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What is liability car insurance?
Liability car insurance is a type of coverage that helps protect you financially if you cause an accident. While it doesn’t pay for your damages, it protects other drivers and their passengers by paying for their medical expenses and car repairs.
All drivers in Colorado must have liability insurance. Colorado is an at-fault state, meaning a driver who causes an accident is financially responsible for third-party injuries and damages.
Full coverage, which includes collision coverage and comprehensive coverage, pays to repair or replace your vehicle after an at-fault accident. Medical payments coverage (MedPay) helps pay for your medical expenses after an accident, regardless of fault.
Cheapest liability car insurance in Colorado
The average cost of liability-only car insurance in Colorado is $97 per month. Full-coverage car insurance is more expensive, averaging $217 per month.
Various factors affect average car insurance costs in Colorado. Insurers consider your age, past insurance claims, driving record, annual mileage, and ZIP code when determining your insurance premiums.
The table below lists the average monthly rates for the companies with the cheapest car insurance in Colorado.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote: Liability Only |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $55 |
| Sun Coast | $61 |
| Progressive | $65 |
| The General | $65 |
| Root | $70 |
| USAA | $70 |
| Mile Auto | $73 |
| American Family | $76 |
| GEICO | $76 |
| Bristol West | $84 |
| Auto-Owners | $98 |
| Trexis | $100 |
| Mendota | $102 |
| Safeco | $106 |
| National General | $109 |
| Dairyland | $111 |
| Allstate | $116 |
| Direct Auto | $116 |
| Insurify Car | $124 |
| Travelers | $138 |
| Farmers | $144 |
| Liberty Mutual | $168 |
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Minimum liability car insurance requirements in Colorado
Colorado requires all drivers to carry liability insurance.[1]
Bodily injury liability pays for third-party medical bills resulting from an accident you cause.
Property damage liability pays for third-party car repairs and other property damage after an accident you cause.
The table below shows the minimum auto insurance requirements in Colorado.
Coverage Type | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $15,000 per accident |
Liability coverage helps pay for damages and injuries you cause, but it doesn’t pay for your own vehicle repairs or medical bills. For example, if you hit an oncoming car, your liability coverage helps pay for the other driver’s damages and medical expenses, but not your own.
To cover your vehicle repairs, you’d need collision coverage, which is part of a full-coverage policy. Medical payments coverage (MedPay) pays for your medical expenses before your health insurance kicks in.
Is minimum liability coverage enough in Colorado?
Minimum liability coverage generally isn’t enough for Colorado drivers. In 2024, the average cost of a property damage-only crash in Colorado was $17,500 — $2,500 more than the state’s minimum property damage liability requirement.
Also in 2024, the cost of an accident with a minor injury averaged $232,000, and a single-fatality accident averaged $1.9 million.[2] This is far above Colorado’s $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident bodily injury liability requirements.
Consider increasing your liability limits to avoid paying for damages out of pocket.
Several additional coverage types can give you extra financial protection. For example, collision coverage helps protect your vehicle if you’re in an at-fault crash, while comprehensive coverage pays for non-collision events. Gap insurance can help pay off your auto loan or lease balance if your car is totalled and the claim payout is less than what you still owe on the vehicle.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance helps cover your costs after an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver. And medical payments coverage pays for a portion of your medical bills after an accident, regardless of fault.
Penalties for driving without liability insurance in Colorado
Driving without liability insurance is illegal in Colorado. If you can’t provide proof of insurance after an accident or when law enforcement stops you, you can face steep penalties, including the following:
Penalty | First Offense | Second and Subsequent Offenses |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | At least $500 | At least $1,000 |
| License suspension | Until driver provides proof of insurance | Until driver provides proof of insurance |
| Community service | Up to 40 hours | Up to 40 hours |
| SR-22 requirement | 3 years from the date of conviction | 3 years from the date of conviction |
Providing false proof of liability insurance in Colorado also comes with penalties, including a $500 fine. Colorado law considers this a Class B traffic infraction, and a court conviction is a criminal offense.
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How to find cheap liability car insurance in Colorado
You can find cheap liability car insurance in Colorado by following these suggestions:
Compare quotes. Car insurance rates vary considerably among insurers, so it’s important to shop around. Compare quotes every six months to ensure you’re getting the best rates for your coverage needs.
Ask about car insurance discounts. Many insurers offer discounts for earning good grades, completing a driver safety course, driving a car with safety features, or enrolling in a usage-based program.
Bundle policies. Buying more than one policy type through the same insurer could save you money. For example, if you live in Grand Lake and own a boat, you could save by bundling your car and boat insurance with the same company.
Boost your credit. Colorado allows insurers to consider your credit, among other factors, when determining your car insurance premiums. Improving your credit history by making on-time payments, decreasing your credit card balances, and limiting new credit applications may help lower your premiums over time.[3]
Consider alternative insurance coverage. The Colorado Automobile Insurance Plan exists to help high-risk drivers get coverage. If standard insurers won’t cover you because of your driving record, an assigned-risk auto insurance policy may be your best solution.
Liability car insurance in Colorado FAQs
See the answers to frequently asked questions below to find the best car insurance in Colorado for your needs.
What is the cheapest liability insurance in Colorado?
State Farm has the cheapest liability insurance in Colorado, at an average of $55 per month.
How much liability insurance do you need in Colorado?
Colorado requires all drivers to have at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability insurance. Drivers must also have at least $15,000 in property damage liability coverage.
Can you just get liability car insurance in Colorado?
Yes. You can get liability-only car insurance in Colorado, but it won’t pay for your medical expenses or car repairs after an at-fault crash.
What happens if an uninsured driver hits you in Colorado?
If an uninsured driver hits you in Colorado, a liability-only insurance policy won’t cover your property damage or medical bills. By law, all insurers must offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which would apply in this case, but you can reject it in writing.
Sources
- Colorado General Assembly. "Mandatory Automobile Insurance in Colorado."
- Colorado Department of Transportation. "Colorado Highway Safety Improvement Program 2024 Annual Report."
- Experian. "Which States Restrict the Use of Credit Scores in Determining Insurance Rates?."
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 250 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
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