Mal Profeta is a writer, editor, educator, and public health advocate. They serve as the communications director of an NIH-funded clinical and translational science research center that focuses on addressing health disparities in Appalachia. A former Fulbright recipient, they hold a bachelor's degree from Transylvania University and a master's from New York University.
Jackie Cohen is an editorial manager at Insurify specializing in property & casualty insurance educational content. She has years of experience analyzing insurance trends and helping consumers better understand their insurance coverage to make informed decisions about their finances.
Jackie's work has been cited in USA Today, The Balance, and The Washington Times.
Updated November 21, 2024
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Table of contents
Nebraska laws dictate the minimum requirements for auto insurance coverage that all drivers must carry. In Nebraska, you must hold 25/50/25 in liability insurance and 25/50 in uninsured motorist coverage. Additionally, you can pick from a long list of optional coverages for additional protection.
Car insurance is required by law in Nebraska.
Drivers in Nebraska must carry $25,000 per person in both bodily injury and property liability, plus uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
If caught driving uninsured, drivers face suspension of their license and high penalties.
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Nebraska
The minimum car insurance requirements in Nebraska[1] are:
$25,000 in bodily injury liability per person
$50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident
$25,000 in property damage liability per accident
$25,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person
$50,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage per accident
Merely meeting these coverage requirements will not provide you with coverage for damages to your own property or vehicle. It also does not provide you with personal injury protection, which can help with medical payments if you and/or your passengers are injured in an accident you cause. You will have to add these coverages to your policy if you want them.
Auto insurance protects drivers from financial liability in the event of an accident. Depending on a policy’s specific coverage limitations, car insurance may cover everything from vehicle damage to medical bills.
Bodily Injury Liability
Bodily injury liability is part of your liability car insurance coverage. If you cause an accident, this coverage will help cover the other party’s medical expenses. This type of coverage will not cover your own medical expenses for injuries sustained in a car accident you caused. Bodily injury liability coverage is required in Nebraska.
Property Damage Liability
Property damage liability is the other half of your liability car insurance. It covers repair costs and damage expenses to the other cars involved in an accident you caused. This coverage does not cover damage to your own car in an accident you were at fault for. Property damage liability coverage is required in Nebraska.
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage
If you’re in an accident caused by an underinsured or uninsured driver, this coverage helps pay for medical bills and lost income for you and your passengers. Uninsured motorist coverage is required by Nebraska auto insurance laws. Drivers must have $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance.
Is state minimum car insurance enough in Nebraska?
The minimum required car insurance coverage in Nebraska provides drivers with a solid foundation of auto insurance coverage, but it’s likely not enough. If you cause an accident where the damages (both property and/or bodily) exceed the relatively low minimum requirements, you’ll be responsible for everything above the policy’s payout maximums.
Also, Nebraska’s minimum requirements don’t provide you with any coverage for injuries that you and your passengers sustain from an accident that you are responsible for. Healthcare is expensive—and potentially devastating to your financial future—so you might want to consider adding bodily injury coverage to your auto insurance policy.
Optional Car Insurance Coverage for Nebraska
Nebraska drivers who want to be protected in any situation should consider bolstering their policy beyond minimum car insurance coverage with the following supplemental car insurance coverages:
Collision Coverage
Collision coverage covers damages to your car after a collision with another vehicle or object. If your vehicle is a total loss, collision coverage will reimburse you for the actual cash value of your vehicle. This is a great addition to the required property damage liability coverage in Nebraska, which applies only to the damages to the other driver’s vehicle.
Comprehensive Coverage
Complementing your collision coverage, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle that occurs during an event that is not a collision with another vehicle or object. This may apply in situations of vandalism, theft, weather damage, or a run-in with an animal. Adding comprehensive and collision coverage together creates a full-coverage car insurance policy.
Other Supplemental Coverage
If you want coverage for medical costs for yourself and your passengers (in an accident that you cause), you’ll need to add personal injury protection or medical payments insurance. If you’re using your vehicle to drive for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, you will need separate insurance (often called “ride for hire”) for that.
Depending on your insurance company, you might also be able to purchase roadside assistance coverage (for things like towing or a battery jump) and even rental car reimbursement (if you need one while your vehicle is being repaired).
Penalties for Driving Uninsured in Nebraska
It is illegal to drive in Nebraska without the minimum car insurance coverage. Drivers must carry proof of insurance in the vehicle at all times and present it to law enforcement if asked. If you’re caught driving without insurance[2]:
Your driver’s license will be suspended immediately.
You will have to file “proof of financial responsibility” with the DMV.
You’ll incur a reinstatement fee of at least $50.
The “proof of financial responsibility”—usually in the form of an SR-22 Certificate of Insurance—will remain on file with the Nebraska DMV for three years, during which time you’ll face much higher insurance premiums. So even though the license reinstatement fee is only $50, you’ll end up paying much more than that in the long run.
Minimum Requirements for High-Risk Drivers in Nebraska
If your license has been suspended or revoked due to a conviction, accumulations of points, or another reason, you’ll have to file an SR-22 with the DMV. You must immediately notify your auto insurance company that you need this form submitted (either by mail or electronic filing). High-risk drivers should expect a steep increase in their insurance premiums.
More Information for High-Risk Drivers in Nebraska
Cheapest Minimum Car Insurance in Nebraska
Car insurance companies weigh different factors to determine what to quote drivers on their car insurance policies. Minimum coverage generally means lower car insurance rates. It also means low coverage limits, which may cost you if you’re ever involved in an accident. Here are the cheapest car insurance quotes for minimum coverage in Nebraska.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Monthly Quote for Minimum Coverage ▲▼ |
---|---|
Travelers | $63 |
Dairyland | $135 |
Bristol West | $129 |
Nationwide | $141 |
Liberty Mutual | $115 |
How to Find Cheap Car Insurance in Nebraska
To find the best rate, you should always shop around when looking for car insurance. Insurify can save you time with its price-comparison tool, which provides quotes from multiple insurance companies at once. We also offer free, objective assistance at 1 (866) 656-8440.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is car insurance mandatory in Nebraska?
Yes. You’re required to have 25/50/25 in bodily injury and property liability coverage. This means your insurance will pay up to $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in bodily injury if you’re the at-fault driver and $25,000 in property damage. You’re also required to have uninsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident.
Is Nebraska a no-fault state?
No. Nebraska is an at-fault state, meaning that the driver responsible for causing the accident is responsible for paying for the damages. However, in Nebraska, fault (and therefore financial responsibility) can be shared. If you’re more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot collect damages from the other driver.
Does Nebraska require uninsured motorist protection?
Yes. Drivers in Nebraska must carry a minimum of $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance.
Do you need car insurance to register a car in Nebraska?
Yes. To register a vehicle or renew its registration, you must present proof of insurance.
How can I find cheap car insurance in Nebraska?
The most important thing is to compare prices from multiple insurance companies. Insurify makes it simple to get many quotes at once with its price-comparison tool. Once you’ve found the best plan for you, don’t forget to ask about any discounts you might be eligible for.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Sources
- Nebraska Legislature. "State Minimum Car Insurance Requirements."
- Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. "Penalties for Driving Uninsured."
Mal Profeta is a writer, editor, educator, and public health advocate. They serve as the communications director of an NIH-funded clinical and translational science research center that focuses on addressing health disparities in Appalachia. A former Fulbright recipient, they hold a bachelor's degree from Transylvania University and a master's from New York University.
Jackie Cohen is an editorial manager at Insurify specializing in property & casualty insurance educational content. She has years of experience analyzing insurance trends and helping consumers better understand their insurance coverage to make informed decisions about their finances.
Jackie's work has been cited in USA Today, The Balance, and The Washington Times.