The Bay State has some of the most progressive car insurance laws in the U.S.
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Massachusetts is known for many things: excellent clam chowder, beautiful beaches, and charming historical towns. Perhaps less famously, the state also has some of the most progressive car insurance laws in the country. In this article, we’ll explain the minimum coverage in the state, its no-fault laws, and other rules and regulations you need to know before you buy auto insurance in Massachusetts.
Whether you’re buying auto insurance for the first time or switching providers, it’s a good idea to brush up on the auto insurance laws in Massachusetts.
These are the minimum auto insurance coverage requirements in Massachusetts:
While these are minimum requirements, we recommend getting collision coverage and comprehensive coverage as well. We’ll explain these supplemental coverages below.
If you get caught driving without insurance in Massachusetts, you could face these penalties:
Massachusetts is a no-fault state, meaning if a car accident is your fault, you won’t have to pay for the other party’s medical costs, only their property damages. Each person will file medical claims related to the accident with their own insurer.
If you have bad credit or are male, you’ll be pleased to learn of Massachusetts’ forgiving auto insurance laws, which are not the norm in many other states.
Believe it or not, in 43 states, men pay more for auto insurance,4 as they have higher fatality rates and DUIs than women.
While Massachusetts has significant minimum coverage requirements, you can also add on supplemental coverage. We recommend collision and comprehensive coverage as a bare minimum for full coverage. These are all of the coverage options available.
If you leased your car, gap insurance is typically rolled into your lease payments.
To decide which auto coverage to get, read our article on how much car insurance you need.
Looking for cheap car insurance in Massachusetts? You’re facing an uphill battle. Massachusetts has the 16th highest average insurance rates in the country, with an average of $1,170 annually in 2020, the last year for which federal data is available. That’s 12 percent higher than the rest of the U.S. on average.
Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average yearly expenditure on car insurance, Massachusetts | $1,036 | $1,059 | $1,097 | $1,137 | $1,167 | $1,183 | $1,170 |
Average yearly expenditure on car insurance, U.S. | $869 | $897 | $945 | $1,006 | $1,057 | $1,070 | $1,047 |
Car insurance costs in the Bay State are only getting higher. From 2014 to 2020, average annual costs increased by 13 percent — but this was slower than the rest of the country, in which rates increased by 20 percent. Learn how to lower car insurance rates.
Many factors affect car insurance costs in Massachusetts, barring credit scores and sex.
Before you obtain physical damage coverage in Massachusetts, you’ll need to get your car inspected, unless your car is new and you purchased it from a franchised dealership. Even in that case, though, you’ll need to obtain one of the following:
If you don’t qualify to waive your inspection, you can get it done at CARCO, one of the country’s largest pre-insurance inspection providers. Here’s how it works:
The inspection is free and should take about 15 minutes. Then, you’ll be well on your way to satisfying Massachusetts’ minimum requirements for physical damage coverage.
Texting and driving, like all cell phone use while driving, is very dangerous, which is why all drivers in Massachusetts can only use hands-free devices while driving. That means no texting or calling on handheld devices while driving, no matter how old you are. These laws are under primary enforcement, meaning that even if you’re not performing any other illegal activity, the police can stop you for using handheld devices while driving.
For breaking handheld device laws while driving, you’ll receive two points on your driving record per violation. For the second offense, you’ll be required to complete a distracted driving program, and for the third offense, you’ll get a surcharge on your insurance. There are also fines: $100 for the first offense, $250 for the second offense, and $500 for all subsequent offenses.
Not only is texting and driving dangerous, but it can also lead to higher auto insurance rates if you get into an accident. Whenever you’re driving, texting can wait.
If you want to know more about driving in Massachusetts, read our state driving statistics. If you’re ready to buy auto insurance, read about the best auto insurance available.
Understanding Auto Insurance. Mass.gov. (2022).
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/understanding-auto-insurance
Section 34J. The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2022).
https://malegislature.gov/laws/generallaws/parti/titlexiv/chapter90/section34j
Car Accidents: Statutes of Limitations. Enjuris. (2022).
https://www.enjuris.com/car-accident/statutes-of-limitations.html
Women pay more on average than men for car insurance, despite getting into fewer accidents, study finds. CNBC Make It. (2021, Apr 19).
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/19/women-pay-more-than-men-for-car-insurance-in-21-states-study-finds.html
2019/2020 Auto Insurance Database Report. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2023, Jan).
https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-aut-pb-auto-insurance-database.pdf
Get Your Car Inspected: Find an Inspection Site. CARCO Group. (2022).
https://www.carcogroup.com/policyholder-resources/inspection-site-locator