Guide to Auto Insurance in Maryland

Maryland requires you to have more than just liability insurance. To be properly insured, you must have the following.

• Bodily injury liability: Minimum coverage of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident. Bodily injury liability covers injuries or deaths of other parties caused by you or someone else on your policy driving your car.
• Property damage liability: Minimum coverage of $15,000. Property damage liability covers damage to third parties’ vehicles or property caused by you or someone else on your policy driving your car.
• Uninsured motorist property damage liability: Minimum coverage of $15,000. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage helps pay for damage to your vehicle if the at-fault driver has insufficient or no liability coverage. It also covers hit-and-runs.
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury liability: Minimum coverage of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident. Uninsured motorist bodily injury liability covers the medical expenses of third parties injured in an accident by you or someone else on your policy driving your car.
• Medical payments coverage: Minimum coverage of $2,500. Medical payments coverage covers your medical costs in at-fault accidents, including funeral costs, physical or occupational therapy, and other medical expenses that may result from an accident.

What Happens if You Don’t Have Insurance?

If you are caught driving without insurance, you’ll face a fine of $200 for the first 30 days and $7 for each additional day. Your registration will be suspended and cost $25 to restore.¹

The average cost of insurance In Maryland is $1,811 annually for full coverage, which is 6 percent lower than the national average of $1,924. The average minimum coverage policy is $772, which is 41 percent higher than the national average. Rates are typically higher for young drivers, those with full-coverage car insurance, or those with driving violations like a DUI.

If you are looking for insurance options in Maryland, check out these providers:

• Amica
• Allstate
• Direct Auto
• Farmers
• GEICO
• Erie
• Homesite
• National General
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm
• The General
• USAA

While minimum coverage is all you need to drive legally, we recommend higher limits to ensure  coverage in at-fault accidents.

Liability Coverage

Minimum liability coverage is often not enough to protect you. We recommend limits of at least 100/300/100 in bodily injury and property damage liability.

Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage is only required if you take out a loan or lease. It covers non-collision damage such as weather damage, earthquake damage, landslide damage, or theft.

The limit for comprehensive coverage is the actual market value of your car, which is its worth now, not what you paid for it. You can find the actual market value of your car by going to a car pricing website, such as Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds, and plugging in your model, make, year, and mileage. Keep in mind that your car will have depreciated in price from the wear and tear of driving.

Collision Coverage

Similar to comprehensive coverage, collision coverage  is not required unless you have a lease or loan. It covers repairing or replacing your vehicle in the case of an at-fault collision whether it’s with another vehicle or a stationary object. The limit for collision coverage is the actual market value of your car.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Even though driving without insurance in Maryland is illegal, some still do. In order to protect yourself financially if you get hit by an uninsured motorist, we recommend getting coverage that matches your bodily injury liability limits.

Medical Payments Coverage

Consider your financial situation and health insurance when looking into medical payments coverage. If you do not have health insurance or have a high deductible on your health insurance, we recommend purchasing coverage.² MedPay limits typically range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Two factors that commonly drive up auto insurance premiums are accidents and traffic violations. Obey the speed limit and make smart decisions while driving. These are some other avenues to lower premiums in Maryland:

1. Take advantage of discounts your auto insurance provider offers. Many companies offer discounts for being a loyal customer, a good driver, a good student, or taking a defensive driving course.
2. Raise your deductible. The higher your deductible, the lower your premium. Make sure you can afford the higher deductible in the event of an accident.
3. Drop unnecessary coverages, like comprehensive coverage for an old, paid-off car.
4. As a last resort, lower your liability limits.

Maryland accepts both paper and digital forms of insurance. If you want to keep your auto insurance digital, you can use your insurer’s mobile app or download a digital version of your auto ID card.

Consequences for not providing proof of insurance include:

• Fines: $200 fine, increasing by $7 daily if you don’t pay it after the 30th day.
• Suspension: Registration suspended until you provide proof of insurance.

Maryland is an at-fault state, meaning that the at-fault party pays for both property damage and bodily injury. If it is a partial fault between two parties, you can split the costs by fault.

Under Maryland’s contributory negligence law, which states that if the plaintiff acted negligently in any way, they cannot recover compensation for the accident.

Uninsured Motorists

An estimated 15.1 percent of drivers in Maryland, or 649,300 people, drive uninsured.³ In some states, if you have more than one car on a policy, you can stack uninsured and underinsured bodily injury coverage. Stacking is when you combine coverage limits for multiple vehicles. Maryland does not allow stacking.

DUI Laws

Driving under the influence is a dangerous violation. In Maryland, a DUI stays on your record for 10 years.

For your first offense, your license is suspended for up to six months. Interlocks are applied and required for one to three years. If your blood alcohol concentration is higher than 0.08 percent, interlocks are required for a minimum of two years.

Seat Belt Laws

Maryland’s seat belt law is under primary enforcement for those driving and in the passenger seat. Law enforcement can write you a citation for not wearing your seat belt regardless of whether you committed any other traffic violations.

While a seat belt is still required in the rear seats, this law is subject to secondary enforcement, meaning that law enforcement can only cite it if there are other violations.⁴

Distracted Driving Laws

In Maryland, handheld devices are banned for all drivers, and cell phone usage is banned for drivers under 18. Texting while driving is illegal and under primary enforcement.

If you get caught texting and driving without causing a collision, there is a fine of up to $75 for your first offense, or up to $125 for a second offense. If your collision results from texting while driving, you are subject to points on your license.⁵

Teen Driver Laws

Before receiving a provisional license, new drivers must pass the Maryland driver skills test. With their provisional licenses, new drivers learn driving skills without supervision, but with a handful of restrictions.

New drivers must abide by these restrictions for the first 18 months of having their provisional licenses:

• If the new driver is under the age of 18, they are not allowed to drive with passengers who are also under 18, except for driving immediate family members or if a driving supervisor over the age of 21 is present. This restriction is in place for the first 151 days.
• New drivers are not allowed to drive between midnight and 5 a.m. Exceptions to this law include driving to and from a job, an official school activity, an organized volunteer program, or participating in an athletic event or related training session. If a new driver drives under the supervision of someone who has three years of experience and is older than 21, they are exempt from this restriction.
• Wireless devices, including hands-free devices, are not allowed.
• All passengers and the driver must wear their seat belts at all times.

To register your car, obtain a copy of your title, or contact Maryland’s insurance department, use the following resources:

Maryland Car Registration Information

After you obtain insurance, you will need to register your car. To register in Maryland, call or visit your local DMV.

1. Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration call center: 410-768-7000.
2. Visit the nearest office to show your documents, including your insurance card, a primary document such as a bill of sale, and a federal odometer statement.
3. Mail the documents to:

Motor Vehicle Administration
Title File Unit
6601 Ritchie Highway N.E.
Glen Burnie, MD 21062

How to Get a Copy of Your Car Title in Maryland

You can get a copy of your car’s title if you need it to prove ownership a few different ways:

1. Apply online on MVA’s website.
2. Use a kiosk in one of MVA’s offices.
3. Complete a duplicate certificate of title form and visit an authorized tag and title service location or make an appointment at an MVA office.

Note there is a $20 fee.

If you get in an accident and need repairs, Maryland’s average labor and parts costs are 4 percent higher than the national average of $383.37.

• Parts and labor: $399.33
• Labor: $145.76
• Parts: $253.57

The higher the crime rates, the higher the insurance rates. Insurance companies calculate risk when deciding your premium.

In 2023, the motor vehicle theft rate per 100,000 Maryland inhabitants was 428. Maryland’s average motor vehicle theft rate is 42 percent lower than the national average.

Traffic Fatalities

Maryland had 621 traffic fatalities in 2023.

Driving and car ownership in Maryland requires proper insurance and adherence to state laws. Laws differ by state, always stay informed about your coverage options, legal requirements, and safe driving practices to protect yourself and others on the road. If you’re looking for coverage, check out our review of the best insurance companies in Maryland.