Car insurance liability coverage is usually written with slashes, called split limits. Each number represents the most your insurance company will pay for that specific part of your liability insurance. A 15/30/5 policy means you have $15,000 per person, up to $30,000 total per accident, in bodily injury coverage and $5,000 in property damage liability coverage.
Those numbers tell you how much your auto insurance company is willing to pay out to the other driver in the event of an at-fault accident. But having car insurance liability levels of 15/30/5 will leave you unprotected — it’s better than nothing, but most drivers need more coverage to be fully protected.
What does 15/30/5 mean on an insurance policy?
Bodily injury liability coverage pays for injuries and medical expenses to other people in an at-fault accident. When you see 15/30/5 on a car insurance policy, that means that the first number (15) represents a $15,000 bodily injury liability limit per person. The second number (30) represents a $30,000 overall bodily injury liability limit per accident.
Property damage liability coverage pays for damage you cause to someone else’s property, like their car or their house, in an at-fault accident. The third number (5) represents a $5,000 property damage liability coverage limit per accident.
→ Learn more about liability vs. full coverage insurance
Why is 100/300/100 better than 15/30/5?
In most cases, 15/30/5 insurance isn’t enough coverage, and it’s better to have higher levels of liability coverage. You will be held financially responsible for the damage if you are at fault in an accident, which means drivers who don’t have enough insurance to fully cover an accident will be required to pay out-of-pocket for any costs that exceed their liability limits.
Drivers without enough liability insurance can be taken to court and forced to pay for any costs their insurance didn’t cover, potentially even having their assets (like their home, car, or savings) at risk, which is why experts usually recommend liability limits of 100/300/100 or more.
How much liability insurance do I need?
Legally, you are only required to buy the minimum required level of coverage set by your state. But if you are at-fault in an accident, you will be held liable for all the damage you caused, and the state minimums might not be enough to cover those costs.
It is possible to cause tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage in a car accident, which means drivers who don’t have enough coverage will be expected to pay any costs beyond their insurance limits out-of-pocket.
Because of this, Policygenius recommends drivers purchase a minimum of 100/300/100 liability coverage to make sure you are covered for any serious damage in an at-fault accident.
If you can’t afford to buy 100/300/100 levels of coverage, you should purchase the highest level of coverage you can reasonably afford.
And liability isn’t the only type of coverage that makes up a car insurance policy. You may want (or be required to have) other types of coverage, like comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, personal injury protection (PIP), uninsured motorist coverage, or gap coverage
→ Learn more about how much car insurance you need
Does 15/30/5 meet my state minimum insurance requirements?
There are only three states (California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) where 15/30/5 meets the minimum insurance requirements. In every other state that requires car insurance, you’ll need more than 15/30/5 levels of car insurance coverage.
State | Required levels of coverage | Average annual cost for liability-only |
25/50/25 | $611 | |
50/100/25 | $433 | |
25/50/15 | $640 | |
25/50/25 | $524 | |
15/30/5 | $601 | |
25/50/15 | $544 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $949 | |
25/50/10, PIP 15/30 | $988 | |
2550/10, UM25/50/5 | $678 | |
PIP 10, PD 10 | $1,253 | |
25/50/25 | $817 | |
20/40/10, PIP 10 | $424 | |
25/50/15 | $400 | |
25/50/20, UM 25/50 | $558 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $453 | |
20/40/15 | $317 | |
25/50/25, PIP 4.5, UM 25/50 | $493 | |
25/50/10, PIP 10, UM 25/50 | $931 | |
15/30/25 | $993 | |
50/100/25, UM50/100, MedPay 2 | $448 | |
30/60/15, UM 30/60/15 | $898 | |
20/40/5, PIP 8, UM 20/40 | $612 | |
*50/100/10, PIP | $888 | |
30/60/10, PIP 20/20, UM 25/50 | $547 | |
25/50/25 | $543 | |
25/50/10, UM 25/50 | $564 | |
25/50/10 | $497 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $424 | |
25/50/20, UM 25/50 | $958 | |
**25/50/25, PIP 1 | $462 | |
15/30/5, PIP 15/250 | $1,154 | |
25/50/10 | $459 | |
25/50/10, PIP 50, UM 25/50 | $974 | |
30/60/25, UM 60 | $423 | |
25/50/25, PIP 30, UM 25/50 | $406 | |
25/50/25 | $386 | |
25/50/25 | $496 | |
25/50/20, PIP 15, UM 25/50 | $769 | |
15/30/5, PIP 5 | $501 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $868 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $779 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $339 | |
25/50/15 | $460 | |
30/60/25 | $643 | |
25/65/15, PIP 3 | $672 | |
25/50/10, UM 50/100/10 | $380 | |
*** 25/50/20, UM 25/50 | $570 | |
25/50/10 | $619 | |
25/50/25, UM 25/50 | $626 | |
25/50/10, UM 25/50 | $348 | |
25/50/20 | $321 |
* PIP levels are determined based on your health insurance
** Coverage in New Hampshire is legally optional
*** Coverage in Virginia is legally optional for a fee of $500
Most states have higher minimum rates than 15/30/5, largely because this level of car insurance is too low to cover damage caused by anything but minor car accidents.
Frequently asked questions
Is 15/30/5 enough insurance in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania law requires drivers to have a minimum of 15/30/5 in liability insurance, but this isn’t enough to pay for anything beyond a minor accident. Only purchasing the minimum required coverage will leave you underinsured if you rear end a Mercedes or hit someone who needs to be taken away in an ambulance.
How do you know if an accident is your fault?
There are several ways to determine fault in an accident, including the location of the damage, tracking equipment, pictures, video footage from a dashcam or security cameras nearby, eyewitness statements, and police reports. After a car accident, the insurance companies of the drivers involved will figure out who was at fault.
Do you have to pay the excess if the accident is your fault?
Yes, if you are at fault in an accident you are held liable for all the costs associated with it. This is why buying the highest level of liability insurance you can afford is so important.
Methodology
Policygenius has analyzed car insurance rates provided by Quadrant Information Services for every ZIP code in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
Rates for overall average rate, rates by ZIP code, and cheapest companies determined using averages for single drivers age 30, 35, and 45. Our sample vehicle was a 2017 Toyota Camry LE driven 10,000 miles per year.
The rates provided were based on the minimum required liability only coverage by state.
Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of insurance costs. Your actual quotes may differ.
