Which US state has the highest minimum auto insurance requirements?

Maine has among the highest minimum requirements: 50/100/25 plus $2,000 medical payments coverage and 50/100 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage required. North Carolina also requires 50/100/50 — the highest property damage minimum. Most states require only 25/50/25 or 25/50/20.

Which US state doesn't require auto insurance?

New Hampshire is the only US state that does not require drivers to carry auto insurance. Instead, it has a financial responsibility law: drivers must be able to pay for damages they cause. In practice, almost all NH drivers carry insurance because the financial responsibility liability can be ruinous if uninsured.

What are no-fault states?

In no-fault states, your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays your medical bills regardless of who caused the accident. The 12 traditional no-fault states are Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Kentucky, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are 'choice no-fault' — drivers can opt out.

Which states ban credit-based insurance pricing?

California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey prohibit insurers from using credit scores to set auto insurance premiums. In every other state, your credit-based insurance score is a major rating factor — bad credit can raise premiums by 50% or more compared to excellent credit.

What 2026 changes hit state auto insurance laws?

Three major 2026 changes: (1) Hawaii doubled its minimum coverage from 20/40/10 to 40/80/20 effective January 1, 2026; (2) California SB 371 cut Uber/Lyft Period-3 UM/UIM from $1M to $60K/$300K effective January 1, 2026; (3) Florida is repealing its no-fault PIP system effective July 2026, replacing it with mandatory 25/50 bodily injury liability.

Are state minimums actually enough coverage?

For most drivers, no. The cheapest state minimums (25/50/25) cover only $25,000 per injured person and $25,000 in property damage — barely enough for a single broken arm or a moderate fender-bender. Most personal-finance experts and insurance professionals recommend at least 100/300/100 to protect personal assets from a lawsuit. State minimums exist as the legal floor, not the recommended ceiling.

Why are some states so much cheaper than others?

Three big drivers: (1) population density — rural states have fewer accidents per mile; (2) uninsured-driver rate — high-uninsured states force everyone's premiums up because UM/UIM claims are more frequent; (3) litigation environment — states with permissive tort laws (Louisiana, Florida, Michigan historically) see far higher claims costs. The cheapest 10 states are mostly low-density Midwest/New England (Maine, Vermont, Idaho, Iowa, Wisconsin); the most expensive are typically Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Nevada, and Rhode Island.

Auto Insurance Minimum Requirements by State (2026)

Verified May 2026 minimum coverage limits for all 50 US states. Plus 2026 changes (Hawaii doubled, Florida July PIP repeal, California SB 371) and the 5 states that ban credit-based pricing.

Updated May 1, 2026·What changed: Reflects Hawaii's January 2026 minimum-coverage doubling (20/40/10 → 40/80/20), California's SB 371 rideshare UM/UIM reduction, and the Florida PIP repeal scheduled July 2026. All 50 states verified against state DOI sites + 2026 carrier analyses.

Verified by the WalletGrower Editorial Team — current as of April 2026. We update rates, bonuses, fees, and product details regularly against each provider's published disclosures. Vendors can change offers between our update cycles, so we always recommend confirming the current published rate or bonus on the provider's site before signing up or applying.

Quick Answer

Highest minimums: Maine (50/100/25 + $2K MedPay + 50/100 UM/UIM) and North Carolina (50/100/50) — the highest property-damage requirement in the US.
Only state with no insurance requirement: New Hampshire (financial responsibility law instead).
States that ban credit-based pricing: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey.
2026 changes: Hawaii minimums doubled Jan 1; California SB 371 cut rideshare UM/UIM 94%; Florida no-fault PIP repealed July 2026 (new 25/50 BIL minimums).
Cheapest states (full coverage avg): Maine, Vermont, Idaho, Iowa, Wisconsin all 28–51% below national.
Most expensive: Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Nevada, Rhode Island.

How to Read State Minimums

State minimum auto insurance requirements are written as three numbers (e.g., "25/50/25"):

Bodily injury per person. Maximum the insurer will pay for one injured person ($25,000).

Bodily injury per accident. Maximum total payout for all injuries in one accident ($50,000).

Property damage per accident.Maximum the insurer will pay to repair others' vehicles or property ($25,000).

Some states also require Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM), or MedPay. Each state's row in the table below lists its full requirement.

10 Cheapest States (Full Coverage)

1. Maine$1,141/yr
2. New Hampshire$1,320/yr
3. Vermont$1,356/yr
4. Idaho$1,404/yr
5. North Dakota$1,641/yr
6. Hawaii$1,653/yr
7. Iowa$1,659/yr
8. Indiana$1,709/yr
9. Montana$1,731/yr
10. Utah$1,741/yr

10 Most Expensive States (Full Coverage)

1. Louisiana$4,135/yr
2. Nevada$3,568/yr
3. New Jersey$3,510/yr
4. Michigan$3,204/yr
5. California$3,119/yr
6. Florida$3,000/yr
7. New York$3,000/yr
8. Georgia$2,909/yr
9. Colorado$2,649/yr
10. Arizona$2,644/yr

All 50 States: Minimum Coverage + Average Cost

Click any state for the full guide (cheapest carriers, state quirks, sources). All data verified May 2026 against state DOI sites and 2026 carrier rate analyses.

State	Minimum (BI/BI/PD + extras)	Avg full cov/yr	Avg min cov/yr	Note
Alabama(AL)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$1,980	$600	Fault-based state
Alaska(AK)	50/100/25 — $50K BI per person, $100K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$1,872	$564	High BI minimums (50/100) — among highest in US
Arizona(AZ)	25/50/15 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $15K property damage	$2,644	$849	Allows credit-based insurance pricing
Arkansas(AR)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$2,102	$564	Allows credit-based insurance pricing
California(CA)	30/60/15 — $30K BI per person, $60K BI per accident, $15K property damage	$3,119	$916	BANS credit-based insurance pricing (one of 5 states — also HI, MA, MI, NJ)
Colorado(CO)	25/50/15 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $15K property damage	$2,649	$854	Fault-based state
Connecticut(CT)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM 25/50 — uninsured motorist coverage required	$2,102	$1,071	Fault-based state
Delaware(DE)	25/50/10 + $15K PIP — no-fault state	$2,208	$864	No-fault state with $15K mandatory PIP
Florida(FL)	$10K PIP + $10K PDL (no-fault, through June 30, 2026) — bodily-injury liability NOT currently required by state law	$3,000	$1,529	⚠️ MAJOR CHANGE: Effective July 1, 2026, Florida abandons no-fault PIP and adopts standard liability. New minimums: 25/50 bodily injury + $5,000 MedPay. Drivers may save ~$349/yr on average under the new system.
Georgia(GA)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$2,909	$1,046	Allows credit-based insurance pricing
Hawaii(HI)	40/80/20 + $10K PIP — minimums DOUBLED Jan 1, 2026 (was 20/40/10)	$1,653	$525	BANS credit-based insurance pricing (one of 5 states — also CA, MA, MI, NJ)
Idaho(ID)	25/50/15 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $15K property damage	$1,404	$396	Among the cheapest auto-insurance states in the US — full coverage 39% below national average
Illinois(IL)	25/50/20 + UM/UIM — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $20K property damage, plus mandatory uninsured motorist coverage	$2,376	$667	UM/UIM coverage is mandatory (not optional like in many states)
Indiana(IN)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM (rejectable) — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$1,709	$446	UM/UIM coverage is required by default but can be rejected in writing
Iowa(IA)	20/40/15 — $20K BI per person, $40K BI per accident, $15K property damage	$1,659	$421	Among the cheapest auto-insurance states in the US — full coverage 28% below national average
Kansas(KS)	25/50/25 + $4.5K PIP + UM/UIM 25/50 — no-fault state	$2,014	$600	No-fault state with mandatory $4.5K PIP
Kentucky(KY)	25/50/25 + $10K PIP — choice no-fault state (PIP can be rejected in writing)	$2,196	$912	'Choice' no-fault state — PIP required by default but can be rejected in writing
Louisiana(LA)	15/30/25 — $15K BI per person, $30K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$4,135	$1,901	AMONG THE MOST EXPENSIVE auto-insurance states in the US — full coverage avg $4,135/yr
Maine(ME)	50/100/25 + $2K MedPay + UM/UIM 50/100 — among highest BI minimums in US	$1,141	$360	Among the cheapest auto-insurance states in the US — full coverage 51% below national average
Maryland(MD)	30/60/15 + UM/UIM — $30K BI per person, $60K BI per accident, $15K property damage	$1,800	$1,032	Fault-based state
Massachusetts(MA)	25/50/30 + UM/UIM 25/50 + $8K PIP — minimums updated July 1, 2025	$2,096	$649	BANS credit-based insurance pricing (one of 5 states — also CA, HI, MI, NJ)
Michigan(MI)	50/100/10 + $1M PPI + tiered PIP (choose $50K, $250K, $500K, or unlimited)	$3,204	$1,572	No-fault state with the most complex PIP system in the US — choice of $50K, $250K, $500K, or unlimited PIP coverage
Minnesota(MN)	30/60/10 + $40K PIP + UM/UIM 25/50 — no-fault state	$2,089	$836	No-fault state with $40K mandatory PIP
Mississippi(MS)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$1,898	$540	Allows credit-based insurance pricing
Missouri(MO)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM — fault state, no PIP requirement	$2,516	$655	Fault-based state
Montana(MT)	25/50/20 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $20K property damage	$1,731	$456	Allows credit-based insurance pricing
Nebraska(NE)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM 25/50 — uninsured motorist coverage required	$1,980	$468	Fault-based state
Nevada(NV)	25/50/20 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $20K property damage	$3,568	$1,084	32% above national average for both minimum and full coverage — among most expensive states
New Hampshire(NH)	Auto insurance NOT REQUIRED (unique among 50 states); 25/50/25 if purchased	$1,320	$480	ONLY US STATE that doesn't require car insurance — financial responsibility law instead
New Jersey(NJ)	35/70/25 + UM/UIM (25/50) + $15K PIP — no-fault state with high minimums	$3,510	$2,163	BANS credit-based insurance pricing (one of 5 states — also CA, HI, MA, MI)
New Mexico(NM)	25/50/10 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $10K property damage	$1,944	$528	Fault-based state
New York(NY)	25/50/10 + $50K PIP + UM/UIM — no-fault state	$3,000	$1,644	No-fault state — required PIP coverage drives premiums up significantly
North Carolina(NC)	50/100/50 — $50K BI per person, $100K BI per accident, $50K property damage (highest minimums of major states)	$1,831	$579	Some of the highest minimum coverage requirements in the country (50/100/50 vs national norms of 25/50/25)
North Dakota(ND)	25/50/25 + $30K PIP + UM/UIM 25/50 — no-fault state	$1,641	$420	No-fault state with $30K mandatory PIP
Ohio(OH)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$1,842	$498	Insurers must offer UM coverage but you can reject it in writing — it's not state-mandated
Oklahoma(OK)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$2,562	$768	Tornado / hail risk drives comprehensive coverage premiums significantly
Oregon(OR)	25/50/20 + $15K PIP + UM/UIM 25/50 — required PIP and UM/UIM	$2,034	$800	PIP coverage of $15K mandatory
Pennsylvania(PA)	15/30/5 + $5K medical benefits — choose 'no-fault' or 'tort' option	$2,311	$1,452	Choice of 'no-fault' (limited tort) or 'full tort' option at policy purchase — affects pricing and right-to-sue
Rhode Island(RI)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$2,562	$1,068	Above-national-average rates — high population density and traffic claim frequency
South Carolina(SC)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM 25/50/25 — equal liability + UM/UIM minimums	$2,511	$1,014	Fault-based state
South Dakota(SD)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM 25/50 — uninsured motorist required	$2,076	$432	Hail risk drives comprehensive coverage premiums significantly
Tennessee(TN)	25/50/25 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$2,004	$513	Tennessee is a fault-based state
Texas(TX)	30/60/25 — $30K BI per person, $60K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$2,500	$786	Uses credit-based insurance pricing (allowed)
Utah(UT)	25/65/15 + $3K PIP — no-fault state with unusual aggregate BI minimum	$1,741	$720	No-fault state with $3K mandatory PIP
Vermont(VT)	25/50/10 + UM/UIM 50/100 — uninsured motorist higher than liability minimum	$1,356	$384	Among cheapest auto-insurance states in US — full coverage 41% below national avg
Virginia(VA)	50/100/25 + UM/UIM 30/60/$20K — high minimum BI requirements	$2,070	$753	Among cheapest auto insurance states — full coverage averages 22% below national
Washington(WA)	25/50/10 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $10K property damage	$1,934	$667	Washington uses 'fault' system
West Virginia(WV)	25/50/25 + UM/UIM 25/50/25 — equal liability + UM/UIM minimums	$1,894	$588	Fault-based state
Wisconsin(WI)	25/50/25 + $25K UM — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $25K property damage	$1,902	$451	Fault-based state
Wyoming(WY)	25/50/20 — $25K BI per person, $50K BI per accident, $20K property damage	$1,824	$432	Wildlife collisions (deer, antelope) are a major comprehensive claim driver

2026 Statutory Changes Worth Knowing

Hawaii — Minimums Doubled (Jan 1, 2026)

Hawaii's minimum bodily injury and property damage limits doubled from 20/40/10 to 40/80/20 effective January 1, 2026. New policies written after that date must meet the new minimum. Existing policies should adjust at next renewal.

Florida — No-Fault PIP Repeal (July 2026)

Florida's 50-year-old no-fault PIP system is being repealed effective July 1, 2026. Replacement: mandatory 25/50 bodily injury liability. Drivers should review coverage at next renewal — the change affects how at-fault claims are handled and may eliminate the $10,000 PIP requirement.

California — SB 371 Rideshare UM/UIM Cut (Jan 1, 2026)

Senate Bill 371 dropped Uber and Lyft's required Period-3 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage from $1M to $60K per person / $300K per incident — a 94% reduction. California rideshare drivers should review personal UM/UIM stacks. See our rideshare insurance guide.

What coverage should you actually buy?

State minimums are the legal floor — almost never the practical recommendation. Match your situation:

Net worth under $50K, drive an old car→ State minimum + UM/UIMIf you have little to lose in a lawsuit and the car isn't worth full coverage, minimums are defensible.
Net worth $50K–$500K, finance or lease your car→ 100/300/100 + collision/comprehensiveStandard recommendation. Lender will require collision/comp; 100/300/100 covers most lawsuits.
Net worth above $500K or own a home→ 250/500/250 + umbrella policyUmbrella policies start at ~$200/yr for $1M extra coverage above auto and home minimums.
You drive in a no-fault state→ Required PIP minimum + 100/300/100 BILPIP is mandatory; BIL still matters for accidents that cross the no-fault threshold.
You drive rideshare (Uber/Lyft/DoorDash)→ Standard policy + rideshare endorsementPersonal-only policies typically deny rideshare claims. See our rideshare guide.
You live in CA/HI/MA/MI/NJ with bad credit→ Standard recommendation + shop normallyThese 5 states ban credit-based pricing — credit doesn't affect your premium.

How we verified this

Every state's minimum requirement was verified against the state department of insurance or DMV/insurance commissioner's page. Average costs were cross-referenced against MoneyGeek, NerdWallet, Bankrate, ValuePenguin, U.S. News, Insurify, and The Zebra 2026 carrier analyses. 2026 statutory changes (HI, FL, CA) were verified against the underlying legislation.

Click any state in the table for that state's deep guide, including cheapest carriers, full discount stacks, and per-state primary sources.