Car Insurance by State

State-Specific Car Insurance Rules

The guides above are designed to give you a good look into your particular State driving and insurance laws, so you can better understand what is required of you, as well as what your options are in an accident.

Car insurance, as with most other types of personal and business insurance, is regulated at the state level. That means each state is responsible for setting rules for how drivers that reside in their borders are supposed to be insured.

Because of this, car insurance laws and requirements can vary dramatically depending on what state you happen to live in.

One of the most basic differences between the states is the required amount of liability insurance each driver must carry in order to drive on public roads. Liability coverage is the part of a policy that pays for damages to other people and property. Some states have very low liability requirements, while others require a great deal more.

Because coverage requirements vary, so do car insurance rates. Let’s review the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) average cost of auto insurance by coverage type by state:

To make things even more complicated, some states are considered “no-fault” which means in certain types of accidents each driver and their corresponding insurance policy are required to cover their own damage. This is contrary to “tort” states, where people are allowed to sue each other for damages.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.

Some states are a cross between “no-fault” and “tort,” meaning each accident determines the actions available for the parties involved.

The bottom line is, car insurance is confusing. That confusion is compounded by the fact that every state has their own rules.