Car Insurance Requirements in Pennsylvania (2024)

Pennsylvania’s minimum car insurance requirements are 15/30/5. Here’s what that means and what coverages you have to purchase.

Nick Dauk
Written byNick Dauk
Nick Dauk
Nick Dauk
  • 6+ years writing about insurance, travel, and personal finances

  • Contributor to brands like Credible

In addition to insurance, Nick specializes in writing about business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and travel. He’s been featured in myriad web publications, including Fox Business.

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Courtney Mikulski
Courtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
  • 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

  • Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

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Updated October 30, 2024

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Cheapest recent rates in Pennsylvania

Drivers using Insurify have found quotes as cheap as $41/mo for liability only and $79/mo for full coverage in Pennsylvania.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users from Pennsylvania within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024

Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users from Pennsylvania within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024

Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.

Pennsylvania is one of the many states that require drivers to maintain minimum car insurance coverage, but it’s important to know exactly what those minimum coverages are. In Pennsylvania, drivers must purchase 15/30/5 liability coverage, which translates to $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability and $5,000 per accident for property damage liability.[1]

Since Pennsylvania is a no-fault state with full-tort and limited-tort coverage options, it’s especially important to understand how these state laws affect your car insurance policy as you shop for quotes.[2] Here’s what you need to know about Pennsylvania car insurance requirements.

Pennsylvania car insurance requirements

All drivers in Pennsylvania must maintain at least the following coverages:[1]

  • $15,000 per person for bodily injury liability

  • $30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability

  • $5,000 per accident for property damage liability

  • $5,000 for medical benefits

Bodily injury liability

Bodily injury liability insurance is coverage for the injuries you cause another person when you’re the at-fault driver. So if you cause an accident, this coverage pays for the other parties’ medical expenses from the incident.

In Pennsylvania, all drivers are required to have at least $15,000 for bodily injury insurance for the injury or death of one person and $30,000 for the injuries or deaths of two or more people in one car accident.[1]

While this coverage is part of your Pennsylvania auto insurance policy, it doesn’t provide payment or reimbursement for your own injuries after an at-fault accident.

How Much Car Insurance Do You Need?

How Much Car Insurance Do You Need?

Property damage liability

Property damage liability insurance is similar to bodily injury liability insurance: Both pay for the expenses you cause in an at-fault accident. The difference is that property damage liability pays for the physical damages you cause another person’s property, including vehicles, houses, and other structures, like bridges and roadways.

In Pennsylvania, all drivers must maintain at least $5,000 of property damage liability insurance for each accident.[1]

Medical benefits

Medical benefits coverage pays for your injuries after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. It also applies to any passengers in your car. The minimum required amount in Pennsylvania is $5,000.

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Pennsylvania full-tort and limited-tort options

Pennsylvania operates under a no-fault system, which means after an accident, drivers file claims with their own insurance companies for bodily injuries.[3] However, Pennsylvania is also a tort state, so drivers can choose a full-tort or a limited-tort option for their car insurance coverage.

Full-tort coverage gives the driver unrestricted rights to bring a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. But with a limited-tort option, you can’t sue for pain and suffering, only medical and property damage expenses. Because limited tort restricts some of your options, it’s generally the cheaper type of policy.[2]

Do you need more than state-minimum coverage in Pennsylvania?

Liability-only policies cover the injuries, deaths, and damages you cause another person or property. They provide the lowest level of legally acceptable coverage, which is why they’re generally the cheapest auto insurance policies you can find.

You don’t legally need more than liability insurance to drive in Pennsylvania, but these minimum coverages are just that: minimums. It may not be enough coverage to fully protect you and your assets on the road.

People can purchase full-coverage policies, which are liability-only policies with additional coverages, like comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, and roadside assistance. If you finance or lease your car, the lienholder may require you to purchase comprehensive and collision coverages.

Good to Know

You may want full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania if you drive a newer, high-value vehicle that you couldn’t afford to replace. But you may be fine with liability-only coverage if you want to pay as little as possible for insurance and drive an older car that’s worth less than the cost of a major repair.

The cost of liability-only car insurance in Pennsylvania

The average cost of liability-only car insurance in Pennsylvania is $91 per month. Although you must meet certain minimums, you can take out higher liability limits than what Pennsylvania law requires for more protection.

Remember, the minimum required coverages in Pennsylvania don’t cover any damages to your vehicle or property.

Here are the cheapest liability car insurance quotes in Pennsylvania.

The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Sunday, September 1 at 12:00 PM PDT
Insurance Company
Average Monthly Quote
State Farm$51
Mile Auto$55
Erie$59
Auto-Owners$63
National General$67
Plymouth Rock$67
Travelers$76
Foremost$76
GEICO$79
Progressive$79
Safeco$84
Allstate$89
Direct Auto$92
The General$96
Nationwide$100
USAA$103
Chubb$119
Dairyland$127
Bristol West$128
State Auto$139
Liberty Mutual$141
CSAA$150
Hugo$182
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

The cost of full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania

The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania is $174 per month. No exact definition of full-coverage car insurance exists, but it typically includes the state-required coverage plus collision and comprehensive coverages.

Because full-coverage insurance has more protections for drivers, it’s usually a more expensive policy than liability-only coverage. But here are the cheapest full-coverage quotes in Pennsylvania to start your search.

The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Sunday, September 1 at 12:00 PM PDT
Insurance Company
Average Monthly Quote
Mile Auto$72
State Farm$107
Erie$123
Plymouth Rock$133
Auto-Owners$134
Safeco$144
National General$157
GEICO$160
Travelers$160
Progressive$162
CSAA$176
Allstate$181
Direct Auto$186
Nationwide$206
Liberty Mutual$207
USAA$210
Foremost$218
Infinity$238
Bristol West$239
The General$244
Chubb$245
State Auto$292
Dairyland$293
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

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Penalties for driving without proof of insurance in Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania may penalize you if you drive without insurance or without proof of insurance. Although the state doesn’t impose criminal penalties, the civil penalties and expenses could include:[4]

  • Minimum $300 fine

  • Three-month driver’s license and vehicle registration suspension

  • Restoration fees for vehicle registration, driver’s license, and commercial driver’s license

Optional car insurance coverages to consider

Whether you commute on the Pennsylvania Turnpike or hardly leave your ZIP code, you may want to consider purchasing more than the state-minimum coverage so you can drive with the level of financial protection you need. 

Here are some coverages you can consider:

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/x/169fdfde11/liability-coverage.svg

    Collision insurance

    Collision coverage pays for your vehicle damages when you hit another vehicle or stationary object, regardless of fault.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/x/665da91bf7/comprehensive-coverage.svg

    Comprehensive coverage

    Comprehensive coverage pays for vehicle damages from non-collision events, like floods, theft, vandalism, falling objects, severe weather, and more.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/x/5285c4cd74/uninsured-or-underinsured-motorist-coverage.svg

    Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

    About 6% of Pennsylvania drivers don’t have coverage.[5] Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage provides you with financial compensation if an at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance or enough insurance to cover the injuries or damages you sustained.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/x/abffe6238f/financial-protection.svg

    Gap insurance

    Gap insurance covers the difference between your auto loan balance and insurance payout in the event of a total loss.

Pennsylvania car insurance requirements FAQs

Driving without meeting Pennsylvania’s minimum coverage requirements can result in fines or license and registration suspension. Here’s some additional information about Pennsylvania insurance laws to help you better understand what your auto insurance policy must include.

  • Does Pennsylvania require car insurance?

    Yes, Pennsylvania requires all drivers to maintain car insurance.[1]

  • What are the minimum auto insurance requirements in Pennsylvania?

    Pennsylvania requires 15/30/5 minimum auto insurance coverage, which translates to $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability and $5,000 per accident for property damage liability. It also requires $5,000 in medical benefits coverage.[1]

  • Do you need car insurance to register a car in Pennsylvania?

    Yes. Pennsylvania state law requires you to provide proof of car insurance when you initially register your vehicle.[4]

  • Does insurance follow the car or the driver in Pennsylvania?

    Your car insurance policy typically insures your vehicle and anyone who drives your vehicle with your permission. However, your policy may have certain exclusions or limitations, so you should ask your insurer about when it does and doesn’t provide coverage.[6]

Sources

  1. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. "Insurance Overview."
  2. Pennsylvania Insurance Department. "Automobile Insurance Guide."
  3. Nolo. "Your Guide to Pennsylvania Auto Insurance."
  4. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. "Insurance Law Overview and Frequently Asked Questions."
  5. III. "Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists."
  6. III. "8 auto insurance myths."
Nick Dauk
Nick Dauk

Nick Dauk is a freelance writer specializing in business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and travel. His work has been featured in Fox Business, BBC, The Edge, Business Insider, and Bisnow. Nick is a first-generation college graduate, having majored in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Central Florida. His eclectic coursework, combined with previous managerial roles in the retail and broadcast television industries, have helped him develop an interdisciplinary approach to writing.

For nearly a decade, Nick has created content for mom-and-pop businesses and global corporations. As a travel writer, his global adventures have also been featured on Inside Hook, Houston Chronicle, Culture Trip, and Matador. When he's not traveling, Nick can be found in Orlando spending time with his wife and toddler.

Courtney Mikulski
Edited byCourtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
Courtney Mikulski
Courtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
  • 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

  • Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

Featured in

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