Updated April 2026
State Minimum vs Full Coverage Car Insurance: 2026 Monthly Cost Comparison
Use the calculator to see side-by-side monthly costs for all four coverage tiers at your age, state, and vehicle. Then read the personal-liability gap math below -- the number aggregators won't show you.
in Florida with a Sedan
$321/month
Full coverage estimate (100/300/100 + collision + comp). +$113 above national avg
State Min$183/mo10/20/10 (PIP $10K)
Standard$238/mo50/100/50
Full Coverage$321/mo100/300/100
Source: NerdWallet 2026, ValuePenguin 2026, Bankrate 2026
How we calculate thisThe Personal-Liability Gap: Real Numbers
Scenario: You are at fault in an accident. One person has $75,000 in medical bills. Your vehicle causes $35,000 in property damage.
25/50/25 (State Min)
BI limit/person$25,000
Injury claim$75,000
BI gap (personal liability)$50,000
PD gap$10,000
You owe personally
$60,000
50/100/50 (Standard)
BI limit/person$50,000
Injury claim$75,000
BI gap (personal liability)$25,000
PD gap$0
You owe personally
$25,000
100/300/100 (Full)
BI limit/person$100,000
Injury claim$75,000
BI gap (personal liability)$0
PD gap$0
You owe personally
$0
This is why financial advisors consistently recommend at least 50/100/50, and ideally 100/300/100. See full coverage tiers page for more scenarios.
State-Required Coverage Beyond Basic Liability
Many states require PIP, UM/UIM, or ban credit-based insurance scoring. These requirements add to the state-minimum cost and affect your quote.
PIP Required (No-Fault States)
FloridaMichiganNew JerseyNew YorkPennsylvaniaKentuckyMassachusettsNorth DakotaMinnesotaHawaiiUtahColorado
UM/UIM Required
New YorkConnecticutMinnesotaNew HampshireMarylandMissouriVirginiaSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaOregonVermontWisconsinIllinoisLouisianaMaine
Credit Scoring Banned
CaliforniaHawaiiMassachusettsMichigan
Insurers in these states must price on driving record, age, and vehicle only.
Coverage Tier FAQs
What is the difference between state minimum and full coverage?⌄
State minimum covers only what your state legally requires -- usually a basic liability limit like 25/50/25 (bodily injury per person / per accident / property damage, in thousands). It does not cover your own vehicle's repairs (no collision or comprehensive), and the limits are usually too low to cover a serious injury claim. Full coverage adds collision (your vehicle in an accident), comprehensive (theft, weather, fire, vandalism), uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and raises your liability limits to something like 100/300/100. Full coverage typically costs 2-4x more per month but covers your own car and protects your personal assets.
How much is full coverage car insurance per month?⌄
Full coverage (100/300/100 plus collision and comprehensive) averages $208 per month nationally in 2026 for a 35-year-old driving a sedan, per NerdWallet, Bankrate, and ValuePenguin cross-referenced averages. State minimum coverage averages $62 per month. The difference is $146 per month -- or $1,752 per year. In high-cost states like Nevada, full coverage averages $335 per month. In Vermont, $128 per month. Use the calculator above to see your specific estimate.
Should I get full coverage on an old car?⌄
The general financial rule is to keep full coverage while your vehicle is worth more than 10 times the annual cost of collision plus comprehensive. If your car is worth $8,000 and collision plus comp costs $900 per year, the math works ($8,000 is close to 10x $900). If your car is worth $3,000 and collision plus comp costs $800 per year, drop full coverage -- your insurer will never pay more than $3,000 anyway, and after deductible ($500-1,000), you may net $2,000-2,500. Park the savings in a high-yield savings account for self-insurance. Note: lenders typically require full coverage on financed vehicles regardless of vehicle value.
What does 25/50/25 actually mean?⌄
25/50/25 means: $25,000 maximum bodily injury coverage per injured person, $50,000 maximum bodily injury per accident (if multiple people are hurt), and $25,000 maximum property damage per accident. These are your maximum payouts. In a serious two-person injury accident where each person has $75,000 in medical bills and your property damage is $35,000, you would be personally liable for $100,000 over the bodily injury limits ($25K paid, $50K per person gap x2 = $100K) plus $10,000 over the property damage limit. That is why many financial advisors recommend minimum 50/100/50 and most recommend 100/300/100 for asset protection.
What is UM/UIM coverage?⌄
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage pays when you are injured by a driver who has no insurance. Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage pays when the at-fault driver's limits are too low to cover your damages. Approximately 14% of US drivers are uninsured at any given time, per the Insurance Information Institute's 2024 estimate. UM/UIM is required in some states (New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, and others) and optional in most. Adding UM/UIM typically costs $15-40 per month and closes the most common liability gap new drivers face -- being hit by an uninsured driver.
What is PIP coverage?⌄
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) covers your own medical expenses and sometimes lost wages after an accident, regardless of who is at fault. PIP is required in no-fault states: Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Minnesota, Hawaii, Utah, and Colorado. In no-fault states, each driver's own insurance pays their own medical bills rather than the at-fault driver's liability. This reduces litigation but adds a mandatory premium component.
Should I raise my deductible to lower my premium?⌄
Raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 typically saves $5-30 per month on collision and comprehensive. The break-even calculation: if you save $20 per month ($240 per year) and raise your deductible by $500, you need 2.1 years without a collision or comprehensive claim to come out ahead. Most drivers go 4-7 years between claims, so statistically a higher deductible is a good deal. The key is to self-insure the deductible gap: immediately deposit $500 into a high-yield savings account earmarked for the deductible. This way you have the cash available and still keep the interest.
Is it worth getting more than the state minimum?⌄
In most cases, yes. State minimums were often set decades ago and have not kept pace with medical inflation. A 25/50/25 limit was reasonable when medical costs were much lower; in 2026, a serious injury from a moderate-speed collision can easily exceed $100,000 in bills. A driver found at-fault for injuries exceeding their limits is personally liable for the gap -- including wage garnishment and asset seizure in most states. The upgrade from state minimum to 50/100/50 typically costs $15-30 per month. The upgrade from state minimum to 100/300/100 full typically costs $25-50 per month extra in low-cost states. This is usually well worth it.