Liability
What does your state’s minimum actually leave out?
Your state’s minimum is a legal floor. If a crash costs more than your limit, the policy stops paying, and the rest can be claimed from the driver who caused it.
Your state’s minimum is a legal floor, not a recommendation. A serious crash can cost far more than the minimum pays, and the difference does not disappear.
Don't know a word? Press any purple word to see what it means. They're all listed at the bottom of the page.
What the three numbers mean
Liability limits are written like 25/50/25, in thousands of dollars.
Example: a 25/50/25 policy.
Some state minimums
They vary widely, and several states raised theirs recently.
Minimums in five states, 2025–2026
- Florida$10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage. Bodily injury liability is not required for most drivers.
- Pennsylvania15/30/5, plus $5,000 of medical benefits.
- Texas30/60/25.
- California30/60/15 since January 2025. It was 15/30/5 for 56 years before that.
- North Carolina50/100/50 since July 2025.
49 states and Washington, D.C. require liability insurance; New Hampshire is the exception. Check your own state’s department of insurance for its current minimum.
What happens above the limit
Try it with your own numbers.
If you cause a crash that costs more than your limit, the policy pays up to the limit and stops. The injured person can then come after the driver who caused it for the rest.
the more assets you have, the more you could lose in a lawsuit.California Department of Insurance
Try it
Would the limit cover one serious injury?
Move the two sliders. An illustration with example figures, not a quote. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
The number people are usually given
The Insurance Information Institute says industry experts recommend at least $100,000 of bodily injury cover per person and $300,000 per accident, written 100/300. It is a rule of thumb, not a standard.
How much more higher limits cost depends on the insurer, the state and the driver.
This is general information, not advice on what you should buy; a licensed support agent can explain the options.
Remember this
The minimum is the least the law allows, not a measure of what a serious crash costs.
Words on this page
- Bodily injury liability
- Pays for injuries you cause to other people in a crash, up to your limit.
- PIP
- Personal injury protection. Pays your own medical bills after a crash, whoever caused it. Required in some states, Florida among them.
- Property damage liability
- Pays for damage you cause to someone else's car or property, up to your limit.