How much car insurance do I need?

Key points

• How much car insurance you need depends, in part, on where you live. Most states require drivers to have liability car insurance, but the minimum amount required varies. 
• Depending on your state, you may also be required to carry uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection.
• If you lease or finance your car, you will likely be required to carry collision and comprehensive auto insurance. 
• Purchasing only the minimum state-required car insurance required may not provide you with adequate coverage.

Nearly all states require you to carry some car insurance to drive legally. Most states require you to purchase a minimum amount of liability insurance and some require additional car insurance coverage, like personal injury protection (PIP). 

It’s a good idea to purchase more than the car insurance minimum requirements in your state, to protect yourself financially. 

Car insurance requirements by state

States have varying minimum car insurance coverage requirements that you have to meet to legally drive on public roads. This is the least amount of insurance you need to buy, though it’s important to note that state minimums are low and won’t provide any coverage for your own car’s repair bills.

Liability car insurance — which includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability — pays for others’ medical and property damage repair bills, as well as your legal bills if you are sued because of an accident, up to the limits in your policy.

Minimum car insurance requirements by state

Which states don’t require car insurance?

New Hampshire and Virginia don’t require car insurance. However, both these states have requirements if you choose to forgo car insurance.

• New Hampshire: Drivers need to meet the minimum financial responsibility requirements imposed by the state. Or, if you’re found at fault for certain driving violations, you may be required to purchase car insurance.
• Virginia: Drivers need to pay a $500 uninsured motorist fee to opt out of purchasing liability insurance. 
• South Carolina: You are legally allowed to drive without car insurance if you meet certain qualifications and pay $600 to register an uninsured vehicle.

What types of car insurance do I need?

There are several car insurance coverage types to choose from. With a basic understanding of the main types of car insurance, you can put together a policy that fits your specific insurance needs.

Do I need liability insurance?

Yes, every state except Virginia and New Hampshire requires you to have liability car insurance. If you’re at fault for a car accident, liability insurance covers the cost of medical expenses for injuries and repairs to damaged property of the other parties involved in the accident. It also covers your legal defense and any settlements or judgments if you’re sued as a result of the accident.

Liability insurance is broken down into coverage limits for the following:

• Bodily injuries per person.
• Bodily injuries per accident.
• Property damage per accident.

Each state has its own minimum requirements. For example, drivers who live in Florida will need to purchase at a minimum the following amount of liability insurance:

• $10,000 in bodily injuries per person.
• $20,000 in bodily injuries per accident.
• $10,000 in property damage per accident.

In your car insurance policy, this coverage will be listed as 10/20/10 to represent the respective coverage amounts.

Keep in mind that your state’s minimum liability insurance requirements may not be enough if you’re in a serious accident. If you’re responsible for an expensive car accident and can’t pay the other party’s medical or property damage expenses, your wages and assets could be seized to cover the costs. 

Consider purchasing enough liability insurance to protect the total value of your assets in the event of an expensive accident. 

Do I need personal injury protection (PIP)?

Personal injury protection, or PIP, is required in several states. PIP provides coverage if you or your passengers are injured in an accident, no matter who is at fault. Many states require PIP as part of their “no fault auto insurance” laws, which limit your ability to sue for car crash injuries.

PIP only covers you and your passengers, not the other driver or their passengers involved in the accident. Expenses provided include medical bills, lost wages, funeral expenses, survivor benefits and rehabilitation costs. It may cover costs related to services you may need if your injuries prevent you from doing certain tasks, like cleaning and cooking. 

Even if you’re not required to buy PIP, it can be a good addition to your car insurance policy if it’s available where you live. 

Do I need uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage?

Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is required in some states and optional in others. 

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pay for damage to your car and injuries to you or a passenger when someone causes an accident and doesn’t have enough car insurance to cover the damages. This coverage can also cover the cost of your medical bills or car repair bills following a hit-and-run accident. 

You usually need to buy uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in amounts that match your liability insurance. If you have 25/50/25, for instance, you’ll need to buy the same amount of UM coverage.

Do I need medical payments (MedPay)?

Only Maine and New Hampshire require medical payments coverage, or MedPay, but you may be able to add it to your car insurance policy depending on where you live. 

MedPay is similar to PIP because it pays your medical expenses regardless of who is at fault for an accident. But it offers much lower coverage amounts — usually $1,000 to $5,000. 

MedPay can also pay for medical expenses if you’re struck by a car while crossing the street or if you’re a passenger in a vehicle that is involved in an accident. However, unlike PIP, MedPay only covers the cost of medical expenses for you and your passengers — not lost wages or replacement services. 

Additional car insurance coverage

Collision and comprehensive auto insurance are not required by any state, but if you have a loan or lease on your car your lender will likely require both types of coverage. 

While these coverages are optional (if not required by your lender), nearly four out of five drivers buy both comprehensive and collision insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Here’s how these two types of insurance work.

• Collision coverage: Covers the cost of repairing your car if you get into a collision with another object, like a mailbox, fence or guard rail. Collision coverage can also pay to repair your car if it’s damaged by a pothole. 
• Comprehensive coverage: Covers the cost of repairing your car if it is damaged by something other than a collision, like falling objects such as hail or trees, animal damage, fire and car theft.  

How to buy car insurance

While you can certainly purchase the minimum state-required amount of car insurance, you’ll likely need more than that minimum amount to cover the full cost of a serious accident.

Here are some things to consider when deciding how much auto insurance you need.

• How much can I afford to pay out of pocket? If you don’t have enough car insurance, you’ll have to cover repair bills and medical expenses after a car accident, for yourself and possibly others. 
• What is the total value of my assets? If you’re responsible for an accident, you’ll be on the hook for paying the other party’s medical fees, repair bills and potentially lost wages if they can’t work. If you don’t have the money or enough liability insurance to cover these costs, the court could come after your assets to settle the debt. 
• Where do I keep my car? Consider purchasing extra coverage, like collision and comprehensive insurance, to protect your car against weather and theft risk.
• Do I have a loan on my car? Most lenders require you to have more than the state minimum car insurance requirements on a financed car.  

How much car insurance do I need FAQs