# Nashville car insurance: Tennessee's rules, uninsured drivers and road risk

> Nashville car insurance guide: Tennessee's minimum liability, why uninsured drivers matter, crash and theft data, commuting facts and ways to pay less.

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

## Quick answer

Nashville drivers must carry Tennessee's minimum liability insurance: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. Tennessee is an at-fault state, and an estimated 21.3% of its drivers were uninsured in 2023, well above the national 15.4%. That makes protection against uninsured drivers a key question, though we could not confirm Tennessee's exact offer-and-rejection rules for that coverage from an official source.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson population (2025) | 721,074 |
| Mean commute to work, Nashville (2020-2024) | 24.7 minutes (US: 26.4 minutes) |
| Nashville households with no vehicle (2020-2024) | 6.6% (US: 8.4%) |
| Minimum liability (Tennessee, statewide) | $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000 |
| Fault system (statewide) | At-fault |
| Personal injury protection (statewide) | Not required |
| Uninsured drivers, Tennessee (2023) | 21.3% |
| Crash deaths, Tennessee (2024) | 16.6 per 100,000 people (US: 11.5 per 100,000 people) |
| Average spent per insured vehicle, Tennessee (2023) | $1,049.80 a year (statewide average, not a Nashville price) |
| Change in vehicle thefts, Tennessee (2024-2025) | Down 31%, or 6,270 fewer thefts |

The population figure is the Census Bureau's estimate for Nashville-Davidson, the consolidated city and county government, excluding the separately incorporated towns inside Davidson County.

## What Tennessee requires on a Nashville policy

Tennessee uses the at-fault system. If you cause a crash, your [liability coverage](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/coverage/liability/) pays the other people's injury and property claims up to your limits, and you can be sued for anything above them. The state does not require personal injury protection, so your own medical bills after a crash fall to health insurance, optional [medical payments coverage](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/coverage/medical-payments/) or a claim against the other driver.

One detail trips people up. Tennessee's property damage minimum is $25,000, but some older tables still show a lower figure. The state's insurance department and Department of Revenue both list the current amount.

### What we could not confirm: uninsured motorist rules

Many states require insurers to include uninsured motorist coverage unless you reject it in writing. We could not confirm Tennessee's current rule from the statute or a state agency page, so this guide does not describe it. Before you sign a policy, ask the insurer or agent whether uninsured motorist coverage is included and what you need to sign to decline it, or contact the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance at 615-741-2241. With 21.3% of Tennessee drivers estimated to be uninsured, it is a choice to make on purpose. Our [uninsured motorist coverage guide](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/coverage/uninsured-motorist/) explains how it works, and the [Tennessee guide](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/location/tennessee/) covers the state's other rules.

## Driving in Nashville

Nashville-Davidson had 721,074 residents in 2025. Commuters spend an average of 24.7 minutes getting to work, and only 6.6% of households go without a vehicle, so most residents rely on a car.

Tennessee's crash death rate is well above the national rate of 11.5 per 100,000 people. The state recorded 1,197 crash deaths in 2024: 16.6 per 100,000 people and 1.52 per 100 million miles, according to IIHS. Rural roads accounted for 40% of those deaths. Crash rates feed straight into liability and collision prices.

Metro Nashville runs a Vision Zero program, led by its transportation department with the mayor's office, with the goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries on Metro roads.

## How location and theft affect Nashville prices

Insurers start every quote from the territory where the car is garaged, using the claims filed there. The NAIC notes that urban areas see more claims than rural ones and that repair costs run higher in populated areas. Read [how ZIP codes affect car insurance](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/costs/zip-code/) for more.

Theft is the other local factor. Tennessee had 6,270 fewer vehicle thefts in NICB's latest figures, a drop of 31%. NICB's top-metro list for that year does not include the Nashville area. A stolen car is paid only under [comprehensive coverage](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/coverage/comprehensive/), after your deductible.

| Risk | Coverage that pays for your own loss |
|---|---|
| Hit by an uninsured driver | Uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it |
| You cause a crash and damage your car | Collision |
| Car stolen or vandalized | Comprehensive |
| Injuries to you, regardless of fault | Medical payments coverage or health insurance |

## Ways to pay less in Nashville

- **Compare quotes for the same coverage.** Insurers weigh factors differently; see [shopping at renewal](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/saving/shopping-at-renewal/).
- **Protect your record.** Tickets and at-fault crashes can raise prices at renewal; see [driving record and car insurance](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/costs/driving-record/).
- **Choose deductibles you could pay.** Higher [deductibles](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/saving/deductible/) lower premiums for collision and comprehensive.
- **Ask about discounts.** Bundling, safe-driver and payment discounts are covered in our [discounts guide](https://mail.statecover-guide.com/saving/discounts/).

## FAQ

### What is the minimum car insurance in Nashville?

Tennessee's minimum: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage.

### Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Tennessee?

We could not confirm Tennessee's current uninsured motorist rule from an official source, so we do not state it here. Ask your insurer whether it is on your policy and how to accept or decline it, or contact the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.

### Is Tennessee a no-fault state?

No. Tennessee is an at-fault state, and personal injury protection is not required.

### Why do some websites list a lower property damage minimum for Tennessee?

Some older third-party tables were never updated. State agencies list $25,000 as the current property damage minimum.

### Is car theft going down in Nashville?

Statewide, yes: Tennessee thefts fell 31% in NICB's latest figures. NICB did not publish a Nashville metro figure in that release.

## Sources

- [US Census Bureau, City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 (Vintage 2025)](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv) — Nashville-Davidson population
- [US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, Table S0801 (Nashville-Davidson)](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSST5Y2024.S0801&g=160XX00US4752006) — mean travel time to work
- [US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, Table B25044 (Nashville-Davidson)](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSDT5Y2024.B25044&g=160XX00US4752006) — households with no vehicle
- [National Insurance Crime Bureau, U.S. Vehicle Thefts Experience Historic Decline](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-vehicle-thefts-experience-historic-decline-302716735.html) — Tennessee percentage drop in thefts
- [NICB, Partnerships in Theft Prevention Drive Continued Declines in U.S. Stolen Vehicles](https://nicb.org/node/124139) — number of fewer thefts in Tennessee
- [Metro Nashville, Vision Zero](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/plans-and-programs/vision-zero) — city traffic safety program
- [NAIC, Auto Insurance (consumer page)](https://content.naic.org/consumer/auto-insurance.htm) — urban areas and claims
- [Tennessee Department of Revenue, Financial Responsibility Law (Drive Insured Tennessee)](https://www.tn.gov/revenue/title-and-registration/drive-insured-tennessee/why-you-should-have-insurance.html), as of October 28, 2026
- [Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists), as of October 28, 2026
- [U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table S0801 (Commuting characteristics)](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSST5Y2024.S0801&g=010XX00US), as of October 28, 2026
- [U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table DP04 (Selected housing characteristics)](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSDP5Y2024.DP04&g=010XX00US), as of October 28, 2026
- [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
- [Insurance Information Institute, Background on: Compulsory auto/uninsured motorists (financial responsibility limits by state table)](https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-compulsory-auto-uninsured-motorists), as of October 28, 2026
- [Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Auto Insurance 101](https://www.tn.gov/commerce/insurance/consumer-edu/auto.html), as of October 28, 2026
- [IIHS, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state](https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state), as of June 1, 2026
- [NAIC, 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-aut-pb-auto-insurance-database.pdf), 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