How much car insurance you need depends on the value of your car, your driving record, your assets and your state’s car insurance requirements.
Liability coverage is designed to protect you financially if you are found at fault in an accident. The national average cost of liability coverage is $637 annually for a limit of 50/100/50. But it’s important to note that liability limits of 50/100/50 are still quite low, so if you have significant financial assets, consider a policy with limits of 100/300/100.
Liability car insurance is typically broken down into two parts — bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
- Bodily injury liability covers medical expenses and lost wages if the other person in the accident is injured.
- Property damage liability covers damages to the other person’s property from an accident.
Use our calculator below to see how much liability insurance costs in your state for 50/100/50 coverage.
Estimate liability coverage car insurance rates by state
The average rate for liability coverage car insurance varies widely by state. Drivers in states like Maine and Ohio pay less than $500 per year for the limit 50/100/50, while the liability insurance rate in New Jersey is $1,120 a year for the same coverage, according to 2022 Insure.com data. How much you pay depends on a number of factors, such as your driving record and your vehicle’s make and model. But understanding the average rate in your state can give you a good starting point for estimating your own rates.
Liability-only coverage is the most basic type of insurance, and it can be an attractive option if you’re on a tight budget. But if you are in an accident and your car is damaged, you will have to pay out of pocket to repair it. For these reasons, it is generally recommended that drivers should purchase 100/300/100 auto insurance limits for added protection.
The table below shows each state’s average annual auto insurance liability coverage rates for the limit 50/100/50.
State | Average annual premium |
---|---|
Alaska | $414 |
Alabama | $585 |
Arkansas | $510 |
Arizona | $697 |
California | $864 |
Colorado | $726 |
Connecticut | $849 |
Washington D.C. | $663 |
Delaware | $999 |
Florida | $1,586 |
Georgia | $736 |
Hawaii | $519 |
Iowa | $318 |
Idaho | $386 |
Illinois | $530 |
Indiana | $442 |
Kansas | $412 |
Kentucky | $927 |
Louisiana | $1,260 |
Massachusetts | $660 |
Maryland | $648 |
Maine | $335 |
Michigan | $755 |
Minnesota | $511 |
Missouri | $586 |
Mississippi | $583 |
Montana | $525 |
North Carolina | $435 |
North Dakota | $353 |
Nebraska | $383 |
New Hampshire | $441 |
New Jersey | $1,120 |
New Mexico | $546 |
Nevada | $1,009 |
New York | $960 |
Ohio | $365 |
Oklahoma | $545 |
Oregon | $594 |
Pennsylvania | $501 |
Rhode Island | $782 |
South Carolina | $793 |
South Dakota | $289 |
Tennessee | $445 |
Texas | $659 |
Utah | $645 |
Virginia | $489 |
Vermont | $334 |
Washington | $664 |
Wisconsin | $419 |
West Virginia | $530 |
Wyoming | $331 |
When it comes to car insurance, liability coverage is the minimum that is required by most states. It provides some financial protection if you’re ever involved in an accident that causes property damage or injuries to another person.
Sources:
Insurance Information Institute. “Auto Insurance Basics: Understanding Your Coverage.” Accessed October 2022.
Progressive “ How much car insurance do you need.” Accessed October 2022.
Methodology:
Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services in 2022 to find out rates in every state for liability-only coverage with limits of 50/100/50. Rates are based on the profile of a 40-year-old male driver with a clean record driving a 2021 Honda Accord.