# Car insurance in every US state, explained in plain English

> Car insurance laws, minimum coverage and average costs for all 50 states and DC, with sourced figures, free tools and plain-English guides to paying less.

Canonical page: https://mail.statecover-guide.com/  
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026 by the StateCover Guide editorial team  
General information, not legal or insurance advice.

## Quick answer

Car insurance is required almost everywhere in the US: 49 states and the District of Columbia make drivers carry liability coverage, and New Hampshire asks instead for proof that you can pay for damage you cause. Across the country, drivers spent an average of $1,281 a year per insured vehicle in 2023, about $107 a month, but your own price depends on your state, ZIP code, driving record, car and the coverage you choose.

## Key facts

| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average spent on car insurance per insured vehicle (2023) | $1,281 a year |
| Average for a policy with liability, collision and comprehensive (2023) | $1,438 a year |
| Change in that average, 2022 to 2023 | up 14.42% |
| Jurisdictions that require liability insurance | 49 states and the District of Columbia |
| States with no-fault car insurance laws | 12 |
| Drivers who were uninsured (2023) | 15.4% |

## Find the car insurance rules in your state

Every state sets its own minimum coverage, decides whether it is an at-fault or no-fault state, and runs its own insurance department. Choose your state to see its legal minimums, its rules on personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured motorist coverage, SR-22 filings, the penalties for driving uninsured and the average cost there.

- [Alabama](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/alabama/): Alabama's liability minimums, uninsured motorist rules, registration penalties, average costs and crash data in one place.
- [Arizona](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/arizona/): Arizona's liability minimums, escalating penalties for driving uninsured, SR-22 rules, UM/UIM offers and average costs.
- [California](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/california/): California's new liability minimums, Prop 103 rating rules, the low-cost auto program, uninsured drivers and average costs.
- [Alaska](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/alaska/): Alaska's liability minimums, the registration-exempt areas, uninsured motorist offers, average costs and road safety figures.
- [Arkansas](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/arkansas/): Arkansas liability minimums, add-on PIP and uninsured motorist rules, average costs and rural crash data.
- [Colorado](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/colorado/): Colorado's liability minimums, default MedPay and uninsured motorist coverage, deductible and repair rules, costs and crash data.
- [Connecticut](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/connecticut/): Connecticut's required liability and UM/UIM coverage, the DMV lapse penalty, household driver rules, costs and crash data.
- [District of Columbia](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/district-of-columbia/): DC's current minimums, the higher limits coming under Law 26-155, optional PIP with a deadline to choose, uninsured drivers and costs.
- [Delaware](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/delaware/): Delaware's required PIP and liability minimums, fines and suspensions for driving uninsured, UM/UIM options and costs.
- [Florida](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/florida/): Florida's PIP and property damage requirement, how no-fault PIP pays, FR-44 after a DUI, lapse penalties, uninsured drivers and costs.
- [Georgia](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/georgia/): Georgia's liability minimums, added-on UM coverage, lapse fines and average costs compared with the national figures.
- [Hawaii](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/hawaii/): Hawaii's higher 2026 liability minimums, required PIP, the no-fault lawsuit threshold and average costs.
- [Idaho](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/idaho/): Idaho's required liability limits, UM/UIM rejection rules, no-insurance fines and below-average costs.
- [Illinois](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/illinois/): Illinois liability and uninsured motorist requirements, insurance checks, no-insurance penalties and average costs.
- [Indiana](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/indiana/): Indiana's liability limits, BMV proof-of-insurance requests, SR22 after a suspension, UM/UIM rules and average costs.
- [Iowa](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/iowa/): Iowa's liability minimums, roadside penalties for no insurance, UM/UIM rejection rules and below-average costs.
- [Kansas](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/kansas/): Kansas no-fault PIP benefits, the lawsuit threshold, required UM coverage, no-insurance penalties and average costs.
- [Kentucky](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/kentucky/): Kentucky's choice no-fault system, required PIP and liability, rejecting tort limits, uninsured penalties and costs.
- [Louisiana](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/louisiana/): Louisiana's liability minimums, the no pay, no play rule, UM coverage choices, impound rules and above-average costs.
- [Maine](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/maine/): Maine's higher required limits, mandatory MedPay and UM coverage, penalties for driving uninsured and below-average costs.
- [Maryland](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/maryland/): Maryland's required coverages, PIP choices, lapse penalties, the state-run MAIF and how average costs compare.
- [Massachusetts](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/massachusetts/): Massachusetts minimums after the recent increase, no-fault PIP, the Safe Driver plan and how costs compare nationally.
- [Michigan](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/michigan/): How Michigan no-fault works: PIP medical choices, PPI, liability limits, mini-tort, penalties and average costs.
- [Minnesota](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/minnesota/): Minnesota's no-fault benefits, required coverages, the threshold for suing and how average costs compare with the U.S.
- [Mississippi](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/mississippi/): Mississippi's liability minimums, the state's uninsured driver rate, penalties for no insurance and how costs compare.
- [Missouri](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/missouri/): What Missouri requires, how the state checks for insurance, penalties for driving uninsured and how costs compare.
- [Montana](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/montana/): Montana's minimums, UM rules, comparative fault, insurance verification and fines, plus how costs and crash risk compare.
- [Nebraska](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/nebraska/): Nebraska's required coverages, ways to prove financial responsibility, SR-22 rules after a no-proof ticket and average costs.
- [Nevada](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/nevada/): Nevada's minimums, how NV LIVE verifies coverage, lapse fines and SR-22 rules, and how costs compare with the U.S.
- [New Hampshire](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/new-hampshire/): New Hampshire's financial responsibility rule, what a policy must include, SR-22 triggers, crash reporting and average costs.
- [New Jersey](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/new-jersey/): New Jersey's three policy types, the higher 2026 minimums, lawsuit and PIP options, and how costs compare nationally.
- [New Mexico](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/new-mexico/): New Mexico's minimum liability, the UM/UIM rejection rule, MVD insurance checks and how costs and risks compare.
- [New York](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/new-york/): New York's required liability, no-fault and UM coverage, what a lapse costs per day, plate surrender rules and average premiums.
- [North Carolina](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/north-carolina/): North Carolina's higher minimums since July 2025, required UM/UIM, Safe Driver Incentive Plan points, lapse penalties and costs.
- [North Dakota](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/north-dakota/): North Dakota's no-fault PIP benefits, the serious injury test for lawsuits, required coverages, rural risks and low average costs.
- [Ohio](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/ohio/): Ohio's required liability, the optional UM/UIM decision, financial responsibility penalties, shared fault rules and costs.
- [Oklahoma](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/oklahoma/): Oklahoma's required liability, real-time insurance verification, optional UM and MedPay, who is covered and how costs compare.
- [Oregon](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/oregon/): Oregon's required PIP benefits, liability and UM/UIM minimums, cancellation rules, the assigned risk plan and average costs.
- [Pennsylvania](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/pennsylvania/): Pennsylvania's tort choice, low liability minimums, medical benefits, UM/UIM and stacking, lapse rules and how costs compare.
- [Rhode Island](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/rhode-island/): Why Rhode Island car insurance costs more than average, its minimums and UM rule, uninsured driving penalties and road safety.
- [South Carolina](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/south-carolina/): South Carolina requires liability and uninsured motorist coverage; see the minimums, insurance checks and what drivers pay.
- [South Dakota](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/south-dakota/): South Dakota requires liability, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage; see the rules, optional benefits and costs.
- [Tennessee](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/tennessee/): Tennessee's liability minimums, how insurance verification notices and fees work, uninsured driver rates and average costs.
- [Texas](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/texas/): Texas minimum limits, the written rejection rule for PIP and UM/UIM, TexasSure checks, fines and what Texans pay.
- [Utah](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/utah/): Utah's no-fault system, required PIP, the threshold for suing, the higher liability minimums, penalties and average costs.
- [Vermont](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/vermont/): Vermont's liability minimums, its higher uninsured/underinsured motorist floor, proof-of-insurance rules, penalties and costs.
- [Virginia](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/virginia/): Virginia's higher liability minimums, the repeal of the uninsured motor vehicle fee, penalties, UM/UIM, FR-44 and costs.
- [Washington](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/washington/): Washington's liability minimums, how UIM and PIP work, phantom-vehicle claims, uninsured driver rates and average costs.
- [West Virginia](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/west-virginia/): West Virginia's liability and uninsured motorist requirements, optional UIM, how the DMV handles lapses, and average costs.
- [Wisconsin](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/wisconsin/): Wisconsin's required liability and uninsured motorist coverage, optional UIM and MedPay minimums, fines and costs.
- [Wyoming](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/wyoming/): Wyoming's liability minimums, steep penalties for driving uninsured, UM coverage rules, rural crash data and average costs.
## How car insurance works

A car insurance policy is a bundle of separate coverages. **Liability** pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people and is the part most states require. **Collision** pays to repair your own car after a crash, and **comprehensive** covers theft, fire, hail, flooding and hitting an animal. People often call a policy with all three "full coverage", although no law defines that term.

How your state handles injuries matters too. In the 12 no-fault states, your own policy's personal injury protection pays your medical bills first, whoever caused the crash, and your right to sue is limited. Everywhere else, the driver who caused the accident (and their insurer) pays.

Prices vary a lot from place to place. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) points to underwriting costs, where people drive, accident rates, traffic density, car theft, repair costs and state laws as the main reasons. Repair bills alone have climbed: the average collision claim rose from $6,113 in 2021 to $7,191 in 2022.

## Guides by topic

Each guide explains one part of a policy or one situation in depth, with examples and the questions people ask before they buy.

- [Claims](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/claims/): How car insurance claims work from the crash to payment, with claim types, timelines and state rules.
- [Saving money](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/saving/): A prioritized plan to pay less for car insurance while keeping the coverage that protects your savings.
- [Cost factors](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/costs/): How insurers price car insurance, what the average driver pays and which rating factors you can change.
- [Coverage types](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/coverage/): What each type of car insurance coverage pays for, which ones are required and how they fit together on one policy.
- [Driver situations](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/drivers/): Car insurance guides for teens, seniors, new and high-risk drivers, SR-22 and FR-44 filings, military members, rideshare and more.
## Free car insurance tools

Our tools explain the rules and the factors that move your price. They never show made-up quotes.

- [State minimum lookup](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/tools/state-minimums/): Look up the legal minimum car insurance, PIP and uninsured motorist rules in any state.
- [Price factors explainer](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/tools/premium-factors/): See which parts of your profile tend to raise or lower your car insurance price, without fake quotes.
- [Deductible chooser](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/tools/deductible-chooser/): Compare two deductibles with your own quotes: yearly saving, break-even years and affordability.
- [Coverage checklist](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/tools/coverage-checklist/): Answer a few questions to see which coverages your state requires and which ones fit your situation.
## Newest articles

- [Classic car insurance](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/blog/classic-car-insurance/): How classic and antique car insurance works: agreed value, usage and storage rules, total losses and state historical plates.
- [Mexico and Canada trips](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/blog/driving-to-mexico-or-canada/): Why US auto insurance falls short in Mexico, how it extends to Canada, and what to sort out before you cross the border.
- [Electric car insurance](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/blog/electric-car-insurance/): Why EV insurance can cost more, what claims data show, how the battery and home charger are covered, and what to do after damage.
- [Canceled or nonrenewed](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/blog/canceled-or-nonrenewed/): Cancellation vs nonrenewal, notice rules, allowed reasons and how to stay insured after an insurer drops you.
- [Insurance lapse](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/blog/car-insurance-lapse/): What happens when car insurance lapses: state penalties, plate surrender, higher rates and the steps to get covered again.
- [No license](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/blog/car-insurance-without-a-license/): How to insure a car without a driver's license: listing a driver, excluded drivers, permits, suspensions and SR-22 filings.
## Where our numbers come from

Every figure on this site comes from an official or primary source, such as state insurance departments and statutes, the NAIC, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the US Census Bureau. Each one is stored with its source and date, and listed under Sources on the page that uses it. Read our [editorial policy](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/editorial-policy/) to see how we research and update pages.

## FAQ

### How much is car insurance per month?

The national average expenditure was $1,281 a year per insured vehicle in 2023, which works out to about $107 a month. That average mixes drivers with only the legal minimum and drivers with full coverage, so your price can be much higher or lower depending on your state, age, record, car and coverage.

### Is car insurance required in every state?

No, but nearly. 49 states and the District of Columbia legally require liability insurance. New Hampshire does not require a policy, but you must be able to pay for damage you cause in an at-fault accident, and if you do buy insurance it must meet the state's minimum limits.

### What is the minimum car insurance I need?

It depends on your state. Each state sets minimum liability limits for injuries per person, injuries per accident and property damage, and some also require PIP, medical payments or uninsured motorist coverage. The state minimum is only the legal floor: a serious crash can cost far more than the minimum limits pay.

### What does full coverage car insurance mean?

"Full coverage" is a sales term, not a legal one. It usually means liability plus collision and comprehensive. The NAIC's combined average premium for that kind of policy was $1,438 a year in 2023. Lenders and leasing companies normally require collision and comprehensive until the car is paid off.

### Why is car insurance getting more expensive?

Claims cost more. The NAIC found the average collision claim rose 17.6% from 2021 to 2022, and the combined average premium rose 14.42% from 2022 to 2023. Insurers set prices from expected claim costs, so higher repair, medical and replacement costs show up in premiums.

### Does StateCover Guide sell insurance or give quotes?

No. We are an independent information site, not an insurer, agent or broker. We do not sell policies, collect your details for quotes or rank companies for payment. See our [advertising disclosure](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/advertising-disclosure/) for how the site is funded.

## Sources

- [New Hampshire Insurance Department, Automobile Insurance Consumer Frequently Asked Questions](https://mm.nh.gov/files/uploads/nhid/documents/nh-auto-guide.pdf) — New Hampshire does not require auto insurance but requires financial responsibility
- [Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance), as of October 28, 2026
- [NAIC, 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report](https://content.naic.org/article/naic-releases-20222023-auto-insurance-database-report), as of February 13, 2026
- [Insurance Research Council, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017–2023 (press release)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250220231032/en), as of February 20, 2025