Auto Insurance Requirements in Maryland

Auto Insurance Requirements in Maryland

According to Maryland state law, all drivers must carry car insurance with at least $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 for bodily injury per accident and $15,000 for property damage. Insurers also must include $2,500 in personal injury protection, unless you ask to limit the coverage in writing. But despite having mandatory personal injury protection, Maryland is not a no-fault state.

To verify your insurance status, your insurer will need to submit a FR-19 form — Maryland's insurance certificate — to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) on your behalf.

Maryland required car insurance coverage

Required minimum limits
Bodily Injury (BI)$30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident

Property Damage (PD)

$15,000 per accident

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist BI (UM/UIMBI)

$30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist PD (UM/UIMPD)

$15,000 per accident, $250 deductible

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Maryland car insurance minimum requirements

A valid Maryland auto insurance policy includes liability insurance, uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection. These coverages pay for the other party's medical bills and car repairs following an accident, along with some of your own expenses. Here's a deeper look:

Bodily Injury (BI): $30,000/person, $60,000/accident

Requirement

  • $30,000 per injured person
  • $60,000 per accident for two or more injured persons

Covers

  • Your personal assets
  • Legal fees in the event that the other party sues you, only up to the stated limit amount
  • Learn more

Does not cover

  • Your own medical bills

Property Damage (PD): $15,000/accident

Requirement

  • $15,000 per accident
  • Higher limits are available, which varies by insurer

Covers

  • Everything from the other driver’s car
  • Other properties that are damaged in the accident (buildings, fences, etc)
  • Learn more

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury (UM/UIMBI) requirement

  • up to $30,000 per person
  • up to $60,000 per accident

Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage (UM/UIMPD) requirement

  • $15,000 per accident
  • $250 deductible for every accident you make a claim for

Covers

  • Your own medical bills
  • Your car's repair expenses
  • Learn more

If the other driver's BI/PD limits are lower than yours, and their insurer doesn't offer an acceptable settlement, then you can make claims under your UM/UIM policy — up to the difference between the two limits. Your insurer may ask you to reject the settlement, or accept it and make up the difference.

Cheapest companies in Maryland for minimum liability

Personal injury protection coverage in Maryland

Often referred to as no-fault insurance, personal injury protection (PIP) in Maryland covers $2,500 of your own medical expenses when you are injured in a crash, regardless of fault, at the state minimum. Maryland is not a no-fault state, however, because it does not limit your right to sue the negligent driver in exchange for this coverage (as no-fault states do).

Maryland requires PIP but allows you to limit the amount of coverage in writing. However, once you have chosen limited PIP on one policy, it means you exclude yourself from PIP coverage under any other vehicle's policy.

Below is a table comparison between the full (or included) PIP and limited (or excluded) PIP coverage and costs:

Coverage
Full
Limited
Medical expenses
85% income loss
Reasonable household service
Funeral expenses
Policy holder
Spouse
All household members*
Household members below 16*

*Household members living in the same residence who have not limited their PIP in a separate policy

As an example, when you choose limited PIP for your own policy, being injured in your parents' car will not give you access to their PIP (even when it is the full option). The only exception is when you have full PIP coverage on a different policy where you're listed as the policyholder. For example, let's say you own two cars — Car 1 and Car 2 — and each has its own policy. Car 1 has limited PIP and Car 2 has full PIP. You're still eligible for the PIP benefits under Car 2's PIP coverage.

Some Maryland motorists with health insurance find PIP redundant, so they choose to limit PIP coverage to lower their premiums. However, if you're injured following an accident and can't work or perform daily tasks, Maryland's PIP reimburses 85% of your lost income and provides a stipend to cover typical household chores. Your insurer can set a deadline — at least 12 months — from the date of the accident, before which you must file all of your PIP claims in order to be properly reimbursed.

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