The State of Auto Insurance

If you've recently moved then you know that auto insurance rates can be very different depending on your location. This is especially true when changing residence from one state to the next. Each state has its own insurance requirements for vehicles, and knowing those requirements is important when making a move.

Why They're Different

Driving is a privilege apportioned out by the state, not the federal government. Because of this, each state also has to make the rules that govern driving. What you have to score on a driving test, if you have to take a written, oral or physical exam, and what rules you have to follow are all organized by the state and its facilities. So when it comes to auto insurance, the state governs that as well.

There is a reason for it. Each state has different driving conditions. From the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the grassy plains in the Mid-West, some states have easier driving conditions than others. Laws are also determined by what those residents feel is important. Most driving laws come about after a major accident of some sort makes state-wide news, and people want a change in laws to prevent the situation from happening again. The same goes for the insurance minimums that people have to pay.

A Chart of the Minimums

All this talk is useless if you don't know what the actual minimums are. Below is a comprehensive list of the necessary insurance minimums for all states. The numbers next to the state name represent the minimum coverage required. For example, Alaska is 50/100/25. This means $50,000 maximum per person for bodily injury, $100,000 maximum for all bodily injury payments, and the last number is property damage coverage of $25,000. Find your auto insurance minimums below.

Alaska 50/100/25
Alabama 20/40/10
Arkansas 25/50/15
Arizona 15/30/10
California 15/30/5
Colorado 25/50/15
Connecticut 20/40/10
Delaware 15/30/5
Florida 10/20/10
Georgia 15/30/10
Hawaii 20/40/10
Idaho 20/50/15
Illinois 20/40/15
Indiana 25/50/10
Iowa 20/40/15
Kansas 25/50/10
Kentucky 25/50/10
Louisiana 10/20/10
Maine 50/100/25
Maryland 20/40/10
Massachusetts 20/40/5
Michigan 20/40/10
Minnesota 30/60/10
Mississippi 25/50/25
Missouri 25/50/10
Montana 25/50/10
Nebraska 25/50/25
New Hampshire 25/50/25
New Jersey 15/30/5
New Mexico 25/50/10
Nevada 15/30/10
New York 25/50/10
North Carolina 30/60/25
North Dakota 25/50/25
Ohio 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma 10/20/10
Oregon 25/50/10
Pennsylvania 15/30/5
Rhode Island 25/50/25
South Carolina 25/50/25
South Dakota 25/50/25
Tennessee 25/50/10
Texas 30/60/25
Utah 25/65/15
Virginia 25/50/20
Vermont 25/50/10
Washington 25/50/10
Wisconsin 25/50/10
West Virginia 20/40/10
Wyoming 25/50/20