What are Texas's auto insurance minimums?

Tex. Transp. Code §601.072(a-1) requires minimum liability coverage of $30,000 per person for bodily injury or death, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury or death of two or more persons, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. This is commonly called '30/60/25.' These amounts have been in effect since January 1, 2011, and were not changed by the 2023 amendments to §601.072.

Is PIP required in Texas?

Texas requires auto insurers to OFFER personal injury protection (PIP) — Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(a) prohibits insurers from issuing an auto liability policy in Texas unless PIP is included or supplemental. But §1952.152(b) allows the named insured to reject PIP in writing. If you've ever signed a PIP waiver (often a single line on the policy application), you don't have it. PIP is no-fault coverage that pays your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, up to your selected limit.

Is UM/UIM required in Texas?

Same structure as PIP. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.101(b) requires insurers to provide uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in every Texas auto liability policy. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.101(c) allows the named insured to reject coverage in writing. UM covers you when the at-fault driver has no insurance; UIM covers you when their coverage is not enough to cover your damages. Both pay only when the OTHER driver is at fault.

How much PIP coverage should I carry?

Texas's default offering is typically $2,500 per person, but you can buy higher limits. The cost difference between $2,500 and $10,000 PIP is small (often under $50/year for the driver and household). PIP pays out fast — usually within 30 days of a clean claim — and pays regardless of fault, which is the value when fault is contested. The bigger PIP limit is the better practical default.

How much UM/UIM coverage should I carry?

At minimum, match your liability limits. If you carry 100/300/100 for liability, carry 100/300/100 for UM/UIM. The reasoning: drivers who hit you with the state minimum 30/60/25 are common in Texas, and the gap between their coverage and your medical bills + lost wages will land on you unless you have UM/UIM to fill it. Underinsured-motorist claims are how most serious-injury crashes get fully compensated.

If I rejected PIP, can I add it later?

Yes, by written request to your insurer. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(b) governs PIP rejection — once rejected in writing, the insurer is not required to include PIP in renewals unless the named insured later requests the coverage in writing. The same written-request-back path applies to UM/UIM under §1952.101(c). (Note: §1952.157 is a different section — it provides an action for failure to pay PIP benefits when due, NOT the rejection-back mechanism.) Insurers will sometimes try to charge a re-application fee; that fee is contestable.

What's the difference between collision and UM/UIM?

Collision pays for damage to YOUR vehicle regardless of fault; you carry it because it covers your car when you're at fault, when fault is disputed, or when the other driver is uninsured and you don't want to wait for a UM claim. UM/UIM pays for your bodily injury (and, if you elect property-damage UM, your vehicle damage) when the OTHER driver is at fault and uninsured/underinsured. Different triggers, different damage categories — they're complementary, not redundant.

What if the at-fault driver only carries the 30/60/25 minimum?

That is the most common scenario in Texas auto litigation. If your medical bills exceed $30,000 (an ER visit plus 6 weeks of physical therapy often does), the at-fault driver's $30,000 per-person bodily-injury limit is exhausted before any pain-and-suffering or lost-wage recovery. UIM coverage on YOUR policy fills the gap up to your UIM limit. Without UIM, you can sue the at-fault driver personally — but most §601.072 minimum drivers have no recoverable assets, and the judgment is often uncollectable.

Texas Auto Insurance: Minimums, PIP, UM/UIM Explained

Texas's auto-insurance landscape comes down to four numbers and two rejection forms. The four numbers are 30/60/25 — the state minimum liability limits for every driver under Tex. Transp. Code §601.072(a-1). The two rejection forms are the written waivers that strip Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage from your policy under Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(b) and §1952.101(c). Together, those four numbers and two forms determine whether a serious crash leaves you whole or financially exposed. This page explains what each coverage actually covers, what the rejection-in-writing trap looks like, and how to compare quotes once you understand the structure.

On this page

The 30/60/25 minimums

Texas law requires every motor vehicle on a public road to be covered by liability insurance, a surety bond, or a deposit with the comptroller. The minimum coverage amounts in Tex. Transp. Code §601.072(a-1) are:

$30,000 per person for bodily injury or death
$60,000 per accident for bodily injury or death of two or more persons
$25,000 per accident for property damage

These limits have been in effect since January 1, 2011. The Legislature amended §601.072 in 2023 (House Bill 2190, effective September 1, 2023), but the amendments did not raise the underlying dollar amounts; they made administrative changes to permitted deductibles. The 30/60/25 floor remains.

What the minimum is: enough to cover one minor injury claim or a moderate property-damage claim. What it isn't: enough for any serious-injury crash. A single emergency-room visit with imaging in Travis County typically bills $8,000-$15,000. Add 6 weeks of physical therapy and the $30,000 per-person ceiling is reached before lost wages or pain-and-suffering enter the calculation. Texas's median policy-limit selection is well above the minimum for this exact reason.

The minimum-policyholder problem cuts both ways. A driver carrying minimums who causes a $200,000-medical-bills crash exposes themselves to personal liability for the gap. The injured party's path to that gap recovery runs through the at-fault driver's assets (often nonexistent for minimum-limit drivers) or through their own UIM coverage (covered below).

What PIP actually covers

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is no-fault auto coverage. It pays the named insured and listed family members for medical bills, 80% of lost wages, and reasonable household-services expenses regardless of who caused the crash. PIP also covers passengers in the insured vehicle and the named insured when struck as a pedestrian or cyclist. The standard Texas default offering is $2,500 per person; higher limits ($5,000, $10,000) are available for a small premium increase.

Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(a) requires Texas auto insurers to OFFER PIP — they "may not deliver or issue for delivery in this state an automobile liability insurance policy...unless the insurer provides personal injury protection coverage." But §1952.152(b) allows the named insured to reject the coverage in writing. The rejection is usually buried as a single check-the-box line on the policy application, and many insureds sign without realizing they rejected coverage they would have benefited from.

PIP's killer feature is speed. A clean PIP claim — submitted with medical bills and a treating-provider's statement — typically pays within 30 days, no fault investigation required. That speed matters because medical bills arrive on a 30-60 day cycle and most claimants need the cash flow before liability is sorted out. Adjusters sometimes describe PIP as "minor" or "redundant" coverage. It is neither.

UM/UIM: the most overlooked coverage

Uninsured Motorist coverage (UM) pays your bodily-injury and property-damage costs when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured Motorist coverage (UIM) pays the gap when the at-fault driver's policy is not enough to cover your damages. Both pay only when the OTHER driver is legally at fault — they aren't no-fault coverage.

Tex. Ins. Code §1952.101(b) requires insurers to provide UM/UIM in every Texas auto liability policy. §1952.101(c) again provides a written-rejection exception. The same trap applies: many Texans have rejected UM/UIM without remembering it, often years ago when shopping for a cheap policy.

UM/UIM is the most overlooked coverage in Texas because the value is counterintuitive. You buy it to protect yourself from OTHER drivers. The calculation: if you carry 100/300/100 in liability and the at-fault driver carries the state minimum 30/60/25, your UIM covers up to $70,000 of the gap on a single-injured-party claim. Without UIM, that $70,000 lands on the at-fault driver personally — and minimum-limit drivers usually do not have recoverable assets. Filing a claim against a personally-liable defendant who does not have the money is a losing exercise. UIM is what gets the bills paid.

A good rule: whatever you carry for liability, carry the same amount for UM/UIM. If your liability is 100/300/100, your UM/UIM should be 100/300/100. Stacking UM/UIM higher than liability isn't useful (you're already paying for the higher coverage on yourself); going lower exposes you to the gap this whole coverage is designed to fill.

The rejection-in-writing trap

The structure for both PIP and UM/UIM is identical: required by statute, waivable by single signature. That single signature is usually a one-line check-the-box on a policy application, often presented during a phone quote or online sign-up flow with no explanation. Many Texans have rejected PIP, UM/UIM, or both without remembering it.

If you don't know whether you have PIP or UM/UIM, three ways to find out:

Read your declarations page. Every Texas auto policy must list the coverages it provides. PIP shows as a line item with a coverage limit; if it's missing or $0, you don't have it. Same for UM/UIM (often listed as "Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury" + "Property Damage").
Ask your agent. They are required to confirm what's on your policy and to provide the rejection forms you signed if you ever signed any.
Ask in writing. A written request for "all PIP and UM/UIM rejection forms on file" creates a paper trail. Insurers must respond.

If you find that you rejected PIP or UM/UIM and want to add the coverage back, the path is the same: a written request from the named insured. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(b) (PIP) and §1952.101(c) (UM/UIM) both establish that the rejection persists across renewals "unless the named insured later requests the coverage in writing." Insurers will sometimes quote a re-application fee or require a new policy period; that resistance is usually negotiable.

What to actually carry

The state minimum 30/60/25 satisfies Texas law. It does not satisfy the cost of a serious-injury crash. A practical floor:

Liability: 100/300/100. Three to four times the state minimum. The delta in premium between 30/60/25 and 100/300/100 is typically $15-30 per month, depending on driver history and vehicle.
PIP: $10,000. The cost is small (often under $50/year above the $2,500 default) and the payout speed is unmatched in any other coverage.
UM/UIM: 100/300/100 (matching liability). Required for the underinsured-motorist gap on most TX crashes.
Collision and Comprehensive: sized to your vehicle's value. If your car is worth less than $5,000, the collision premium often exceeds the expected payout — evaluate annually.

The "fully covered" Texas driver typically carries 100/300/100 + $10K PIP + 100/300/100 UM/UIM. That driver is positioned to recover medical bills and lost wages from any crash regardless of fault, and to claim against an uninsured or underinsured at-fault driver without depending on the other side's nonexistent assets.

The Texas Department of Insurance publishes a detailed consumer guide (CB020) at tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb020.html covering optional coverages and pricing benchmarks. It's worth reading before any policy renewal. The four numbers and two rejection forms are the structure; the dollar amounts and limits you choose are the strategy.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are Texas's auto insurance minimums?: Tex. Transp. Code §601.072(a-1) requires minimum liability coverage of $30,000 per person for bodily injury or death, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury or death of two or more persons, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. This is commonly called '30/60/25.' These amounts have been in effect since January 1, 2011, and were not changed by the 2023 amendments to §601.072.
Is PIP required in Texas?: Texas requires auto insurers to OFFER personal injury protection (PIP) — Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(a) prohibits insurers from issuing an auto liability policy in Texas unless PIP is included or supplemental. But §1952.152(b) allows the named insured to reject PIP in writing. If you've ever signed a PIP waiver (often a single line on the policy application), you don't have it. PIP is no-fault coverage that pays your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, up to your selected limit.
Is UM/UIM required in Texas?: Same structure as PIP. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.101(b) requires insurers to provide uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in every Texas auto liability policy. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.101(c) allows the named insured to reject coverage in writing. UM covers you when the at-fault driver has no insurance; UIM covers you when their coverage is not enough to cover your damages. Both pay only when the OTHER driver is at fault.
How much PIP coverage should I carry?: Texas's default offering is typically $2,500 per person, but you can buy higher limits. The cost difference between $2,500 and $10,000 PIP is small (often under $50/year for the driver and household). PIP pays out fast — usually within 30 days of a clean claim — and pays regardless of fault, which is the value when fault is contested. The bigger PIP limit is the better practical default.
How much UM/UIM coverage should I carry?: At minimum, match your liability limits. If you carry 100/300/100 for liability, carry 100/300/100 for UM/UIM. The reasoning: drivers who hit you with the state minimum 30/60/25 are common in Texas, and the gap between their coverage and your medical bills + lost wages will land on you unless you have UM/UIM to fill it. Underinsured-motorist claims are how most serious-injury crashes get fully compensated.
If I rejected PIP, can I add it later?: Yes, by written request to your insurer. Tex. Ins. Code §1952.152(b) governs PIP rejection — once rejected in writing, the insurer is not required to include PIP in renewals unless the named insured later requests the coverage in writing. The same written-request-back path applies to UM/UIM under §1952.101(c). (Note: §1952.157 is a different section — it provides an action for failure to pay PIP benefits when due, NOT the rejection-back mechanism.) Insurers will sometimes try to charge a re-application fee; that fee is contestable.
What's the difference between collision and UM/UIM?: Collision pays for damage to YOUR vehicle regardless of fault; you carry it because it covers your car when you're at fault, when fault is disputed, or when the other driver is uninsured and you don't want to wait for a UM claim. UM/UIM pays for your bodily injury (and, if you elect property-damage UM, your vehicle damage) when the OTHER driver is at fault and uninsured/underinsured. Different triggers, different damage categories — they're complementary, not redundant.
What if the at-fault driver only carries the 30/60/25 minimum?: That is the most common scenario in Texas auto litigation. If your medical bills exceed $30,000 (an ER visit plus 6 weeks of physical therapy often does), the at-fault driver's $30,000 per-person bodily-injury limit is exhausted before any pain-and-suffering or lost-wage recovery. UIM coverage on YOUR policy fills the gap up to your UIM limit. Without UIM, you can sue the at-fault driver personally — but most §601.072 minimum drivers have no recoverable assets, and the judgment is often uncollectable.