Maryland Car Insurance Requirements: Minimum Coverage, PIP, Uninsured Motorist and What to Ask Your Agent

Every vehicle registered in Maryland must be insured, and the minimum policy includes bodily injury liability of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident, property damage liability of $15,000, personal injury protection (PIP) of at least $2,500 unless a permitted waiver applies, and uninsured motorist coverage, under Transportation Article §17-103 (opens in a new tab). Coverage has to stay active the whole time the car is registered, even when it sits unused. Insurers report your coverage to the MVA electronically. If it lapses, the penalty is $200 for the first 30 days and $7 for each day after that, up to $3,500 per violation in a 12-month period, under Transportation Article §17-106 (opens in a new tab).

What are Maryland's minimum auto insurance limits?

Maryland's floor is usually written as 30/60/15:

• $30,000 bodily injury liability for one person.
• $60,000 bodily injury liability for two or more people in one accident.
• $15,000 property damage liability.

These amounts come from Transportation Article §17-103 (opens in a new tab), and the MVA's insurance requirements page (opens in a new tab) lists the same figures. Liability pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people, not for your own car. The per-person and per-accident numbers work together: if you injure three people, no single person can receive more than $30,000 from the bodily injury coverage, and all of them together can't receive more than $60,000.

On top of liability, Maryland vehicle owners must carry PIP and uninsured motorist protection at the required levels, according to the Maryland Insurance Administration (opens in a new tab). Collision and comprehensive, which pay for damage to your own vehicle, aren't part of the legal minimum, though a lender may require them on a financed car. Our article on comprehensive vs collision insurance explains both. If you're deciding whether to buy more than the minimum, how much car insurance do I need goes through the tradeoffs.

Is PIP required in Maryland, and what does it pay?

Insurers must provide at least $2,500 in PIP unless the coverage is waived or rejected under the law, according to Insurance Article §19-505 (opens in a new tab) and the MIA Consumer Guide (opens in a new tab). PIP may reimburse reasonable and necessary medical expenses and lost wages from an auto accident, regardless of who caused it, subject to the policy terms and statutory limits.

PIP protects more people than just you. Under §19-505 (opens in a new tab), it applies to the first named insured, resident family members, people using the car with your permission, occupants of the vehicle, and certain pedestrians and people on bicycles or other muscle-powered or animal-powered transportation.

A waiver is possible only in the situations the law allows, so don't assume every policyholder can drop PIP entirely. Ask your agent whether you're eligible to waive or limit it and what you'd give up. Is personal injury protection worth it covers the general tradeoffs.

What uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage does Maryland require?

Maryland requires uninsured motorist coverage for both bodily injury and property damage. Under Insurance Article §19-509 (opens in a new tab), it pays damages you're legally entitled to recover from an uninsured driver, including bodily injury, death-related claims, and property damage including loss of use.

Your UM/UIM amount generally matches your liability limits and must be at least the Maryland minimum, unless you select a different permitted amount, according to the MIA's enhanced underinsured motorist page (opens in a new tab). Raising your liability limits usually raises your UM/UIM limits along with them, unless you choose otherwise.

Enhanced underinsured motorist coverage

Underinsured motorist coverage helps when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover your losses. Under the standard version, the payment is reduced by what the at-fault driver's liability insurer pays. Enhanced underinsured motorist coverage can pay without that same offset, according to the MIA (opens in a new tab).

The default changed recently. For newly issued policies beginning July 1, 2024, enhanced underinsured motorist coverage became the default selection, and you can opt out through the statutory process. The MIA consumer advisory on enhanced coverage (opens in a new tab) compares the two. Ask your agent which version your policy carries and what opting out would change. For a broader look at the coverage, see do I need uninsured motorist coverage.

What does the MVA require to register a car?

Every Maryland-registered vehicle must have active insurance at all times, according to the MVA (opens in a new tab). The policy must come from an approved insurer, match the vehicle information the MVA has on file, and meet the minimum limits. That rule applies even if the car isn't being driven, so a car stored in the garage over the winter still needs coverage as long as it has plates.

You usually don't have to bring proof to the MVA. Insurers report coverage electronically, and separate proof is needed only when there's a mismatch, an MVA notice or a reporting problem. If the record is wrong, ask your insurer to correct the electronic report or submit an FR-19, the form insurers use to certify coverage to the MVA, according to the MVA's insurance violation page (opens in a new tab).

Moving to Maryland

New residents must get a Maryland driver's license and title and register their vehicles within 60 days of becoming residents, according to the MVA's new resident guide (opens in a new tab). To title and register, the MVA asks for Maryland insurance information: the company name, policy or binder number, and the agent's name if there is one. Maryland-registered vehicles must be insured by a company licensed in Maryland and carry Maryland-required coverage, according to the MVA's registration page (opens in a new tab). Arrange Maryland-compliant coverage before your appointment, and confirm with the MVA and your insurer before relying on a policy written in another state.

What happens if your insurance lapses?

The penalty grows the longer the car stays uninsured. Under Transportation Article §17-106 (opens in a new tab), and as listed in the MVA's fee table (opens in a new tab):

• $200 for an uninsured period of 1 through 30 days.
• $7 for each day beginning on day 31.
• A maximum of $3,500 per violation in a 12-month period.

So, a car that goes uninsured for 40 days would owe $200 for the first 30 days plus $70 for the next ten, for $270 in total. Section 17-106 also provides for registration suspension after a lapse, and unpaid penalties can block renewal or issuance of a registration.

If you're selling a car or taking it off the road, return the plates before the policy ends to avoid penalties, according to the MVA (opens in a new tab). If you receive an MVA insurance violation notice, contact your insurer right away and ask for corrected reporting or an FR-19 if you were actually insured. Our article on the Maryland insurance lapse rules covers notices and reinstatement in more detail.

Can someone else drive your car in Maryland?

Usually, yes, but how much coverage follows the car depends on who the driver is.

A licensed driver who doesn't live with you and has your permission is a permissive driver. The vehicle's policy will often cover them, according to the MIA's resident and permissive drivers advisory (opens in a new tab), but Maryland policies may include a step-down provision that cuts liability coverage for permissive drivers to the state minimum. If you carry $100,000 in liability and lend your car to a friend, ask whether your policy would pay only $30,000/$60,000/$15,000 for that friend's accident.

Household members are different. Licensed drivers who live with you generally should be disclosed to your insurer, even if they rarely drive or have insurance on another car, according to the MIA's guidance on licensed household drivers (opens in a new tab). Leaving a resident driver off the policy can limit or deny coverage for vehicle damage and, in some cases, reduce liability coverage.

A driver who has been specifically excluded from your policy is treated according to the exclusion language. Ask your insurer which coverages the exclusion affects, such as liability, PIP, collision and comprehensive, and what happens if that person drives anyway.

What notice do you get before cancellation or nonrenewal?

An insurer may cancel for nonpayment even if the premium is one day late, but it must give 10 days' advance notice to your last known address or to an electronic address you agreed to, according to the MIA's cancellation and nonrenewal page (opens in a new tab). For cancellation or nonrenewal for any other reason, you're entitled to at least 45 days' notice under Insurance Article §27-613 (opens in a new tab), and the insurer must be able to prove the notice went out on time. When a policy is ending because a renewal premium wasn't paid, Insurance Article §27-611 (opens in a new tab) requires a notice about uninsured penalties and plate surrender.

Use that notice window. Line up replacement coverage before the end date, or return the plates if the car won't stay insured.

If private insurers turn you down

Maryland Auto Insurance is a state-created option for Maryland residents who can't get coverage in the standard market. You're generally eligible if you're a Maryland resident with a Maryland registration or valid Maryland license, you've been canceled or nonrenewed for a qualifying reason or refused by two standard insurers, and you owe Maryland Auto no unpaid premium, according to the Maryland Auto FAQ (opens in a new tab). Our Maryland Auto Insurance Fund article explains eligibility, coverage and how to apply.

How do you check an agent or file a complaint?

The Maryland Insurance Administration's Company and Producer Search (opens in a new tab) lets you look up individual agents, brokers and agencies. It's updated weekly and includes current and previously licensed entities and certain administrative orders.

To complain about an insurer, agency or producer, use the MIA's secure complaint portal (opens in a new tab), where you can upload documents. Mail, email, phone and enforcement contacts are on the MIA's file a complaint page (opens in a new tab). Before filing, save your policy, declarations page, correspondence, MVA notices and proof of payment.

Questions to ask your agent

• Does this policy meet Maryland's 30/60/15 liability minimum, and what higher limits are available?
• What PIP amount is included, and am I eligible to waive or limit any of it?
• What UM/UIM bodily injury and property damage limits are included?
• Is enhanced underinsured motorist coverage on this policy, and what would opting out change?
• Does the policy step down coverage for permissive drivers?
• Which licensed household drivers must be listed, and does any named-driver exclusion apply?
• How will you report this policy to the MVA, and what should I do if the MVA record is wrong?
• What notice will I get before cancellation or nonrenewal, and when must I return my plates if the policy ends?
• Is the company licensed to insure Maryland-registered vehicles?

For help picking someone to work with, see how to choose an insurance agent. Riskado's directory lists insurance agencies across the US, including Maryland, by city and by category.

Frequently asked questions

Does Maryland insurance follow the car or the driver?

The vehicle's policy will often cover a licensed driver using the car with your permission, according to the MIA (opens in a new tab), and PIP under Insurance Article §19-505 (opens in a new tab) includes people using the insured vehicle with permission. A permissive driver's liability coverage may be stepped down to the state minimum, so check your policy's permissive-use language.

Do I need to carry proof of insurance to the MVA after I buy a policy?

Usually not, because insurers report coverage electronically. If the MVA sends a violation notice even though you were insured, ask your insurer to correct the report or submit an FR-19.

Does uninsured motorist coverage pay for my car?

Yes, Maryland's required uninsured motorist coverage includes property damage as well as bodily injury, including loss of use, under Insurance Article §19-509 (opens in a new tab). Policy limits and terms still apply.

What's the most a single lapse can cost in penalties?

The uninsured penalty is capped at $3,500 per violation in a 12-month period under Transportation Article §17-106 (opens in a new tab). Registration suspension is a separate consequence.

A quick compliance checklist

Keep 30/60/15 liability, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage in force for as long as the car has plates. List every licensed household driver, know how your policy treats permissive drivers, and return the plates before canceling coverage on a car you're taking off the road. If an MVA notice arrives, call your insurer the same day.