What is the minimum car insurance required in Texas?
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TL;DR
Texas sets a minimum of $30,0001 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision, $60,0001 for two or more persons in one collision, and $25,0001 for damage to property of others. The Texas Department of Insurance describes the state minimum in its auto insurance guide as coverage for injuries per person and per accident and for property damage.2
What is the minimum car insurance required in Texas?
The Texas Transportation Code sets the minimum amounts of liability coverage, and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) describes them in its auto insurance guide. According to the Texas Legislature, the minimum is $30,0001 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision. For two or more persons in one collision it is $60,0001, subject to the per-person amount. For damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision, the minimum is $25,0001. TDI writes:
Texas law requires you to have at least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for property damage.
What are the three Texas minimum limits?
| Coverage | Minimum under Texas law |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision | $30,0001 |
| Bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision | $60,0001, subject to the per-person amount |
| Damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision | $25,0001 |
Is an insurance policy the only way to meet the requirement in Texas?
The Transportation Code says a person may not operate a motor vehicle in Texas unless financial responsibility is established, and it names 5 options3: an insurance policy, a surety bond, a deposit with the comptroller, a deposit with a county judge, or self-insurance.
What happens in Texas if a driver does not meet the requirement?
A first offense of operating a vehicle without financial responsibility is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $175 to $3504.
Does TAIPA sell more than the minimum limits in Texas?
The Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA) states that only minimum limits are available through the plan, currently 30/60/255.
What the sources do not state
The sources used here do not describe optional coverages, they do not say whether the minimum limits are enough for any particular crash, and they do not say how the amounts apply to a surety bond, a deposit or self-insurance.
Next step
TDI describes the minimum in its Auto insurance guide. The filing lookup tool is where to look up filing details for a situation.
Related questions
Receipts
- 1
Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes)
Texas Transportation Code Sec. 601.072 (Minimum Coverage Amounts; Exclusions)
Open sourceSee the data - 2
- 3
Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes)
Texas Transportation Code Sec. 601.051 (Requirement of Financial Responsibility)
Open sourceSee the data - 4
Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes)
Texas Transportation Code Sec. 601.191 (Operation of Motor Vehicle in Violation of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Requirement; Offense)
Open sourceSee the data - 5