How Much Property Damage Car Insurance Do I Need in the United States?

Q: How Much Property Damage Car Insurance Do I Need in the United States?

Every U.S. state (except New Hampshire and Virginia , which have unique rules) requires drivers to carry some form of liability insurance — including property damage coverage. Here are examples of property damage liability minimums by state (as of 2025): State Minimum Property Damage Coverage Required California $5,000 per accident Texas $25,000 per accident Florida $10,000 per accident New York $10,000 per accident Illinois $20,000 per accident Georgia $25,000 per accident Nevada $20,000 per accident Pennsylvania $5,000 per accident 💡 These minimums are legal baselines only — they’re often not enough to cover modern repair costs. For example, if you cause an accident that totals another driver’s new Tesla or SUV, $5,000–$10,000 won’t even come close to covering the bill.

Question

Morgan Blake · Accepted Answer

Every U.S. state (except New Hampshire and Virginia, which have unique rules) requires drivers to carry some form of liability insurance — including property damage coverage.

Here are examples of property damage liability minimums by state (as of 2025):

State	Minimum Property Damage Coverage Required
California	$5,000 per accident
Texas	$25,000 per accident
Florida	$10,000 per accident
New York	$10,000 per accident
Illinois	$20,000 per accident
Georgia	$25,000 per accident
Nevada	$20,000 per accident
Pennsylvania	$5,000 per accident

💡 These minimums are legal baselines only — they’re often not enough to cover modern repair costs.
For example, if you cause an accident that totals another driver’s new Tesla or SUV, $5,000–$10,000 won’t even come close to covering the bill.