How California's Auto Insurance Minimums Compare to Other Large States
Key Takeaways
- California raised its bodily injury minimums to 30/60/15 in 2025, up from 15/30/5 — unchanged since 1967.
- Florida is the only large state that does not require bodily injury liability coverage at all.
- New York sets the highest bodily injury floor among major states at 25/50/10, with mandatory uninsured motorist coverage.
- Meeting the legal minimum rarely provides adequate protection in a serious accident — real medical costs can far exceed these limits.
- Texas and Illinois fall in the middle tier, offering more protection than Florida but still modest by modern standards.
Our Verdict
California's updated 30/60/15 minimums are a meaningful step forward, but they still lag behind what a serious crash can cost in 2025. Among the large states compared here, New York's mandatory UM/UIM requirement stands out as the most comprehensive floor, while Florida's opt-out on bodily injury leaves drivers the most exposed. Regardless of which state you live in, the legal minimum should be treated as a starting point, not an endpoint.
| Best for | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Drivers seeking the most legally protective state minimum framework | New York |
| Drivers who want to understand their baseline obligation before adding coverage | California (post-2025 limits) |
| Drivers most in need of supplemental coverage beyond state minimums | Florida |
| Budget-conscious drivers in states with mid-tier minimums | Texas or Illinois |
Why California Finally Raised Its Minimums
For 58 years, California required drivers to carry just $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability — limits set in 1967 when a hospital stay cost a fraction of what it does today. Assembly Bill 1107 changed that. Starting January 1, 2025, the state's mandatory minimums jumped to $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident / $15,000 property damage. The property damage floor doubled from $5,000 to $15,000.
To understand why this matters, consider the math. The average cost of a hospitalization following a serious car accident now regularly exceeds $50,000. Under the old $15,000 per-person limit, an insurer paid out its cap and walked away. The at-fault driver was personally on the hook for the rest — wages garnished, savings wiped, liens placed on property. The new limits close some of that gap, but as you'll see below, they still don't close it entirely.
For background on how legislatures arrive at these numbers, see how states set their auto insurance minimums. The short version: it usually takes a lawsuit crisis or sustained advocacy to move the needle.
The Five-State Comparison: What the Numbers Actually Mean
California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois together account for roughly 40% of all registered vehicles in the United States. Comparing their minimums reveals just how inconsistently states protect drivers and accident victims.
| California (2025) | Texas | Florida | New York | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodily Injury Per Person | $30,000 | $30,000 | None required | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Bodily Injury Per Accident | $60,000 | $60,000 | None required | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Property Damage Liability | $15,000 | $25,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| PIP / No-Fault Requirement | None | $2,500 (offered) | $10,000 mandatory | $50,000 mandatory | None |
| UM/UIM Mandatory | No (offer only) | No (offer only) | No | Yes — 25/50 | Yes — 25/50 |
| Fault System | At-fault | At-fault | No-fault | No-fault | At-fault |
| Last Major Limit Update | 2025 | 2011 | 2008 | 2017 | 2020 |
A few things jump out immediately. Florida's $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) requirement substitutes for bodily injury coverage on minor claims, but the state does not mandate that drivers carry any bodily injury liability at all unless they've caused a prior crash. That means if a Florida driver with only PIP injures you seriously, you may have no direct claim against their policy. You'd rely entirely on your own uninsured motorist coverage — if you bought it.
New York, by contrast, requires uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage as part of its baseline. That single requirement makes its framework meaningfully stronger than the dollar figures alone suggest. For a deeper look at gaps that all state minimums share, see auto insurance gaps that state minimums don't cover.
16%
Uninsured drivers in California
According to the Insurance Research Council, roughly 1 in 6 California drivers carries no auto insurance.
~20%
Uninsured drivers in Florida
Florida consistently ranks among the top states for uninsured motorists, per Insurance Research Council data.
$50,000+
Average serious-crash hospitalization cost
The CDC estimates that crash-related hospitalizations average over $50,000, often far exceeding state minimum limits.
58 years
Gap between California limit updates
California's bodily injury minimums were set in 1967 and remained unchanged until AB 1107 took effect January 1, 2025.
Breaking Down Each State's Requirements
California (Updated 2025)
Required: 30/60/15 bodily injury and property damage liability. Uninsured motorist coverage must be offered by insurers, but drivers can reject it in writing.
The new limits are a genuine improvement. A $30,000 per-person cap can cover moderate injuries without leaving the at-fault driver personally exposed. But a multi-car pileup on the 405 with three seriously injured occupants can exhaust the $60,000 per-accident ceiling fast. California still does not mandate UM/UIM coverage, which means a significant number of the state's estimated 16% uninsured drivers leave everyone else at risk.
Texas
Required: 30/60/25 bodily injury and property damage liability. Texas actually matches California's new bodily injury floor and beats it on property damage with a $25,000 requirement.
Texas is a tort state — fault determines who pays — so its liability requirements carry real weight. UM/UIM coverage must be offered but can be rejected. Notably, Texas requires insurers to offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) at a minimum of $2,500, though drivers can decline it.
Florida
Required: $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage liability. No bodily injury liability minimum for most drivers.
Florida operates under a no-fault system, meaning your own PIP pays your medical bills up to $10,000 regardless of who caused the crash. Once those limits are exhausted, you're in tort territory — but if the other driver carries no bodily injury liability, your only recourse is your own UM/UIM policy. Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the country, hovering around 20%. Buying only the Florida minimum is genuinely risky.
Florida's Minimum Leaves Serious Gaps
Carrying only Florida's required $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage means you have zero bodily injury liability coverage to protect you if you seriously injure someone. Florida law requires bodily injury coverage only after a driver has been involved in a prior at-fault crash. If you injure another driver before that threshold, their only recourse against you may be a personal lawsuit — and your only protection would be out-of-pocket assets. Any Florida driver should strongly consider adding bodily injury liability coverage voluntarily.
New York
Required: 25/50/10 bodily injury and property damage liability, plus $50,000 PIP and mandatory UM/UIM at 25/50.
New York's mandatory UM/UIM requirement is the standout feature here. If an uninsured driver hits you in New York, your policy steps in automatically — no need to have proactively added that coverage. The $50,000 PIP minimum is also the most generous of any state in this comparison, covering medical costs, lost wages, and essential services.
Illinois
Required: 25/50/20 bodily injury and property damage liability, plus mandatory UM/UIM at 25/50.
Illinois mirrors New York's UM/UIM mandate, which sets it apart from California, Texas, and Florida. The property damage floor of $20,000 is also more realistic given today's vehicle values. Illinois is a fault state, so liability coverage does the heavy lifting — and the mandatory UM floor ensures you're protected when the other driver comes up short.
What the Minimums Don't Tell You
Comparing these five states on paper can create a false sense of security. Even New York's relatively robust floor leaves major gaps that no state minimum addresses:
- Collision coverage — pays to repair or replace your own vehicle after an accident, regardless of fault. Zero states require it.
- Comprehensive coverage — covers theft, fire, flood, and animal strikes. Also not required anywhere.
- Gap insurance — if you owe more on your car loan than the vehicle is worth, gap coverage pays the difference after a total loss. No state mandates it.
- Medical payments (MedPay) — covers your own medical bills regardless of fault. Required only in a handful of states.
For a full rundown of what falls outside every state's minimum, see our coverage gaps guide. And if you're weighing whether to add collision and comprehensive coverage to your policy, that hub explains what each protects and when it's worth the premium.
Rejecting UM/UIM Coverage Is Rarely Worth It
In states where uninsured motorist coverage is offered but not mandatory — including California and Texas — many drivers decline it to shave a few dollars off their premium. That's a false economy. UM/UIM coverage typically costs $50–$100 per year and is the only protection you have when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little to cover your losses. Accept it unless your health insurance is airtight and you have substantial savings to absorb a total loss.
Use Actual Crash Costs, Not Policy Limits, as Your Benchmark
When evaluating whether your limits are adequate, think in terms of real medical scenarios: a broken femur, a two-night ICU stay, a month of physical therapy. Look up average costs in your state, then compare them to your per-person bodily injury limit. If the numbers don't line up, it's time to increase your coverage — or consider an umbrella policy.
The bigger picture: state minimums are floors set by legislators who often haven't updated them in years (California's 58-year gap being the extreme example). They reflect political compromise and actuarial history, not the actual cost of a serious accident today. For a reference on how all 50 states compare, the US state minimum auto insurance requirements overview is a useful starting point. To find out which states set the bar highest and lowest, check states with the highest and lowest minimum coverage requirements.
How Much Coverage Should You Actually Carry?
The standard recommendation from most P&C brokers is 100/300/100 — $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $100,000 property damage. That's roughly three times California's new minimum and ten times its old one. For high-income earners or homeowners with significant assets, even that may not be enough. A single serious injury lawsuit can seek damages well into the seven figures.
One cost-effective way to extend your protection is an umbrella policy, which kicks in after your auto limits are exhausted. A $1 million umbrella typically costs $150–$300 per year — less than a dollar a day for a substantial layer of protection above your auto policy.
If you're ready to think beyond the minimum, choosing coverage limits above the state minimum offers a practical framework for matching your limits to your real financial exposure. And for a quick look at how policy limits and exclusions interact, that hub covers the mechanics of how caps work in practice.
The bottom line: know your state's legal floor, then decide how far above it you can afford to go. With California's new limits finally in place, it's a good moment to pull out your dec page and see where you stand.
All claims in this article are backed by peer-reviewed research. We follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure accuracy and reliability. Sources available on request from our editorial team.
