States That Raised Minimum Car Insurance in 2025 and 2026: Old Limits, New Limits and What Happens at Renewal
Part of our guide to minimum car insurance by state.
If your renewal notice arrived with higher liability limits you did not ask for, your state may have raised its legal minimum. Seven states did so in 2025 or 2026. This page lists each one with the old and new limits, the date the change applied, and what the state's own regulator says about your premium.
Key takeaways
- California, Virginia and Utah raised minimums on January 1, 2025. Massachusetts and North Carolina followed on July 1, 2025. New Jersey and Hawaii raised theirs on January 1, 2026.
- In most of these states, the change applied as policies were issued or renewed on or after the effective date, so drivers saw it at their next renewal.
- North Carolina's insurance department says drivers at the old minimums "can expect their premiums to increase" at renewal. Hawaii's estimates an average increase of about 25% for many drivers who move to the new limits.
- If you already carried limits above the new floor, the law did not change your coverage.
Which states raised minimum car insurance in 2025 and 2026?
Limits are shown as bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage, in thousands of dollars. If that format is new to you, see what 25/50/25 means.
| State | Old minimum | New minimum | Applies to | State source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 15/30/5 | 30/60/15 | Policies renewing from January 1, 2025 | CA Department of Insurance; CA DMV |
| Virginia | 30/60/20 | 50/100/25 | Policies effective on or after January 1, 2025 | Virginia DMV |
| Utah | 25/65/15 | 30/65/25 | Policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 | Utah Code 31A-22-304 |
| Massachusetts | 20/40/5 | 25/50/30 | Policies written or renewing on or after July 1, 2025 | Massachusetts Division of Insurance |
| North Carolina | 30/60/25 | 50/100/50 | New or renewed policies on or after July 1, 2025 | NC Department of Insurance |
| New Jersey | 25/50/25 | 35/70/25 | New and renewal policies on or after January 1, 2026 | NJ Department of Banking and Insurance |
| Hawaii | 20/40/10 | 40/80/20 | New and renewal policies on or after January 1, 2026 | Hawaii Insurance Division |
The old Massachusetts limits are from Triple-I's state table; all other old and new figures are from the state source named.
What changed in California's minimum car insurance in 2025?
California's Department of Insurance says that beginning January 1, 2025, "as auto insurance policies come up for renewal throughout the year, all standard auto insurance policies in California will have higher minimum liability limits": $30,000 per person (up from $15,000), $60,000 per accident (up from $30,000) and $15,000 for property damage (up from $5,000). The DMV cites the requirement to California Insurance Code section 11580.1b.
Property damage tripled. For scale, Triple-I, citing ISO data, puts the average private passenger property damage liability claim at $6,770 in 2024, above the old $5,000 floor.
What changed in Virginia, Utah and Massachusetts?
Virginia lists 50/100/25 for "policies effective on or after Jan. 1, 2025" on its DMV insurance page. The prior limits, 30/60/20, had applied since January 1, 2022.
Utah's statute sets 30/65/25 for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, or a $90,000 combined single limit, up from $80,000. The per-accident bodily injury figure stayed at $65,000.
Massachusetts raised bodily injury to others to $25,000 / $50,000, bodily injury caused by an uninsured auto to the same $25,000 / $50,000, and property damage to $30,000, for policies written or renewing on or after July 1, 2025. Personal injury protection stayed at $8,000 per person, according to the Division of Insurance.
What changed in North Carolina?
North Carolina made the largest jump in this group. Its Department of Insurance says that for new or renewed policies on or after July 1, 2025, bodily injury minimums rose to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, and property damage rose to $50,000.
The same change added underinsured motorist coverage to every new or renewed policy. Previously, policies at the old minimum limits did not include it. North Carolina also changed how underinsured status is measured, basing it on the injured person's total damages rather than on the at-fault driver's limits.
What changed in New Jersey and Hawaii in 2026?
New Jersey finished a two-phase increase under P.L.2022, c.87. The first phase set 25/50/25 from January 1, 2023. The second, effective January 1, 2026 for all new and renewal policies, raised bodily injury to $35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident, with property damage unchanged at $25,000. The Department of Banking and Insurance bulletin says insurers must notify you at renewal if your old limits no longer meet the minimum, and do not need a newly signed coverage selection form to raise them. The law does not apply to New Jersey's Basic policy.
Hawaii doubled every limit on January 1, 2026, from 20/40/10 to 40/80/20, for all new and renewal policies. PIP remains at least $10,000.
What does a higher state minimum do to your renewal?
It depends on where your limits sat before.
- You carried the old minimum. Your insurer raised your limits to the new floor at renewal. North Carolina's Department of Insurance says these policyholders "can expect their premiums to increase when their policies are renewed with the new higher coverage limits." Hawaii's Insurance Division says that "for many drivers, increasing coverage limits to twice the prior minimums may result in an average premium increase of about 25%, though your actual cost may be higher or lower."
- You already carried more than the new minimum. The law did not require any change to your limits. A rate increase at the same renewal would have other causes, which we break down in why car insurance went up in 2026.
- You are moving into one of these states. A policy that met your old state's floor may fall short of the new one. See changing car insurance when you move states.
Check your declarations page. Your renewal declarations page lists your bodily injury and property damage limits. Compare them with the new minimum for your state. If the numbers changed and you did not request it, this law is the likely reason, and your insurer's renewal notice should say so.
Is the new minimum enough coverage?
The regulators who raised these floors say a minimum is not a target. Hawaii's FAQ states that "even with the new 40/80/20 limits, serious accidents can exceed these amounts." If you have savings, a home or wages to protect, a limit set by statute decades ago or updated last year still may not match what a serious crash costs. The full state-by-state table is in minimum car insurance by state.
FinanceRazor may be paid when you request quotes through this link. This does not change what we report.
FAQ
Did California's minimum change for existing policies or only new ones? Both. The Department of Insurance says policies moved to the higher limits "as auto insurance policies come up for renewal throughout the year" starting January 1, 2025.
Are more increases scheduled? New Jersey's 2026 change was the second phase of a law passed in 2022, so increases can be staged years apart. This page lists only changes already in effect; ask your state insurance department whether any later step is scheduled.
Does a higher minimum mean fewer uninsured drivers? Not by itself. Minimums set what insured drivers must carry. Uninsured drivers are a separate problem addressed by uninsured motorist coverage.
Do I have to do anything if my limits were already higher? No change is required by these laws. Review the renewal anyway, since other rating changes may apply.
Which state now has the highest minimum? Among these seven, North Carolina's 50/100/50 is highest. Alaska, Maine, Michigan (lowest allowed limit) and Virginia also require $50,000 per person, per our state table.
Sources
- California Department of Insurance, "New Year Means New Changes for Insurance," https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0102-alerts/2025/New-Year-Means-New-Changes-for-Insurance.cfm (accessed October 1, 2026)
- California DMV, "Auto Insurance Requirements," https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/insurance-requirements/ (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Virginia DMV, "Insurance Requirements," https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/insurance-requirements (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Virginia DMV, "Vehicle Insurance Coverage Requirements Change January 1," https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/news/vehicle-insurance-coverage-requirements-change-january-1 (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Utah Code section 31A-22-304, https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title31A/Chapter22/31A-22-S304.html (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Massachusetts Division of Insurance, "Filing Guidance Notice 2025-A," https://www.mass.gov/doc/2025-a-new-motor-vehicle-mandatory-coverage-limits/download (accessed October 1, 2026)
- North Carolina Department of Insurance, "Changes to the Rating of Automobile Insurance Policies, Effective July 1, 2025," https://www.ncdoi.gov/changes-rating-automobile-insurance-policies-effective-july-1-2025 (accessed October 1, 2026)
- New Jersey DOBI, "Bulletin No. 25-06," https://www.nj.gov/dobi/bulletins/blt25_06.pdf (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Hawaii Insurance Division, "FAQ: Auto Insurance Minimum Limits," https://cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Auto-Minimum-Limits-FAQs.pdf (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Insurance Information Institute, "Background on: Compulsory Auto/Uninsured Motorists," https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-compulsory-auto-uninsured-motorists (accessed October 1, 2026)
- Insurance Information Institute, "Facts + Statistics: Auto insurance," https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-auto-insurance (accessed October 1, 2026)
This page summarizes state requirements as published on October 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your state DMV or insurance department.