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5+ years writing insurance and personal finance topics
Auto, home, health, and life insurance expertise
Elizabeth has extensive insurance industry experience, having written for Insureon, Rate Retriever, and Insurify. She’s also finance and insurance editor for Car and Driver.
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Sara Getman is an Associate Editor at Insurify and has been with the company since 2022. Prior to joining Insurify, Sara completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Simmons University in Boston. At Simmons, she was the Editor-in-Chief for Sidelines Magazine (a literary and art publication), and wrote creative non-fiction.
Outside of work, Sara is an avid reader, and loves rock climbing, yoga, and crocheting.
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Table of contents
Car insurance is a legal requirement in Kentucky. Drivers must carry personal liability insurance with minimum coverage limits of 25/50/25 to register a vehicle and legally drive on Kentucky roads. If you own a car in the Bluegrass State, it’s important to understand the Kentucky car insurance requirements and make sure you have enough coverage.
Here’s what you need to know about Kentucky’s minimum requirements and finding affordable coverage.
Kentucky car insurance requirements
Kentucky drivers have to carry at least 25/50/25 in personal liability insurance. As an alternative to traditional car insurance, drivers can also purchase a policy with a single limit of $60,000.[1]
Kentucky is a "choice" at-fault state. This means that drivers need to carry personal injury protection (PIP) to pay for their injuries in an accident. But Kentuckians do have the option to reject PIP coverage and rely on the at-fault driver’s insurance to pay for their injuries.
Below, you can see the state requirements for coverage in Kentucky.
Coverage | Minimum Requirements |
---|---|
Bodily injury liability insurance | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
Property damage liability insurance | $25,000 per accident |
Personal injury protection | $10,000 |
Bodily injury liability insurance
Bodily injury liability insurance covers another person’s injuries when you cause an accident. It pays for their medical expenses, lost wages, and some non-medical costs, like pain and suffering.
In Kentucky, a minimum coverage bodily injury liability policy provides $25,000 in coverage for one person’s injuries and $50,000 for all injuries in an accident. If the losses exceed these coverage limits, you’ll likely have to pay the difference out of pocket.
Bodily injury liability insurance doesn’t cover medical bills for you or your passengers after an at-fault accident. If you want coverage for medical expenses, you can add medical payments (MedPay) insurance or personal injury protection (PIP) to your policy.
Property damage liability insurance
Property damage liability insurance covers another person’s property damage when you’re at fault for an accident. It’ll pay for vehicle repairs as well as damage to public and private property, like fences, mailboxes, and storefronts.[2]
The minimum car insurance requirements in Kentucky include $25,000 in property damage liability coverage per accident. But keep in mind that minimum coverage may not cover the full cost of an at-fault accident, so experts generally recommend that drivers carry higher liability limits than what’s required.
Like bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability insurance doesn’t cover your vehicle damages after an at-fault crash. If you want physical damage coverage for your vehicle, you should get a full-coverage insurance policy with collision and comprehensive coverage.
Personal injury protection
Personal injury protection helps cover medical expenses, lost wages, funeral expenses, rehabilitation costs, home medical care, and essential services. Kentucky requires drivers to carry a minimum of $10,000 in PIP insurance.
But Kentucky is a “choice” no-fault state, so you can choose not to carry PIP coverage.[3]
If you have PIP insurance and get into an accident, it’ll cover your medical costs no matter the fault. If you choose not to have PIP coverage and someone hits you, you’ll have to rely on their coverage to pay for your injuries. In an at-fault accident, you won’t have any injury coverage without PIP.
Kentucky Automobile Insurance Plan
If you’re struggling to find coverage, you can get insurance through the Kentucky Automobile Insurance Plan (KAIP). This program is available to Kentucky residents who’ve been denied coverage due to factors like their driving record or credit history.
The KAIP provides standard coverages, including bodily injury liability insurance, property damage liability insurance, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage. Collision insurance and comprehensive insurance aren’t available through the KAIP.
To get coverage through the KAIP, you can apply through any licensed insurance agent in Kentucky. It’s important to know that premiums are likely to be higher than rates from traditional insurers, so you should only use this as a last-resort option.[4]
Do you need more than state-minimum coverage in Kentucky?
A state-minimum coverage policy with liability-only insurance covers your financial responsibilities when you cause an accident. It covers third-party injuries and property damage — not your own losses.
For more protection, insurance professionals typically recommend getting a full-coverage policy with liability insurance, collision insurance, and comprehensive insurance. Collision insurance covers your vehicle’s repairs after a crash, and comprehensive insurance covers non-collision damage, like theft, vandalism, and hail.
Liability-only insurance in Kentucky is the cheapest coverage you can get. A full-coverage policy has a higher premium, but it helps cover your damages. The average cost of full-coverage insurance in Kentucky is $202 per month, according to Insurify data.
Full coverage is good to have if you drive a new vehicle, lease, or finance your vehicle. Minimum coverage might be sufficient if you drive an older car that’s not worth much or you can’t afford full coverage.
Penalties for driving without proof of insurance in Kentucky
Driving without car insurance is illegal in Kentucky. The state will revoke your registration if you get caught driving without insurance. It costs $40 to reinstate your vehicle registration after a revocation. Additionally, you can receive fines between $500 and $1,000, and you could face up to 90 days in jail, or both.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Kentucky
Liability insurance covers your financial responsibilities when you cause an accident that results in another person’s injuries or property damage. In Kentucky, drivers must carry at least 25/50/25 in personal liability insurance.
The average cost of liability-only car insurance in Kentucky is $126 per month, but rates vary by insurance company. Below, you can see the average liability-only quotes from several insurers.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
---|---|
National General | $97 |
Progressive | $98 |
Auto-Owners | $109 |
State Farm | $113 |
Direct Auto | $114 |
Safeco | $117 |
Root | $118 |
GEICO | $130 |
CSAA | $132 |
USAA | $139 |
Bristol West | $151 |
Allstate | $164 |
State Auto | $167 |
Dairyland | $178 |
Travelers | $182 |
The General | $202 |
Liberty Mutual | $203 |
Nationwide | $241 |
Shelter | $296 |
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Kentucky
Full-coverage car insurance includes liability insurance, collision insurance, and comprehensive insurance. While full coverage is optional for most drivers, it’s often a requirement if you lease or finance your vehicle.
In Kentucky, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance is $202 per month.
In the following table, you can see the average full-coverage rates from some of the largest auto insurance companies.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
---|---|
Auto-Owners | $141 |
State Farm | $147 |
Progressive | $153 |
National General | $158 |
Safeco | $165 |
GEICO | $167 |
Direct Auto | $169 |
CSAA | $181 |
USAA | $181 |
Root | $202 |
Allstate | $213 |
State Auto | $217 |
Travelers | $236 |
Liberty Mutual | $288 |
Bristol West | $308 |
Nationwide | $312 |
The General | $326 |
Dairyland | $351 |
Shelter | $384 |
Optional car insurance coverages to consider
Many Kentucky drivers can benefit from adding optional auto insurance coverage that fills the gaps in a standard policy. Here are some of the coverage types you might want to consider:
Gap insurance
Gap insurance can be useful if you lease or finance your car and owe more than what it’s worth. If you total your vehicle or someone steals it, gap insurance will cover the difference between the car’s value and what you owe the lender.
Roadside assistance
If you’re stranded, roadside assistance covers basic services, like flat-tire changes, fuel delivery, battery replacements, lockouts, and extrication. Most policies also provide several miles of towing.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) pays for your injuries and property damage if you get into an accident with a driver who doesn’t have car insurance or who doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your losses in full.
Rental car reimbursement
Rental reimbursement coverage will pay for a rental vehicle while your car gets repaired after an accident or other covered claim. Most policies pay up to a certain amount per day, with a total maximum coverage limit.
New car replacement insurance
If your car is totaled or stolen, new car replacement coverage will provide a higher settlement so you can replace your vehicle with a new one of a similar make and model. Typically, this coverage is only available on newer vehicles with less than a certain mileage.
Kentucky car insurance requirements FAQs
If you need auto insurance in Kentucky, here’s some additional information that can be helpful as you shop for policies and compare quotes.
Is car insurance required in Kentucky?
Yes. Car insurance is legally required in Kentucky. Drivers must carry at least 25/50/25 in personal liability insurance.
Do you need car insurance to register a car in Kentucky?
Yes. You must have car insurance to register a vehicle in Kentucky. The state can revoke your registration if you fail to maintain the minimum liability insurance requirements.
Does insurance follow the car or the driver in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, like in most states, insurance follows the car. If you let someone else borrow your vehicle and they get into an accident, your car insurance will cover their liability.
What’s the cheapest car insurance in Kentucky?
National General offers the cheapest liability policies in Kentucky, at $97 per month. But the amount you’ll pay depends on a variety of factors, like your ZIP code, age, vehicle type, and driving record.
How much does it cost to register a car in Kentucky?
In most counties in Kentucky, it costs $21 to register a vehicle. For vehicles weighing more than 10,000 lbs., the registration fee varies by weight.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 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
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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Sources
- drive.ky.org. "Mandatory Insurance."
- NAIC. "A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance."
- DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE. "No Fault Rejection/Verification (PIP)."
- inusrance.ky.gov. "Kentucky Automobile Insurance Plan."
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Elizabeth Rivelli is a freelance writer covering insurance and personal finance. She has extensive knowledge of various insurance lines, including property and casualty, health, and life insurance. Her byline has been featured in dozens of publications, including Investopedia, Forbes, Bankrate, NextAdvisor, and Insurance.com.
Elizabeth has been a contributor at Insurify since October 2022.
)
Sara Getman is an Associate Editor at Insurify and has been with the company since 2022. Prior to joining Insurify, Sara completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Simmons University in Boston. At Simmons, she was the Editor-in-Chief for Sidelines Magazine (a literary and art publication), and wrote creative non-fiction.
Outside of work, Sara is an avid reader, and loves rock climbing, yoga, and crocheting.