To drive legally in Texas, you must carry auto liability insurance of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for all injuries, and $25,000 for property damage, written by a company authorized to do business in the state.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.072 – Minimum Coverage Amounts Exclusions Texas is an at-fault state, so the driver who causes a crash is financially responsible for the other side’s injuries and property damage, and this minimum liability policy is what the state accepts as proof you can pay.
The 30/60/25 Minimum
Every liability policy sold in Texas has to meet three floors:
- $30,000 for injuries to one person in a single crash
- $60,000 for total injuries to all people in a single crash
- $25,000 for damage to someone else’s property in a single crash
You’ll see this written as 30/60/25. Those limits have been in effect since 2011.
Liability coverage only pays for the other driver’s losses. If you cause a crash, your 30/60/25 policy covers their medical bills and vehicle repairs and does nothing for your own injuries or your own car. Protecting yourself requires adding coverages your insurer is separately required to offer.
Coverages Your Insurer Must Offer You
Texas law forces insurers to include or offer certain coverages alongside liability. You can decline them in writing, but you should know what you’re turning down.
Personal Injury Protection
Every auto policy in Texas must include personal injury protection unless you reject it in writing.2State of Texas. Texas Insurance Code 1952.152 – Personal Injury Protection Coverage Required PIP pays for your medical expenses and lost income after a crash regardless of fault, and it also covers passengers. A related option called Medical Payments, or MedPay, covers medical bills only and does not reimburse lost wages.3Office of Public Insurance Counsel. Understanding PIP vs Med-Pay
Because PIP is automatic unless you opt out, some drivers carry it without realizing. Others sign the rejection form at purchase and forget they have no coverage for their own injuries. A rejection carries forward on renewals with the same insurer unless you ask for the coverage back in writing.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Insurers must also offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.4State of Texas. Texas Insurance Code 1952.101 – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage Required It pays when the driver who hits you has no insurance or not enough. Depending on the policy, UM/UIM can cover medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage. You can decline it in writing.
Collision and Comprehensive
Collision pays to repair or replace your vehicle after a crash regardless of fault. Comprehensive covers non-crash damage like hail, theft, flooding, and animal strikes. Neither is required by Texas law, but a lender or leasing company will almost always require both if you’re financing the vehicle.
Proving You Have Coverage
You have to show proof of financial responsibility whenever a peace officer or another driver in a crash asks for it.5State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.053 – Evidence of Financial Responsibility Acceptable proof includes:
- The paper insurance card from your insurer, or a photocopy of the full policy
- A digital image on your phone showing the same information, including policy number and effective dates
- An insurance binder confirming you just purchased coverage
Officers can also verify your status through TexasSure, an automated database linking insurance companies to state vehicle registration records. Even a brief lapse can be detected and can trigger a verification notice from the state.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance
Driving without financial responsibility is a misdemeanor, and the fines climb with repeat offenses:
- First offense: a fine between $175 and $350
- Second or subsequent offense: a fine between $350 and $1,000
A court can reduce the first-offense fine below $175 if you can show you’re unable to pay.6State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.191 – Operation of Motor Vehicle in Violation of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Requirement The fine is only part of the cost. Officers can impound your vehicle on the spot if you can’t prove coverage, and recovering it means paying towing and daily storage fees. A second or subsequent conviction also triggers a driver’s license suspension and an SR-22 requirement.
SR-22 Requirements
An SR-22 is not a type of insurance. It’s a certificate your insurer files with the Department of Public Safety confirming you carry at least the minimum liability coverage. You need one after certain convictions, including a second or subsequent no-insurance offense, a DWI, drug offenses, and driving with an invalid license.7Department of Public Safety. Section 9 – SR-22 Proof of Financial Responsibility
You must keep the SR-22 in force without any lapse for two years from the date of your most recent qualifying conviction or from the date of a crash-related judgment against you.8Department of Public Safety. Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate SR-22 If coverage lapses inside that window, your insurer notifies the state and your license faces suspension. Reinstatement restarts the two-year clock and adds fees.
The filing itself typically costs between $15 and $50 as a one-time fee. The larger cost is the premium increase, since insurers treat SR-22 drivers as high risk for at least the full two-year period.
Rideshare and Delivery Drivers
If you drive for a rideshare or delivery platform, your personal policy alone probably won’t protect you during a work-related crash. Most personal policies exclude commercial use, so a claim filed while you’re on a delivery run or waiting for a ride request can be denied.
Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1954 requires transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft to maintain insurance for their drivers, but the amount depends on trip phase. When the app is on but you haven’t accepted a request, the platform typically provides only limited liability and nothing for damage to your own vehicle. Once you accept a ride or have a passenger, coverage rises significantly, usually to $1,000,000 in liability. A rideshare endorsement from your personal insurer closes the gap in the first phase for a modest additional premium.
If You Don’t Own a Vehicle
A non-owner policy provides liability coverage that follows you rather than a specific vehicle and satisfies the state’s financial responsibility requirement when you’re driving borrowed or rented cars.9State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.051 – Requirement of Financial Responsibility It’s also used to maintain continuous insurance history and to satisfy an SR-22 requirement when you don’t own a car. Coverage is liability-only by default, so it won’t pay for damage to the vehicle you’re driving.
Alternatives to a Standard Policy
A liability policy is the most common way to meet the requirement, but state law recognizes four alternatives: filing a surety bond backed by two real-property sureties, depositing $55,000 in cash or securities with the state comptroller, depositing $55,000 with the county judge where your vehicle is registered, or qualifying as a self-insurer, which requires more than 25 vehicles registered in your name and approval from the Department of Public Safety.9State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.051 – Requirement of Financial Responsibility10Texas Public Law. Texas Transportation Code 601.121 – Surety Bond11Texas Public Law. Texas Transportation Code 601.122 – Deposit of Cash or Securities With Comptroller12State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.123 – Deposit With County Judge13Texas Public Law. Texas Transportation Code 601.124 – Self-Insurance These exist mainly for fleet operators and high-net-worth individuals. For nearly every driver, a standard liability policy is the practical way to comply.