Maryland Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
Maryland requires every registered vehicle to carry at least 30/60/15 liability insurance: $30,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage, plus matching uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and $2,500 in personal injury protection unless it is waived in writing.
What Maryland's 30/60/15 Minimum Actually Means
Every vehicle registered in Maryland must carry liability insurance from a company licensed to do business in the state, and the minimum limits are commonly written as 30/60/15. Those three numbers stand for three separate promises your policy makes after an at-fault crash. The first, $30,000, is the most your insurer will pay for bodily injury to any one person you hurt. The second, $60,000, is the total available for bodily injury when more than one person is injured in the same accident. The third, $15,000, covers damage you cause to other people's property, such as their vehicle, a fence, or a storefront.
These limits are required even if the car is parked and never driven. Maryland law ties insurance to the registration itself, so an owner who lets coverage lapse on a stored vehicle is still violating the law. Liability coverage pays other people, not you or your own car, which is why the state layers additional mandatory coverages on top of the basic 30/60/15 floor.
Maryland Is an At-Fault (Tort) State
Maryland uses a traditional at-fault, or tort, system. The driver who causes a crash is financially responsible for the resulting injuries and property damage, and the injured party can pursue that driver's liability insurance or file a lawsuit. This is different from true no-fault states, where each driver's own policy pays first regardless of blame.
Maryland pairs its tort system with an add-on form of Personal Injury Protection. That means PIP is available and normally included, but it does not replace the right to hold the at-fault driver responsible. Maryland also follows a strict contributory negligence rule in injury claims: if an injured person is found even slightly at fault for the crash, they can be barred from recovering damages from the other driver. Because that rule is so unforgiving, carrying robust coverage on your own policy is especially important here, since a shared-fault finding can leave you paying your own bills.
Key data
| Factor | Filed value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum bodily injury liability per person | $30,000 | Maryland MVA - Auto Insurance Requirements · Jul 2026 |
| Minimum property damage liability | $15,000 | Insurance Information Institute - Financial Responsibility Laws by State · Jul 2026 |
| Standard Personal Injury Protection (PIP) limit | $2,500 | Maryland Insurance Administration · Jul 2026 |
Required Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Maryland is one of the states that makes uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage mandatory, not optional. This protection pays for your injuries and, in many cases, your property damage when the driver who hit you has no insurance or not enough insurance to cover your losses. Given the tort system and the contributory-negligence rule, UM/UIM is one of the most valuable protections on a Maryland policy.
By default, your UM/UIM limits must equal your liability limits. You can reduce them down to the state minimum of 30/60/15, but only by signing a written waiver acknowledging the reduction. Maryland also offers an enhanced underinsured motorist option that lets your coverage stack on top of the at-fault driver's limits rather than being offset by them. Insurers must offer this enhanced coverage in writing, and choosing it can meaningfully increase what you collect after a serious crash with an underinsured driver.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection is Maryland's no-fault-style medical and wage benefit. A standard PIP limit of $2,500 per person pays reasonable medical expenses and a portion of lost wages for you, your passengers, and pedestrians you injure, regardless of who caused the crash. Higher PIP limits can be purchased for a modest premium.
Insurers are required to offer PIP, but the named insured may waive it in writing. If you waive PIP, the waiver typically also binds household family members age 16 and older and your resident relatives, so it is not a decision to make lightly. A key advantage of PIP is that filing a claim for your own medical bills or lost income cannot be used to raise your premium, and the money is available quickly without waiting to establish fault. For families with children, frequent passengers, or high-deductible health plans, keeping PIP, and even increasing it, is often worth the small added cost.
Penalties for Driving or Registering an Uninsured Vehicle
Maryland enforces its insurance mandate aggressively through the Motor Vehicle Administration's Insurance Compliance Division. When an insurer reports a lapse, the MVA assesses uninsured penalty fees that begin at a set amount for the first 30 days of the lapse and then add a per-day charge, accumulating up to a maximum of $2,500 per year per vehicle. These fees are separate from anything a court may impose.
If proof of coverage is not restored, the MVA can suspend your vehicle registration, flag the vehicle so it cannot be renewed, and require you to surrender your license plates. Unpaid penalties can be referred to the Central Collections Unit, which adds a further collection surcharge. Beyond MVA fees, driving an uninsured vehicle is a misdemeanor that can carry court fines and, for repeat offenses, potential jail exposure. The cheapest way to avoid all of this is simply to keep continuous coverage and never let a policy lapse between carriers.
Why Maryland Does Not Use SR-22
Drivers coming from other states often ask how to file an SR-22 in Maryland after a serious violation. The short answer is that Maryland does not use SR-22 certificates. Instead of requiring a special financial-responsibility filing, the state relies on direct electronic verification: insurers report new policies, cancellations, and lapses to the MVA, which continuously monitors compliance for every registered vehicle.
This means there is no SR-22 form to buy or maintain for a Maryland reinstatement, and no extra filing fee tied to one. However, if you moved to Maryland from a state that ordered an SR-22 as part of your prior reinstatement, that obligation may follow you back to the state that imposed it, and your insurer may still need to file it there. If a court or another state's DMV has told you an SR-22 is required, confirm which state's system applies before assuming Maryland will handle it.
How Much Coverage You Really Need
The legal minimum and a sensible amount of coverage are two very different things. A single hospital stay after a multi-vehicle crash can exceed $60,000 in medical bills, and modern vehicles routinely cost far more than the $15,000 property-damage floor to repair or replace. If you cause damage beyond your limits, you are personally responsible for the difference, and in Maryland the injured party can sue you and pursue your wages and assets.
Many independent insurance educators suggest liability limits of at least 100/300/100 for drivers with any assets to protect, plus matching uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and, where affordable, an umbrella policy. Adding collision and comprehensive coverage protects your own vehicle, which the state minimum never does. The premium difference between 30/60/15 and 100/300/100 is often far smaller than drivers expect, because higher liability layers are relatively inexpensive. Buying only the minimum saves a little each month but can be financially catastrophic after one serious at-fault crash.
How to Compare Maryland Quotes the Right Way
Because every licensed Maryland insurer sells the same mandatory coverages, the smart way to shop is to hold the coverage identical across every quote and compare only price and service. Pick your target limits first, decide whether you want to keep full PIP and enhanced underinsured motorist coverage, and then request quotes with those exact figures so you are comparing the same product.
The Maryland Insurance Administration publishes a periodic rate comparison guide showing sample premiums from major carriers for different driver profiles, which is a useful sanity check on whether a quote is competitive. Ask each insurer about discounts for bundling home and auto, safe-driving and telematics programs, multi-vehicle policies, and paid-in-full billing. If you have had trouble finding coverage, Maryland Auto Insurance (formerly MAIF) serves as the state's insurer of last resort for eligible residents. Review your limits at every renewal, especially after buying a car, moving, or adding a driver, so your coverage keeps pace with your real exposure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Maryland?
Maryland requires at least 30/60/15 liability coverage: $30,000 for bodily injury to one person, $60,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. In addition, you must carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage at matching limits (reducible to 30/60/15 only with a written waiver) and $2,500 in personal injury protection unless PIP is waived in writing.
Is Maryland a no-fault state?
No. Maryland is an at-fault, or tort, state, so the driver who causes a crash is financially responsible for the resulting injuries and damage. Maryland does require insurers to offer Personal Injury Protection as an add-on that pays your own medical bills regardless of fault, but that does not make it a no-fault state. Maryland also follows a strict contributory-negligence rule that can bar recovery if you are even slightly at fault.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland is one of the states that mandates uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on every auto policy. By default it must equal your liability limits, and you can only lower it to the 30/60/15 minimum by signing a written waiver. Insurers must also offer an enhanced underinsured motorist option that stacks on top of the at-fault driver's limits rather than being offset by them.
Can I waive PIP in Maryland?
Yes. Personal Injury Protection must be offered, but the named insured can waive it in writing. Be aware that a PIP waiver generally also applies to resident family members age 16 and older, so it removes quick, fault-free medical and wage benefits for your whole household. Because PIP claims cannot be used to raise your premium and pay out without establishing fault, many drivers choose to keep or even increase the standard $2,500 of coverage.
What happens if I drive without insurance in Maryland?
The MVA assesses uninsured penalty fees that start with a set charge for the first 30 days of a lapse plus a per-day fee, up to a maximum of $2,500 per year per vehicle. The state can suspend your registration, flag the vehicle, and require you to surrender your plates. Unpaid penalties add a collection surcharge, and driving an uninsured vehicle is a misdemeanor that can bring court fines and, for repeat offenses, possible jail time.
Does Maryland require an SR-22?
No. Maryland does not use SR-22 certificates. The MVA verifies coverage directly through electronic reporting from insurers and its Insurance Compliance Division, so there is no SR-22 form to file for a Maryland reinstatement. If another state ordered an SR-22 before you moved to Maryland, that obligation may still apply to the state that imposed it, so confirm which state's system governs your situation.
Sources cited
- Maryland MVA - Auto Insurance Requirements — captured Jul 2026
- Insurance Information Institute - Financial Responsibility Laws by State — captured Jul 2026
- Maryland Insurance Administration — captured Jul 2026
- Maryland General Assembly - Transportation Article 17-103 — captured Jul 2026
- NAIC - Auto Insurance Consumer Resources — captured Jul 2026
