Cheapest liability-only car insurance in 2026

How much is liability-only car insurance?

The national average for a liability-only policy with limits of 50/100/50 is $637 a year or $53 a month. Premiums can vary based on several factors including your age, marital status, driving record, credit score, where you live, as well as the vehicle you drive.

In comparison, a full coverage policy with higher liability limits averages $1,895 a year or $157 a month.

What are the cheapest companies for liability-only car insurance?

GEICO is the cheapest company for liability insuranceLiability insurance covers sums that an insured becomes legally obligated to pay because of bodily injuries or property damage, or financial losses caused to other people. among top companies at $545 annually, though USAA offers cheaper coverage to eligible customers. Travelers is second for low-cost liability insurance at an average annual premiumThe payment required for an insurance policy to remain in force. Auto insurance premiums are quoted for either 6-month or annual policy periods. of $634.

The most expensive insurance company for a liability-only policy is Farmers at $942 a year, almost 73% higher than GEICO for the same coverage.

Insurance companies use proprietary algorithms to help set car insurance rates, which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes. Because of this, it’s important to shop your coverage on a regular basis.

Compare carriers below to find the most affordable liability-only car insurance.

Cheapest liability-only car insurance company
Company	Average annual premium	Average monthly premium
GEICO	$545	$45
State Farm	$647	$54
Allstate	$845	$70
USAA	$433	$36
Progressive	$681	$57
Farmers	$942	$79
Nationwide	$639	$53
Travelers	$634	$53

Read our methodology

While liability-only coverage is cheaper than a full coverage policy, it’s not always an option. If you have a loan or lease on your vehicle, your lender will require that you carry full coverage insurance to protect their investment in your car.

Additionally, a liability-only policy will not pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it is damaged in an accident or other incident. So while liability-only is cheaper, it offers far less financial protection.

Best cheap liability-only car insurance companies

Auto-Owners is our top pick for liability-only car insurance, based on rates, customer complaints, financial stability and our annual insurance consumer survey. Among national carriers, GEICO is our top choice, landing in third overall.

Carrier	Survey score (out of 5)	NAIC complaint ratio*	AM Best	Average annual rate	Overall score (out of 5)
Auto-Owners	4.42	0.54	A+	$540	4.48
Erie	4.47	0.89	A+	$445	4.43
GEICO	4.43	0.69	A++	$619	4.41
Travelers	4.41	0.52	A++	$807	4.28
Amica	4.68	0.76	A+	$748	4.26
American Family	3.99	0.34	A	$782	4.07
Progressive	4.4	0.71	A+	$846	4.06
State Farm	4.52	0.80	A++	$969	4.02
Nationwide	4.52	0.63	A	$945	3.96
Allstate	4.36	1.10	A+	$1,114	3.57
Farmers	4.41	0.86	A	$1,193	3.54
USAA**	4.71	1.18	A++	$463	4.49

Read our methodology

*An NAIC complaint ratio below 1.00 indicates a lower-than-average number of complaints

**USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families

What is the cheapest liability-only car insurance company in your state?

As the numbers below show, your state impacts how much you pay for coverage. A liability-only policy runs $315 a year or $26 a month in Iowa while Florida drivers pay $1,575 — a staggering 400% higher.

Each state has its own set of unique risks such as severe weather, crime rates, urban density and local laws which can result in dramatically different insurance rates. For example, Florida, the most expensive state for liability-only coverage, faces severe weather and hurricanes, pushing up the cost of coverage for Florida’s residents.

Below are rates for a liability-only policy by state with limits of 50/100/50.

Company	Average liability insurance premium	Dollar difference from state average	% difference from state average
Allstate	$548	$6 more	1% more
GEICO	$436	$106 less	20% less
Progressive	$661	$119 more	22% more
State Farm	$677	$135 more	25% more
Western National Insurance	$566	$24 more	4% more
USAA	$364	$178 less	33% less

Cheapest liability-only insurance by driving record

Your driving record has a big impact on what you pay for insurance.

GEICO has the cheapest liability-only insurance rates after a speeding ticket at $1,018 a year on average. Rates can increase by as much as 64% with a speeding ticket.
GEICO has the cheapest liability-only insurance with an at-fault accident at $1,126 a year, unless you qualify for USAA. You'll pay anywhere from 23% to 82% more for liability insurance after an at-fault accident.
Progressive has the cheapest liability-only rates after a DUI at $1,146 a year on average, unless you're eligible for USAA. A DUI will raise your liability insurance as much as 155% depending on the company.

Company	Average annual premium	After speeding ticket	Dollar difference	Percentage difference
Allstate	$1,114	$1,387	$272	24%
Farmers	$1,193	$1,714	$522	44%
GEICO	$619	$1,018	$399	64%
Nationwide	$945	$1,436	$491	52%
Progressive	$846	$1,125	$279	33%
State Farm	$969	$1,151	$182	19%
Travelers	$807	$1,214	$407	50%
USAA	$463	$563	$101	22%

Read our methodology

Company	Average annual premium	After at-fault accident	Dollar difference	Percentage difference
Allstate	$1,114	$1,851	$737	66%
Farmers	$1,193	$1,990	$797	67%
GEICO	$619	$1,126	$507	82%
Nationwide	$945	$1,575	$630	67%
Progressive	$846	$1,321	$475	56%
State Farm	$969	$1,192	$223	23%
Travelers	$807	$1,267	$460	57%
USAA	$463	$706	$244	53%

Read our methodology

Company	Average annual premium	After DUI	Dollar difference	Percentage difference
Allstate	$1,114	$2,175	$1,061	95%
Farmers	$1,193	$2,563	$1,370	115%
GEICO	$619	$1,581	$962	155%
Nationwide	$945	$2,215	$1,269	134%
Progressive	$846	$1,146	$300	35%
State Farm	$969	$1,556	$587	61%
Travelers	$807	$1,506	$700	87%
USAA	$463	$933	$471	102%

Read our methodology

Cheapest liability-only insurance by age

Even with a liability-only car insurance policy, young drivers pay more.

At 16, the average cost of a liability-only policy is $3,333 a year
By 25, it drops to $915 annually
At 55, drivers pay the lowest annual rate for liability-only insurance at $749

Compare costs by age for full coverage and 50/100/50 liability-only car insurance below.

Age	Full coverage premium	Liability Premium	Dollar Difference	% Difference
16	$9,267	$3,333	$5,934	178%
17	$7,731	$2,755	$4,976	181%
18	$6,776	$2,333	$4,443	190%
19	$5,217	$1,750	$3,467	198%
20	$4,744	$1,562	$3,182	204%
21	$3,916	$1,262	$2,654	210%
22	$3,601	$1,156	$2,445	212%
23	$3,357	$1,076	$2,281	212%
24	$3,172	$1,015	$2,157	213%
25	$2,837	$915	$1,922	210%
30	$2,535	$828	$1,707	206%
35	$2,453	$813	$1,640	202%
40	$2,382	$801	$1,581	197%
45	$2,330	$791	$1,539	195%
50	$2,230	$768	$1,462	190%
55	$2,151	$749	$1,402	187%
60	$2,126	$750	$1,376	183%
65	$2,146	$775	$1,371	177%
70	$2,277	$831	$1,446	174%
75	$2,477	$917	$1,560	170%

Read our methodology

Liability-only vs. full coverage car insurance costs

Full coverage costs more than liability-only car insurance; the main difference between liability-only and full coverage is that it also covers your vehicle. Take a look at the difference between liability and full coverage car insurance rates by state below to see how much more you would pay for full coverage.

Liability-only vs. full coverage car insurance
State Name	Liability Only	Full coverage	Difference	%Difference
Alaska	$499	$1,692	$1,193	71%
Alabama	$619	$1,842	$1,223	66%
Arkansas	$568	$1,931	$1,363	71%
Arizona	$745	$1,807	$1,062	59%
California	$864	$2,416	$1,552	64%
Colorado	$708	$2,350	$1,642	70%
Connecticut	$780	$1,734	$954	55%
Washington, D.C.	$777	$2,168	$1,391	64%
Delaware	$998	$2,062	$1,064	52%
Florida	$1,575	$2,669	$1,094	41%
Georgia	$775	$1,965	$1,190	61%
Hawaii	$572	$1,517	$945	62%
Iowa	$315	$1,626	$1,311	81%
Idaho	$438	$1,444	$1,006	70%
Illinois	$469	$1,534	$1,065	69%
Indiana	$488	$1,511	$1,023	68%
Kansas	$457	$1,903	$1,446	76%
Kentucky	$804	$2,246	$1,442	64%
Louisiana	$1,241	$2,872	$1,631	57%
Massachusetts	$655	$1,726	$1,071	62%
Maryland	$753	$1,755	$1,002	57%
Maine	$342	$1,195	$853	71%
Michigan	$646	$2,269	$1,623	72%
Minnesota	$504	$1,936	$1,432	74%
Missouri	$577	$1,999	$1,422	71%
Mississippi	$634	$2,021	$1,387	69%
Montana	$524	$2,182	$1,658	76%
North Carolina	$523	$1,742	$1,219	70%
North Dakota	$360	$1,681	$1,321	79%
Nebraska	$371	$1,917	$1,546	81%
New Hampshire	$413	$1,275	$862	68%
New Jersey	$893	$1,912	$1,019	53%
New Mexico	$636	$2,028	$1,392	69%
Nevada	$1,012	$2,026	$1,014	50%
New York	$815	$1,862	$1,047	56%
Ohio	$436	$1,414	$978	69%
Oklahoma	$632	$2,124	$1,492	70%
Oregon	$674	$1,640	$966	59%
Pennsylvania	$504	$1,871	$1,367	73%
Rhode Island	$800	$2,072	$1,272	61%
South Carolina	$901	$2,028	$1,127	56%
South Dakota	$332	$2,306	$1,974	86%
Tennessee	$537	$1,674	$1,137	68%
Texas	$762	$2,062	$1,300	63%
Utah	$724	$1,782	$1,058	59%
Virginia	$469	$1,457	$988	68%
Vermont	$325	$1,345	$1,020	76%
Washington	$695	$1,580	$885	56%
Wisconsin	$415	$1,653	$1,238	75%
West Virginia	$581	$2,010	$1,429	71%
Wyoming	$333	$1,806	$1,473	82%

Read our methodology

When to get liability-only car insurance

You should consider liability-only car insurance if:

You own your vehicle outright and aren't required to carry full coverage insurance
You have an older, low-value vehicle that is not worth insuring with full coverage
You need the most affordable option for car insurance coverage
You drive very little and just want to ensure you meet legal requirements

It's important to note that state minimum liability limits are often too low to provide good coverage. It doesn't cost much to increase your liability limits, and we highly recommend it.

How to find the cheapest liability-only car insurance

There are a number of ways to get a cheaper rate on your car insurance, even with liability-only coverage:

Shop around and compare rates. Shopping around is the best way to save on car insurance, no matter what coverage you are buying. Rates can vary by hundreds of dollars a year.
Sign up for a usage-based insurance program. Allowing your insurer to monitor your driving habits can earn you a big discount on your car insurance.
Take a defensive driving course: Many insurance companies will offer a discount on your premium if take and pass a defensive driving course. Check if you would qualify, as there are often age restrictions.
Compare discounts: Compare the available discounts for each insurance company and look for ones that offer the most discounts for you.

How much liability-only car insurance do I need by law?

Almost all states require drivers to carry liability insurance to drive legally. The amount of liability required will vary by state. Car insurance laws are controlled at the state level.

Required minimums can range from 10/20/10 in Florida and up to 50/100/25 in states like Alaska. Below are the required minimum liability levels by state.

Map

Table

State	Requirements	Coverage limits
Alaska	Minimum bodily injury liability	$50,000/$100,000
Alaska	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Alabama	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Alabama	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Arkansas	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Arkansas	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Arizona	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Arizona	Minimum property damage liability	$15,000
California	Minimum bodily injury liability	$15,000/$30,000
California	Minimum property damage liability	$5,000
Colorado	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Colorado	Minimum property damage liability	$15,000
Connecticut	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Connecticut	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Connecticut	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Washington, D.C.	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Washington, D.C.	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Washington, D.C.	Uninsured motorist property damage	$5,000
Washington, D.C.	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Delaware	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Delaware	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Delaware	Personal injury protection	$15,000/$30,000
Florida	Minimum bodily injury liability	$10,000/$20,000
Florida	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Florida	Personal injury protection	$10,000
Georgia	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Georgia	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Hawaii	Minimum bodily injury liability	$20,000/$40,000
Hawaii	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Hawaii	Personal injury protection or managed care (PPO)	$10,000
Iowa	Minimum bodily injury liability	$20,000/$40,000
Iowa	Minimum property damage liability	$15,000
Idaho	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Idaho	Minimum property damage liability	$15,000
Illinois	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Illinois	Minimum property damage liability	$20,000
Illinois	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Indiana	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Indiana	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Kansas	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Kansas	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Kansas	Personal injury protection	$4,500 medical /$900 work loss
Kansas	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Kentucky	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Kentucky	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Kentucky	Personal injury protection	$10,000
Louisiana	Minimum bodily injury liability	$15,000/$30,000
Louisiana	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Massachusetts	Minimum bodily injury liability	$20,000/$40,000
Massachusetts	Minimum property damage liability	$5,000
Massachusetts	Personal injury protection	$8,000
Massachusetts	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$20,000/$40,000
Maryland	Minimum bodily injury liability	$30,000/$60,000
Maryland	Minimum property damage liability	$15,000
Maryland	Personal injury protection	$2,500
Maryland	Uninsured motorist property damage	$15,000
Maryland	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$30,000/$60,000
Maine	Medical payments	$2,000
Maine	Minimum bodily injury liability	$50,000/$100,000
Maine	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Maine	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$50,000/$100,000
Michigan	Minimum bodily injury liability	$50,000/$100,000
Michigan	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Michigan	Personal injury protection	Medical and work loss
Michigan	Property protection insurance	$10,00,000
Minnesota	Minimum bodily injury liability	$30,000/$60,000
Minnesota	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Minnesota	Personal injury protection	$40,000
Minnesota	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Missouri	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Missouri	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Missouri	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Mississippi	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Mississippi	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Montana	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Montana	Minimum property damage liability	$20,000
North Carolina	Minimum bodily injury liability	$30,000/$60,000
North Carolina	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
North Carolina	Uninsured motorist property damage	$25,000
North Carolina	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$30,000/$60,000
North Dakota	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
North Dakota	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
North Dakota	Personal injury protection	$30,000 limit
North Dakota	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Nebraska	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Nebraska	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Nebraska	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
New Hampshire	Medical payments	$1,000
New Hampshire	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
New Hampshire	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
New Hampshire	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
New Jersey	Minimum bodily injury liability	$30,000/$70,000
New Jersey	Minimum property damage liability	$35,000
New Jersey	Personal injury protection	$15,000
New Jersey	Uninsured motorist property damage	$25,000
New Jersey	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
New Jersey	Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage	$25,000
New Mexico	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
New Mexico	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Nevada	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Nevada	Minimum property damage liability	$20,000
New York	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
New York	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
New York	Personal injury protection	$50,000 limit
New York	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Ohio	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Ohio	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Oklahoma	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Oklahoma	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Oregon	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Oregon	Minimum property damage liability	$20,000
Oregon	Personal injury protection	$15,000 limit
Oregon	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Pennsylvania	First party benefits (PIP)	$5,000
Pennsylvania	Minimum bodily injury liability	$15,000/$30,000
Pennsylvania	Minimum property damage liability	$5,000
Rhode Island	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Rhode Island	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
South Carolina	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
South Carolina	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
South Carolina	Uninsured motorist property damage	$25,000
South Carolina	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
South Dakota	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
South Dakota	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
South Dakota	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
Tennessee	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Tennessee	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Texas	Minimum bodily injury liability	$30,000/$60,000
Texas	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
Utah	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$65,000
Utah	Minimum property damage liability	$15,000
Utah	Personal injury protection	$3,000
Virginia	Minimum bodily injury liability	$30,000/$60,000
Virginia	Minimum property damage liability	$20,000
Virginia	Uninsured motorist property damage	$20,000
Virginia	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$30,000/$60,000
Vermont	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Vermont	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Vermont	Uninsured motorist property damage	$10,000
Vermont	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$50,000/$100,000
Washington	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Washington	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Wisconsin	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Wisconsin	Minimum property damage liability	$10,000
Wisconsin	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
West Virginia	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
West Virginia	Minimum property damage liability	$25,000
West Virginia	Uninsured motorist property damage	$25,000
West Virginia	Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$25,000/$50,000
West Virginia	Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage	$25,000
Wyoming	Minimum bodily injury liability	$25,000/$50,000
Wyoming	Minimum property damage liability	$20,000

Read our methodology

*Some state rates will vary based on the addition of a hurricane deductibleThe deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket for a covered loss when you file a claim. and may be much higher when included.

It is important to remember that the required liability coverage is generally not enough if you are responsible for a serious car accident. Once your coverage levels are exceeded, you will need to cover any additional costs.

Methodology

Rate data is fielded by Quadrant Information Services in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

National and state average rates are based on three coverage levels: state minimum, 50/100/50 liability-only, and full coverage with 100/300/100 liability and $500 deductibles.

Liability-only averages are based on:

Bodily injury liability of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident
Property damage liability of $50,000 per incident
Comprehensive and collision deductibles of $500
40-year-old driver
Honda Accord LX
Good credit
A clean driving record
12-mile commute, 10,000 annual mileage

Additional rate data is drawn based on:

Rates with a speeding ticket
Rates with a DUI
Rates with an at-fault accident.

Learn more about our data and methodology.

Frequently asked questions: Cheapest liability-only car insurance

Should I get liability-only car insurance?

Deciding what car insurance coverage to carry requires looking at various factors. In most cases, carrying a liability-only policy may be a good idea if your vehicle is older and has a low resale value, and you can afford to handle repairs or buy a new car out of pocket. However, you will have the most robust financial protection from getting a full coverage car insurance policy.

What does liability insurance cover if you're not at fault?

Nothing; liability insurance only covers damages for others when you are at fault. If the other driver is at fault, their liability insurance is responsible for paying your damages.

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