury limits are listed as “25/50,” the “25” means there will be up to $25,000 in coverage for each injured person; the “50” means there will be up to $50,000 in coverage total for all injuries per accident.
  • If the amount is marked with an asterisk (*), it means that the coverage is automatically included in every policy sold in the state but can be rejected by the buyer in writing.
State Bodily Injury Liability Property Damage Liability Personal Injury Protestion Medical Payments Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Uninsured Motorist Property Damage
Alabama 25/50 25
Alaska 50/100 25
Arizona 15/30 10
Arkansas 25/50 25
California 15/30 5
Colorado 25/50 15 5*
Connecticut 20/40 10 20/40
Delaware 15/30 10 15/30
Florida 10/20 10 10
Georgia 25/50 25 25/50*
Hawaii 20/40 10 10
Idaho 25/50 15 25/50*
Illinois 20/40 15 20/40
Indiana 25/50 10 25/50* 10*
Iowa 20/40 15
Kansas 25/50 10 9 25/50
Kentucky 25/50 10 10*
Louisiana 15/30 25
Maine 50/100 25 2 50/100
Maryland 30/60 15 2.5* 30/60 15
Massachusetts 20/40 5 8 30/60
Michigan 20/40 10 ∞2
Minnesota 30/60 10 40 25/50
Mississippi 25/50 25
Missouri 25/50 10 25/50
Montana 25/50 10
Nebraska 25/50 25
Nevada 15/30 10
New Hampshire 25/50 25 1 25/50
New Jersey none 5 15
New Mexico 25/50 10 25/50*
New York 25/50 10 50 25/50
North Carolina 30/60 25 30/60
North Dakota 25/50 25 30 25/50
Ohio 25/50 25
Oklahoma 25/50 25
Oregon 25/50 20 15 25/50
Pennsylvania 15/30 15 5^3
Rhode Island 25/50 25 25/50*
South Carolina 25/50 25 25/50 25
South Dakota 25/50 25 25/50
Tennessee 25/50 15
Texas 30/60 25 30/60*
Utah 25/65 15 3
Vermont 25/50 10 50/100 10
Virginia 25/50 20 25/50 20
Washington 25/50 10 10*
Washington D.C. 25/50 10 25/50 10
West Virginia 20/40 10 20/40 10
Wisconsin 25/50 10 25/50
Wyoming 25/50 20 25/50*

*Policies automatically come with this coverage, but it can be rejected in writing.
1. May also included underinsured motorist coverage.
2. All Michigan policies come with unlimited PIP coverage.
3. Pennsylvania no-fault coverage is called "Medical Benefits," but it works basically the same as PIP.

Did You Know?

High liability requirements

Maine and Alaska have the highest minimum liability limits in the country. Both states require $100,000 in bodily injury liability per accident and $25,000 in property damage liability per accident.