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. 

Cheapest liability-only car insurance rates by company

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. 

The national average for a liability-only policy with limits of 50/100/50 is $637. A full coverage policy, which includes d in addition to higher liability coverage, is a 197% increase at $1,895. 

According to our data, Geico offers the cheapest liability-only policy among top companies at $545 annually, though USAA offers cheaper coverage to eligible customers. Travelers follows at an average annual premium 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. 

Here are the cheapest (and most expensive) insurers for liability-only coverage:

Cheapest Liability-Only Car Insurance rates by company
CompanyAvg. liability insurance premiumAvg. monthly liability insurance
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

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.

Cheapest liability-only car insurance by state

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. 

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.

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

Cheapest Liability-Only Car Insurance by state
State Name Avg. Liability Insurance Premium Avg. Monthly Liability Insurance
Alaska$499$42
Alabama$619$52
Arkansas$568$47
Arizona$745$62
California$864$72
Colorado$708$59
Connecticut$753$63
Washington, D.C.$777$65
Delaware$998$83
Florida$1,575$131
Georgia$775$65
Hawaii$572$48
Iowa$315$26
Idaho$438$36
Illinois$469$39
Indiana$488$41
Kansas$457$38
Kentucky$804$67
Louisiana$1,241$103
Massachusetts$655$55
Maryland$753$63
Maine$342$29
Michigan$646$54
Minnesota$504$42
Missouri$577$48
Mississippi$634$53
Montana$524$44
North Carolina$523$44
North Dakota$360$30
Nebraska$371$31
New Hampshire$413$34
New Jersey$893$74
New Mexico$636$53
Nevada$1,012$84
New York$815$68
Ohio$436$36
Oklahoma$632$53
Oregon$674$56
Pennsylvania$504$42
Rhode Island$800$67
South Carolina$901$75
South Dakota$332$28
Tennessee$537$45
Texas$762$63
Utah$724$60
Virginia$469$39
Vermont$325$27
Washington$695$58
Wisconsin$415$35
West Virginia$581$48
Wyoming$333$28

Liability-only vs. full coverage car insurance

There are major differences between liability-only and full-coverage car insurance. Here is a quick overview of liability and full coverage car insurance.

Liability-only coverage

Most states require liability insurance to drive legally, though the required coverage levels vary by state. Liability helps pay for medical and legal costs related to injuries you are responsible for if you cause an accident. It will also help pay for any property damage caused by the accident. This includes another person’s vehicle, fences, mailboxes, garage doors and other property. Liability-only coverage also includes personal injury protection and any other legally required coverages. 

It is important to remember that liability-only car insurance doesn’t offer any protection for your own vehicle. 

Getting liability-only coverage can pose a serious risk to your financial health if you are in an accident. The minimum coverage levels required at the state level are rarely enough to cover the damages in a serious accident. Most industry experts recommend carrying liability levels of 100/300/100, which translates into coverage levels of $100,000 for injuries per person, $300,000 for injuries per accident, and $100,000 in property damage coverage.

In some states, you may be required to carry additional coverage beyond liability, including personal injury protection in no-fault states and uninsured motorist coverage.

Full coverage

Full coverage car insurance is a term that usually refers to a policy with collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability and any other coverages required in your state. These coverages protect your vehicle and will repair or replace it if it is damaged in a collision or another covered incident. 

Collision steps up when the damage is caused by a collision with another vehicle or object. Meanwhile, comprehensive will pay for damage caused by flooding, fire, theft, vandalism and even animal strikes. Comprehensive and collision both have a deductible. 

Liability-only vs. full coverage car insurance
State NameLiability OnlyFull coverageDifference%Difference
Alaska$499$1,692$1,19371%
Alabama$619$1,842$1,22366%
Arkansas$568$1,931$1,36371%
Arizona$745$1,807$1,06259%
California$864$2,416$1,55264%
Colorado$708$2,350$1,64270%
Connecticut$780$1,734$95455%
Washington, D.C.$777$2,168$1,39164%
Delaware$998$2,062$1,06452%
Florida$1,575$2,669$1,09441%
Georgia$775$1,965$1,19061%
Hawaii$572$1,517$94562%
Iowa$315$1,626$1,31181%
Idaho$438$1,444$1,00670%
Illinois$469$1,534$1,06569%
Indiana$488$1,511$1,02368%
Kansas$457$1,903$1,44676%
Kentucky$804$2,246$1,44264%
Louisiana$1,241$2,872$1,63157%
Massachusetts$655$1,726$1,07162%
Maryland$753$1,755$1,00257%
Maine$342$1,195$85371%
Michigan$646$2,269$1,62372%
Minnesota$504$1,936$1,43274%
Missouri$577$1,999$1,42271%
Mississippi$634$2,021$1,38769%
Montana$524$2,182$1,65876%
North Carolina$523$1,742$1,21970%
North Dakota$360$1,681$1,32179%
Nebraska$371$1,917$1,54681%
New Hampshire$413$1,275$86268%
New Jersey$893$1,912$1,01953%
New Mexico$636$2,028$1,39269%
Nevada$1,012$2,026$1,01450%
New York$815$1,862$1,04756%
Ohio$436$1,414$97869%
Oklahoma$632$2,124$1,49270%
Oregon$674$1,640$96659%
Pennsylvania$504$1,871$1,36773%
Rhode Island$800$2,072$1,27261%
South Carolina$901$2,028$1,12756%
South Dakota$332$2,306$1,97486%
Tennessee$537$1,674$1,13768%
Texas$762$2,062$1,30063%
Utah$724$1,782$1,05859%
Virginia$469$1,457$98868%
Vermont$325$1,345$1,02076%
Washington$695$1,580$88556%
Wisconsin$415$1,653$1,23875%
West Virginia$581$2,010$1,42971%
Wyoming$333$1,806$1,47382%

When to get liability-only car insurance

A liability-only policy will help cover property damage, medical expenses, and legal fees for injuries to others in any at-fault accidents you are responsible for causing. Liability is required in most states to drive legally, but the required amount of coverage will vary by state. In almost all cases, the minimum required liability will not be enough protection if you are responsible for a serious accident.

While liability is important to cover injuries and damage you cause to other people and their property, it will not repair or replace your vehicle, so if you only carry liability, you will be on the hook for all costs to repair your car unless another driver is at fault for the accident.

Additionally, a liability-only policy will not be an option if you have a loan or lease on your vehicle, as your lender will require that you carry full coverage. Carrying liability only is typically only a good idea when you are driving an older, low-value vehicle that’s not worth protecting. If your vehicle is newer or if you can’t afford to repair or replace it out of pocket, you should be carrying full coverage.

How to find affordable liability-only car insurance

The best way to find cheap liability-only car insurance is to shop your coverage with multiple insurers. Rates can vary dramatically between insurers. For example, we found a 117% difference between the lowest liability-only rate and the highest. 

When shopping your coverage be sure you are comparing apples to apples regarding coverage levels and deductibles. 

A few other tips for lowering your liability-only car insurance premium:

  • 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: Insurance companies offer various discounts, so ensuring you are getting all available discounts will help lower your premium. Compare the available discounts for each insurance company and look for ones that offer discounts you are qualified to receive. 

How much liability-only car insurance do I need?

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
AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY
StateRequirementsCoverage limits
AlaskaMinimum bodily injury liability$50,000/$100,000
AlaskaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
AlabamaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
AlabamaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
ArkansasMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
ArkansasMinimum property damage liability$25,000
ArizonaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
ArizonaMinimum property damage liability$15,000
CaliforniaMinimum bodily injury liability$15,000/$30,000
CaliforniaMinimum property damage liability$5,000
ColoradoMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
ColoradoMinimum property damage liability$15,000
ConnecticutMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
ConnecticutMinimum property damage liability$25,000
ConnecticutUninsured/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
DelawareMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
DelawareMinimum property damage liability$10,000
DelawarePersonal injury protection$15,000/$30,000
FloridaMinimum bodily injury liability$10,000/$20,000
FloridaMinimum property damage liability$10,000
FloridaPersonal injury protection$10,000
GeorgiaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
GeorgiaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
HawaiiMinimum bodily injury liability$20,000/$40,000
HawaiiMinimum property damage liability$10,000
HawaiiPersonal injury protection or managed care (PPO)$10,000
IowaMinimum bodily injury liability$20,000/$40,000
IowaMinimum property damage liability$15,000
IdahoMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
IdahoMinimum property damage liability$15,000
IllinoisMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
IllinoisMinimum property damage liability$20,000
IllinoisUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
IndianaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
IndianaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
KansasMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
KansasMinimum property damage liability$25,000
KansasPersonal injury protection$4,500 medical /$900 work loss
KansasUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
KentuckyMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
KentuckyMinimum property damage liability$25,000
KentuckyPersonal injury protection$10,000
LouisianaMinimum bodily injury liability$15,000/$30,000
LouisianaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
MassachusettsMinimum bodily injury liability$20,000/$40,000
MassachusettsMinimum property damage liability$5,000
MassachusettsPersonal injury protection$8,000
MassachusettsUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$20,000/$40,000
MarylandMinimum bodily injury liability$30,000/$60,000
MarylandMinimum property damage liability$15,000
MarylandPersonal injury protection$2,500
MarylandUninsured motorist property damage$15,000
MarylandUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$30,000/$60,000
MaineMedical payments$2,000
MaineMinimum bodily injury liability$50,000/$100,000
MaineMinimum property damage liability$25,000
MaineUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$50,000/$100,000
MichiganMinimum bodily injury liability$50,000/$100,000
MichiganMinimum property damage liability$10,000
MichiganPersonal injury protectionMedical and work loss
MichiganProperty protection insurance$10,00,000
MinnesotaMinimum bodily injury liability$30,000/$60,000
MinnesotaMinimum property damage liability$10,000
MinnesotaPersonal injury protection$40,000
MinnesotaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
MissouriMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
MissouriMinimum property damage liability$25,000
MissouriUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
MississippiMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
MississippiMinimum property damage liability$25,000
MontanaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
MontanaMinimum property damage liability$20,000
North CarolinaMinimum bodily injury liability$30,000/$60,000
North CarolinaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
North CarolinaUninsured motorist property damage$25,000
North CarolinaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$30,000/$60,000
North DakotaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
North DakotaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
North DakotaPersonal injury protection$30,000 limit
North DakotaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
NebraskaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
NebraskaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
NebraskaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
New HampshireMedical payments$1,000
New HampshireMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
New HampshireMinimum property damage liability$25,000
New HampshireUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
New JerseyMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
New JerseyMinimum property damage liability$25,000
New JerseyPersonal injury protection$15,000
New JerseyUninsured motorist property damage$25,000
New JerseyUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
New JerseyUninsured/underinsured motorist property damage$25,000
New MexicoMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
New MexicoMinimum property damage liability$10,000
NevadaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
NevadaMinimum property damage liability$20,000
New YorkMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
New YorkMinimum property damage liability$10,000
New YorkPersonal injury protection$50,000 limit
New YorkUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
OhioMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
OhioMinimum property damage liability$25,000
OklahomaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
OklahomaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
OregonMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
OregonMinimum property damage liability$20,000
OregonPersonal injury protection$15,000 limit
OregonUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
PennsylvaniaFirst party benefits (PIP)$5,000
PennsylvaniaMinimum bodily injury liability$15,000/$30,000
PennsylvaniaMinimum property damage liability$5,000
Rhode IslandMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
Rhode IslandMinimum property damage liability$25,000
South CarolinaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
South CarolinaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
South CarolinaUninsured motorist property damage$25,000
South CarolinaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
South DakotaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
South DakotaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
South DakotaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
TennesseeMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
TennesseeMinimum property damage liability$25,000
TexasMinimum bodily injury liability$30,000/$60,000
TexasMinimum property damage liability$25,000
UtahMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$65,000
UtahMinimum property damage liability$15,000
UtahPersonal injury protection$3,000
VirginiaMinimum bodily injury liability$30,000/$60,000
VirginiaMinimum property damage liability$20,000
VirginiaUninsured motorist property damage$20,000
VirginiaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$30,000/$60,000
VermontMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
VermontMinimum property damage liability$10,000
VermontUninsured motorist property damage$10,000
VermontUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$50,000/$100,000
WashingtonMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
WashingtonMinimum property damage liability$10,000
WisconsinMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
WisconsinMinimum property damage liability$10,000
WisconsinUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
West VirginiaMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
West VirginiaMinimum property damage liability$25,000
West VirginiaUninsured motorist property damage$25,000
West VirginiaUninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
West VirginiaUninsured/underinsured motorist property damage$25,000
WyomingMinimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
WyomingMinimum property damage liability$20,000

*Some state rates will vary based on the addition of a hurricane deductible 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. 

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.

Methodology

Insurance.com commissioned Quadrant Data Solutions to field rates in every state for a minimum coverage policy and for limits of 50/100/50. Rates are based on a 40-year-old male driver with a clean record driving a 2023 Honda Accord LX.