Car insurance requirements in Pennsylvania
What the law actually requires, and why it usually isn’t enough.
Every figure on this page is sourced and dated. Requirements change when legislatures amend them, so we say where ours came from and when we last checked.
What Pennsylvania compels you to carry
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
- Personal injury protection (PIP)
Drivers elect between limited and full tort. The cheaper option restricts your right to sue for pain and suffering — a decision worth understanding before taking the discount.
What’s specific to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's 15/30/5 minimums are among the lowest in the country, and the $5,000 property damage limit would not cover a total loss on most vehicles.
Drivers choose between limited tort and full tort. Limited tort costs less but restricts your right to sue for pain and suffering — a decision worth understanding before you take the discount.
Why the minimum is a floor, not a recommendation
State minimums are set by legislation. They reflect what lawmakers judged to be the least a driver should carry — often decided years ago and rarely revisited. Pennsylvania’s figures say nothing about your circumstances.
The consequence is concrete: if you cause an accident and the claim exceeds your limits, the remainder can come from you. Liability coverage is the part of the policy protecting everything you own, which is why the sensible question is what you’d have at risk — not what the statute permits.
Checking this yourself
You should not have to take our word for it. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department publishes the current requirements, handles complaints, and maintains a licence lookup so you can verify anyone selling you a policy.
Find the Pennsylvania insurance department via the NAIC directoryPennsylvania car insurance questions
Pennsylvania requires at least 15/30/5 — $15,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 of property damage liability. Verified 2026-08-17.
Pennsylvania operates an choice / limited tort system. Drivers elect between limited and full tort. The cheaper option restricts your right to sue for pain and suffering — a decision worth understanding before taking the discount.
Minimums are a legal floor set by legislation, not an assessment of what you'd need. If a claim exceeds your limits the difference can come from you, so the honest test is what you'd have at risk in a serious at-fault accident — not what the statute permits.
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department publishes the current requirements and a licence lookup. We list our source and the date we last verified these figures on this page, and requirements do change — legislatures amend them.
Get a Pennsylvania quote
We’re licensed in Pennsylvania and work with multiple carriers, so we can compare rather than sell one company’s product.
Requirements verified 2026-08-17 against Insurance Information Institute / APCIA, rev. 7/2024. State insurance law changes — confirm current requirements with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department before relying on any figure here. General information only, not legal or insurance advice. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer.