“What’s the actual least I can get away with?” is a reasonable question. Here are the answers, by state, with the honest fine print about what those minimums actually protect — and what they don’t.

The Minimums, in Plain English

Auto insurance minimums are expressed as three numbers, like 25/50/25. Here’s what they mean:

• First number (25): Bodily injury liability per person — the most your insurer pays for one injured person. In this example, $25,000.
• Second number (50): Bodily injury liability per accident — the total for all injured people in one accident. Here, $50,000.
• Third number (25): Property damage liability — the most your insurer pays for damaged property (other cars, structures). Here, $25,000.

Most states cluster around 25/50/25 as their minimum requirement. A few are notable for being different:

• Maine (29 ME Rev. Stat. § 1605): 50/100/25 — among the highest minimums in the country.
• Alaska: 50/100/25
• Texas: 30/60/25
• California: Recently increased to 30/60/15 (eff. 2025), up from the long-standing 15/30/5 — which was notoriously inadequate.
• Florida: No bodily injury liability minimum required for most drivers (only $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage). Florida is a no-fault state — see below.
• New Hampshire: No mandatory insurance requirement at all — but if you’re in an accident, you’re financially responsible for damages. Most residents carry insurance anyway.

No-Fault vs. Tort States

About a dozen states use a no-fault system. In no-fault states, your own insurance pays your medical bills after an accident regardless of who caused it. You give up the right to sue the other driver for minor injuries in exchange for faster, less adversarial claim resolution.

No-fault states require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) instead of (or in addition to) bodily injury liability:

• Florida: $10,000 PIP required
• Michigan: PIP required; unlimited medical coverage option (unique to Michigan)
• New York: $50,000 PIP required
• New Jersey: $15,000 PIP minimum (higher options available)
• Minnesota, Kentucky, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Utah: All require PIP as part of the no-fault framework.

In tort states (most states), you can sue the at-fault driver directly. Liability insurance pays the other party when you’re at fault.

Where Minimums Are Dangerously Low

Here’s the honest problem with minimum coverage: medical costs and car repair costs have outpaced the liability limits that most states set decades ago.

A single hospital stay after a serious accident can easily exceed $100,000. A 25/50/25 policy caps out at $25,000 per person. The rest comes out of your pocket — or the other driver’s lawsuit.

California’s old 15/30/5 minimum was the most cited example of dangerously low limits. At $5,000 for property damage in a state where the average new car costs $48,000, the minimum was nearly useless. Even the 2025 increase to 15,000 for property damage is still well below real-world costs.

States with notable gaps between minimums and real-world costs: Florida, California (property damage), Mississippi, and several southeastern states with 25/50/25 minimums and high rates of underinsured motorists.

A “Minimum-Plus” You Can Usually Afford

Going from state minimum to something genuinely protective costs less than most people assume. Here’s a realistic “minimum-plus” package:

• Liability: 50/100/50 or 100/300/100. Stepping up from 25/50/25 to 50/100/50 typically adds $5–$20/month. The jump to 100/300/100 — real protection against a serious accident — is usually $15–$40/month more than minimum.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM): About 1 in 8 drivers is uninsured. UM/UIM pays your bills if they hit you. Adding $50,000/$100,000 UM/UIM typically costs $5–$15/month. This is the single highest-value upgrade from minimum coverage.
• Medical Payments (MedPay): In non-no-fault states, a small MedPay limit ($5,000–$10,000) covers your immediate medical costs regardless of fault. Usually $5–$10/month.

Total cost to go from bare minimum to a genuinely useful policy: often $20–$50/month more. On an annual basis, that’s $240–$600 — which can be the difference between a manageable claim and a financial crisis.

Next step: Look up your state’s current minimum requirements, then get a quote that compares minimum to 50/100/50 — the difference in price will likely surprise you. Get a same-day quote that works for your situation →