New York's required auto insurance coverages
New York State requires every registered vehicle to carry a minimum level of auto insurance. Driving without it is a misdemeanor, and a conviction results in license suspension, registration revocation, and fines. Here are the four required coverages:
- Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. Pays for injuries you cause to others in an accident where you are at fault.
- Property damage liability: $10,000 per accident. Pays for damage you cause to other people's vehicles or property.
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP/No-Fault): $50,000 per person. Pays your own medical expenses and a portion of lost wages after an accident, regardless of fault.
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. Pays your injuries if you're hit by a driver who has no insurance.
Why the state minimums fall short
The $25,000 per-person bodily injury limit was set at a time when medical costs were dramatically lower. Today, a serious injury — broken bones, a spinal injury, a traumatic brain injury — can easily generate $200,000 to $500,000 or more in medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering damages. If you cause that accident, your $25,000 policy pays $25,000. You owe the rest.
The $10,000 property damage limit is similarly strained. The average new vehicle price in the United States is now well above $40,000. If you rear-end a new SUV at highway speed and total it, your $10,000 property damage limit covers less than a quarter of the loss. The owner can sue you for the remainder.
These aren't edge cases. They're the scenarios we see in claims discussions and in the coverage gap conversations we have with new clients who've been shopping on price alone.
What we recommend for upstate NY drivers
For most Fulton and Montgomery County drivers, we recommend the following as a sensible baseline:
- Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident (commonly written as 100/300). This provides meaningful protection for most serious-injury scenarios at a premium increase that is often $50–$120 per year over the state minimum.
- Property damage liability: $100,000 per accident. Covers total-loss scenarios for most vehicles on the road.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist: Match your liability limits. New York has a meaningful uninsured driver population; your UM/UIM coverage is what protects you when the at-fault driver can't pay.
- PIP: The standard $50,000, with additional PIP or medical payments considered for households with less robust health coverage.
- Comprehensive with a $100–$500 deductible. Deer strikes, theft, and hail damage are the dominant comprehensive claims in this region — comprehensive pays for all of them.
When higher limits make sense
Beyond the 100/300/100 baseline, certain households should consider higher limits or an umbrella policy:
- Homeowners with meaningful equity. Your home equity is exposed to a judgment above your auto liability limit. A $1 million umbrella policy adds about $150–$300 per year and extends your liability protection above and beyond your underlying auto and home policies.
- Teen drivers in the household. A young driver's accident risk is statistically higher; the liability exposure from a serious accident they cause is the same as anyone else's. Higher limits with a teen on the policy are essential.
- High-mileage commuters. More miles means more exposure. Drivers with long daily commutes to Albany, Schenectady, or Utica have materially higher accident exposure than those driving a few miles per day.
- Households with more than one vehicle. Multi-vehicle households benefit from bundled policies that often produce per-vehicle discounts, making higher limits more affordable on a per-car basis.
How to find the right limits without overpaying
The right coverage level is a balance between liability exposure and premium affordability. As an independent agency, we can show you what 100/300/100 costs across the carriers in our market versus what the state minimum costs — and help you make an informed decision about where your premium dollar does the most work.
Call us at (518) 842-9144 or request a quote and we'll run the comparison for your household.
New York auto insurance FAQs
What are New York's minimum auto insurance requirements?
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New York requires: (1) Bodily injury liability of $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident, (2) Property damage liability of $10,000 per accident, (3) Personal Injury Protection (PIP/No-Fault) of $50,000 per person, (4) Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. These are legal minimums — the floor, not a recommendation.
Does New York require collision and comprehensive coverage?
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No. New York only requires liability, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage. Collision (damage to your own vehicle from an accident) and comprehensive (theft, deer strikes, weather damage) are optional from a legal standpoint. However, if you have a car loan or lease, your lender will require both. And for most vehicles in upstate NY — where deer strikes are common — comprehensive with a low deductible is strongly advisable.
What is New York No-Fault insurance and how does it work?
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New York is a no-fault state, which means that after an accident, your own insurance pays your medical expenses and lost wages (up to the PIP limit of $50,000), regardless of who caused the accident. You don't have to prove fault to access these benefits. However, no-fault doesn't apply to property damage or to pain-and-suffering damages — those still go through the liability and legal system.
If I'm at fault in an accident, what happens if the other person's injuries exceed my liability limit?
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You are personally responsible for any amount above your policy's liability limit. If you carry the New York minimum of $25,000 per person and an at-fault accident produces $150,000 in medical bills for the other driver, your policy pays $25,000 and you are personally liable for the remaining $125,000. This can mean wage garnishment, liens on your home, or judgment debt that follows you for years. This is the core reason we recommend limits far above the state minimum.
Does uninsured motorist coverage apply if the other driver has insufficient insurance?
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Yes — underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage works alongside uninsured motorist (UM) coverage to fill the gap when an at-fault driver's limits are lower than your damages. In New York, UM and UIM coverage must be offered at the same limits as your liability coverage. For drivers with 100/300 liability, we strongly recommend matching UM/UIM limits.
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