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What are the driving laws in my state?

AUTOMOBILE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LAWS

Most states require car owners to buy a minimum amount of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance before they can legally drive their cars. All states have financial responsibility laws. This means that people involved in an automobile accident will be required to furnish proof of financial responsibility up to certain minimum dollar limits. To comply with financial responsibility laws, most drivers purchase automobile liability insurance. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident since accidents may cost far more than the minimum limits mandated by most states.

The chart below shows mandatory requirements for bodily injury (BI), physical damage (PD) liability, no-fault personal injury protection (PIP), and uninsured (UM) and underinsured (UIM) motorists coverage. It also indicates which states have only financial responsibility (FR) laws.


AUTOMOBILE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LIMITS BY STATE


State
Insurance required 
Minimum liability limits (1)
Alabama BI & PD Liab 20/40/10
Alaska BI & PD Liab 50/100/25
Arizona BI & PD Liab 15/30/10
Arkansas BI & PD Liab, PIP 25/50/25
California  BI & PD Liab 15/30/5 (2)
Colorado BI & PD Liab 25/50/15
Connecticut BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM 20/40/10
Delaware BI & PD Liab, PIP 15/30/10
D.C. BI & PD Liab, UM 25/50/10
Florida PD Liab, PIP 10/20/10 (3)
Georgia BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Hawaii BI & PD Liab, PIP 20/40/10
Idaho BI & PD Liab 25/50/15
Illinois BI & PD Liab, UM 20/40/15
Indiana BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
Iowa BI & PD Liab 20/40/15
Kansas BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM 25/50/10
Kentucky BI & PD Liab, PIP 25/50/10
Louisiana BI & PD Liab 10/20/10
Maine BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM  50/100/25 (4)
Maryland BI & PD Liab, PIP (5), UM 20/40/15
Massachusetts BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM 20/40/5
Michigan BI & PD Liab, PIP 20/40/10
Minnesota BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM, UIM 30/60/10
Mississippi BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Missouri BI & PD Liab, UM 25/50/10
Montana BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
Nebraska BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Nevada BI & PD Liab 15/30/10
New Hampshire FR only, UM 25/50/25
New Jersey BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM 15/30/5 (6)
New Mexico BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
New York BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM 25/50/10 (7)
North Carolina BI & PD Liab 30/60/25
North Dakota BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM 25/50/25
Ohio BI & PD Liab 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma BI & PD Liab 25/50/25
Oregon BI & PD Liab, PIP, UM 25/50/10
Pennsylvania BI & PD Liab, PIP 15/30/5
Rhode Island BI & PD Liab, UM 25/50/25 (3)
South Carolina BI & PD Liab, UM 25/50/25
South Dakota BI & PD Liab, UM 25/50/25
Tennessee BI & PD Liab 25/50/10 (3)
Texas  BI & PD Liab 20/40/15*
Utah BI & PD Liab, PIP 25/50/15 (3)
Vermont BI & PD Liab, UM, UIM 25/50/10
Virginia BI & PD Liab, UM 25/50/20
Washington BI & PD Liab 25/50/10
West Virginia BI & PD Liab, UM 20/40/10
Wisconsin FR only, UM 25/50/10
Wyoming BI & PD Liab 25/50/20
(1) The first two numbers refer to bodily injury liability limits and the third number to property liability.  For example, 20/40/10 means coverage up to $40,000 for all persons injured in an accident, subject to a limit of $20,000 for one individual, and $10,000 coverage for property damage.
(2) Low-cost policy limits for low-income drivers in the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan are 10/20/3.
(3) Instead of policy limits, policyholders can satisfy the requirement with a combined single limit policy. Amounts vary by state.
(4) In addition, policyholders must also carry at least $1,000 for medical payments.
(5) May be waived for the policyholder but is compulsory for passengers.
(6) Basic policy (optional) limits are 10/10/5. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverge not available under the basic policy but uninsured motorist coverage is required under the standard policy.
(7) In addition, policyholders must have 50/100 for wrongful death coverage.

*Minimum coverage requirements will increase to 25/50/25 on April 1, 2008 and to 30/60/30 on January 1, 2011.

Source: Property Casualty Insurers Association of America; state departments of insurance.

STATE AUTO INSURANCE LAWS GOVERNING LIABILITY COVERAGE


 
First-party benefits
Restrictions on lawsuits
Thresholds for lawsuits

“True”
no-fault
Compulsory 
Optional
Yes
No
Monetary
Verbal
Florida X   X     X
Hawaii X   X   X  
Kansas X   X   X  
Kentucky X   X X  (1) X  (1)  
Massachusetts X   X   X  
Michigan X   X     X
Minnesota X   X   X  
New Jersey X   X X  (1)   X (1), (2)
New York X   X     X
North Dakota X   X   X  
Pennsylvania X   X X  (1)   X  (1)
Utah X   X   X  
Puerto Rico X   X   X  
             
Add-on





Arkansas   X   X    
Delaware X     X    
D.C.   X X (3) X (3)    
Maryland X     X    
New Hampshire   X   X    
Oregon X     X    
South Dakota   X   X    
Texas   X   X    
Virginia   X   X    
Washington   X   X    
Wisconsin   X   X    

(1) “Choice” no-fault state. Policyholder can choose a policy based on the no-fault system or traditional tort liability.
(2) Verbal threshold for the Basic Liability Policy, the Special Policy and the Standard Policy where the policyholder chooses no-fault. The Basic and Special Policies contain lower amounts of coverage.
(3) The District of Columbia is neither a true no-fault nor add-on state. Drivers are offered the option of no-fault or fault-based coverage, but in the event of an accident a driver who originally chose no-fault benefits has 60 days to decide whether to receive those benefits or file a claim against the other party.

Source: American Insurance Association.
  • In the following 28 states auto liability is based on the traditional tort liability system. In these states, there are no restrictions on lawsuits:

    Alabama
    Alaska
    Arizona
    California
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Georgia
    Idaho
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Iowa
    Louisiana
    Maine
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Montana
    Nebraska
    Nevada
    New Mexico
    North Carolina
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Rhode Island
    South Carolina
    Tennessee
    Vermont
    West Virginia
    Wyoming

SEAT-BELT LAWS

Only 26 states and the District of Columbia have a primary seat-belt enforcement law, which allows law enforcement officers to stop a car for noncompliance with seat-belt laws. The other states have secondary laws; officials can only issue seat-belt violations if they stop motorists for other infractions. New Hampshire is the only state that does not have a seat-belt law that applies to adults.

Seat-belt use reached 82 percent nationwide in 2007, a slight gain from 81 percent use in 2006. States with primary seat-belt laws had an average 87 percent usage rate, versus 73 percent in states with secondary laws.

STATE SEAT-BELT USE LAWS


State
2006 usage rate (1)
Primary/secondary enforcement (2)
Requirements
Maximum fine, first offense
Damages reduced (3)
Alabama 82.9% P 15+ yrs. in front seat  $25  
Alaska 83.2 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 15 X
Arizona NA S 5+ yrs. in front seat; 5-15 in all seats 10 X
Arkansas 69.3 S 15+ yrs. in front seat 25  
California 93.4 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 20 X
Colorado 80.3 S  16+ yrs. in front seat 15 X
Connecticut 83.5 P 7+ yrs. in front seat 15  
Delaware 86.1 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 25  
D.C. 85.4 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 50  
Florida NA S  6+ yrs. in front seat; 6-17 yrs. in all seats 30 X
Georgia NA P 6-17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat 15  
Hawaii 92.5 P 8-17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat 45  
Idaho 79.8 S 7+ yrs. in all seats 25  
Illinois 87.8 P 16+  yrs. in front seat; 18 yrs. and younger in all seats if driver is younger than 18 yrs. 25  
Indiana 84.3 P 16+ yrs. in all seats  25  
Iowa 89.6 P 11+ yrs. in front seat 25  X
Kansas 73.5 (4) 14-17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat 60 X
Kentucky 67.2 P more than 40 in. in all seats 25  
Louisiana 74.8 P 13+ yrs. in front seat 25  
Maine 77.2 P 18+ yrs. in all seats 50  
Maryland NA P 16+ yrs. in front seat 25  
Massachusetts 66.9 S 12+ yrs. in all seats 25  
Michigan 94.3 P 4+ yrs. in front seat; 4-15 yrs. in all seats 25 X
Minnesota 83.3 S  all in front seat; 3-10 yrs. in all seats 25  
Mississippi 73.6 P 4-7 yrs. in all seats; 8+ yrs. in front seat 25  
Missouri 75.2 (4) 16+ yrs. in front seat  10 X
Montana 79.0 S 6+ yrs. in all seats 20  
Nebraska 76.0 S 18+ yrs. in front seat 25 X
Nevada NA S 6+ yrs. in all seats 25  
New Hampshire NA S      
New Jersey 90.0 P 7 yrs. and younger but more than 80 lbs.; 8-17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat 20 X
New Mexico 89.6 P 18+ yrs. in all seats 25  
New York 83.0 P 16+ yrs. in front seat 50 X
North Carolina 88.5 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 25  
North Dakota 79.0 S 18+ yrs. in front seat 20 X
Ohio 81.7 S 4-14 yrs. in all seats; 15+ yrs. in front seat 30 driver/20 passenger X
Oklahoma 83.7 P 13+ yrs. in front seat 20  
Oregon 94.1 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 75 X
Pennsylvania NA S  8-17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat 10  
Rhode Island NA (4) 13+ yrs. in all seats 57  
South Carolina 72.5 P 6+ yrs. in front seat; 6+ yrs. in rear seat with shoulder belt 25  
South Dakota 71.3 S 18+ yrs. in front seat 20  
Tennessee 78.6 P 16+ yrs. in front seat 50  
Texas 90.4 P 4 yrs. and younger but 36 inches or more; 5-16 yrs. in all seats; 17+ yrs. in front seat  200  
Utah 88.6 (4) 16+ yrs. in all seats 45  
Vermont 82.4 S 16+ yrs. in all seats  25  
Virginia 78.7 S 16+ yrs. in front seat 25  
Washington 96.3 P 16+ yrs. in all seats 37  
West Virginia NA S  8+ yrs. in front seat; 8-17 yrs. in all seats 25 X
Wisconsin 75.4 S  8+ yrs. in all seats 10 X
Wyoming 63.5 S  9+ yrs. in all seats 25 driver/10 passenger  
United States 81.0%        
(1) Surveys used by states must be actual observation of shoulder-belt use by drivers and front seat passengers.
(2) Primary enforcement means police may stop a vehicle and issue a fine for noncompliance with seat-belt laws.  Secondary enforcement means that police may issue a fine for not wearing a seat-belt only if the vehicle has been stopped for other traffic violations.
(3) Court awards for compensation for injury may be reduced if seat-belt laws were violated.
(4) Primary enforcement for children; ages vary.

NA=Data not available.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

DRUNK DRIVING LAWS