Car Insurance Requirements in Louisiana (2026)

The legal requirement for car insurance in Louisiana is a 15/30/25 policy. Driving without insurance means giving up your right to claim reimbursement for damages and injuries after an accident.

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Writer: Lindsay VanSomerenInsurance and Personal Finance Writer

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  • Former data scientist for U.S. Geological Survey


Lindsay is a freelance personal finance writer currently pursuing her Series 65 license. She enjoys helping readers learn money management skills that improve their lives.

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Editor: John LeachLicensed P&C Agent, Chief Copy Editor

Qualifications:
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John is Insurify’s Chief Copy Editor, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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Qualifications:
  • 25 years teaching risk management and insurance course

  • Former commercial lines underwriter


David is the managing director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. He has been quoted by The New York Times and CNN.

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Like most states, Louisiana sets minimum requirements for car insurance that residents must purchase to register a car. Louisiana drivers must carry at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 per accident in property damage liability coverage.[1]

You may need additional coverage in some situations, but it’s important to have at least state-minimum coverage, or you may face penalties. You can typically find the cheapest Louisiana car insurance rates if you compare quotes and shop around. Here’s what you need to know about Louisiana car insurance coverage.

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Louisiana car insurance requirements

Louisiana state law requires all vehicle owners to purchase a policy with minimum liability limits of bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. Here’s what that means and what these coverages pay for.

Coverage
Minimum Requirements
Bodily injury liability$15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident
Property damage$25,000

Bodily injury liability

Bodily injury liability insurance reimburses someone for injuries and medical expenses from an accident that you cause.

In Louisiana, you must purchase bodily injury liability coverage with policy limits of at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. That means if you injure two people in one car accident, your insurer will cover their medical bills up to $30,000.

Anything beyond that limit is your responsibility. If you cause an accident that results in more than $30,000 in injuries, you’re liable for paying the remaining costs out of pocket.

Property damage liability

Property damage liability coverage reimburses someone for any property you damage in an accident. This usually means the other parties’ vehicles, but it can include personal belongings inside a car, someone’s home, landscaping, buildings, and more.

Louisiana car insurance requirements state that you must purchase enough property damage coverage to reimburse someone for up to $25,000 if you damage their property with your car. For amounts more than that — such as if you damage someone’s new car worth $35,000 — you’re personally on the hook for the costs.

Louisiana car insurance laws/programs

Louisiana’s “No-Pay, No-Play” law penalizes uninsured drivers by restricting their ability to file insurance claims if they sustain damages and injuries in an accident, even if they weren’t the ones at fault.

Uninsured drivers don’t receive the first $25,000 in property damage liability or $15,000 in bodily injury liability claims from the other driver.

Do you need more than state-minimum coverage in Louisiana?

The minimum liability coverage in Louisiana will protect you against financial losses up to a certain amount, but beyond that, you’re on the hook.

For this reason, you may want to purchase higher liability limits. Many financial experts recommend making sure you have at least enough coverage to match your financial assets since that’s the maximum amount of financial loss you might see. For example, if you have $100,000 in your financial accounts, $100,000 would be a good amount of minimum liability coverage to consider.

Keep in Mind

Liability coverage also doesn’t pay for your damages. For more protection, you can purchase a full-coverage policy that includes liability, collision, comprehensive, and personal injury protection (PIP). These additional coverages pay for your damages and injuries, regardless of fault.

Penalties for driving without proof of insurance in Louisiana

Louisiana auto insurance laws outline penalties you may face if you drive without proof of insurance. The following fines and penalties may apply:

  • Fine of $500 to $1,000

  • Vehicle impoundment

  • License plate cancellation

  • Vehicle registration revocation

  • Driver’s license suspension

  • Forfeit the first $15,000 to $25,000 in claims after a not-at-fault accident

If and when you’re eligible to have your license and registration reinstated, you may pay additional costs and fees. You may need to purchase a high-risk car insurance policy and ask your insurer to file a form SR-22 with the office of motor vehicles for three years.

Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Louisiana

Buying a policy with Louisiana’s minimum insurance requirements is the cheapest option, costing an average of $106 per month, according to Insurify data.

Here are the cheapest liability insurance companies in Louisiana for you to start your search.

The below rates in Louisiana are estimated rates current as of: Wednesday, September 30 at 5:00 PM PDT. 
Insurance Company
Average Monthly Quote
State Farm$53
National General$63
Progressive$63
USAA$66
Allstate$79
GEICO$88
Direct Auto$89
The General$105
Bristol West$120
Root$145
Safeco$159
Hugo$248
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time Louisiana car insurance quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual car insurance quotes in Louisiana may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Louisiana

Louisiana law doesn’t require full coverage, but your lender may require it if you finance or lease your car. A full-coverage policy typically includes two extra types of insurance designed to protect your vehicle: collision and comprehensive. The average full-coverage policy costs $209 per month in Louisiana.

Collision coverage pays for damage to your car if you hit another vehicle or a stationary object, like a light pole or fence. Comprehensive coverage pays for damages from non-collision sources, like theft, fires, floods, falling trees, and storm damage.

Here are the cheapest insurers in Louisiana for full-coverage auto policies.

The below rates in Louisiana are estimated rates current as of: Wednesday, September 30 at 5:00 PM PDT. 
Insurance Company
Average Monthly Quote
State Farm$117
National General$141
USAA$148
Progressive$149
Allstate$174
GEICO$197
Direct Auto$205
Safeco$269
Root$276
Bristol West$284
The General$334
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time Louisiana car insurance quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual car insurance quotes in Louisiana may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

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Optional car insurance coverages to consider

While Louisiana law only requires bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, you may want more coverages. Consider the following endorsements you can add to your policy for more protection on the road:

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/x/5285c4cd74/uninsured-or-underinsured-motorist-coverage.svg

    Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

    Nearly 12% of Louisiana drivers are uninsured, meaning you won’t be able to file any bodily injury or property damage claim against them if they cause an accident. This coverage pays for your damages and injuries if someone without insurance or without enough insurance causes an accident.[2]

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/100x100/9997698e9e/emergency-roadside-service.svg

    Roadside assistance coverage

    Roadside assistance coverage reimburses you for help you need on the road, like gas delivery, towing, battery jump-starts, tire changes, and more.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/x/4c9753bdbe/medical-payments.svg

    Medical payments (MedPay) coverage

    Medical payments (MedPay) coverage pays for any medical expenses for you and anyone else riding in your car if you’re involved in an accident.

Louisiana car insurance requirements FAQs

Check out Insurify’s report on the average cost of car insurance, and learn the answers to questions about Louisiana’s coverage requirements below.

Does Louisiana require car insurance?

Yes. Louisiana requires all drivers to purchase a 15/30/25 car insurance policy. This translates to $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 per accident for property damage liability coverage.

Does Louisiana require full-coverage insurance?

No. Louisiana doesn’t require full-coverage insurance, but your lender may require it if you financed or leased your car.

Do you need car insurance to register a car in Louisiana?

Yes. To register a car under your name in Louisiana, you must first purchase a car insurance policy with limits of at least 15/30/25.

How much time do you have after buying a car to get insurance in Louisiana?

If you already have car insurance, your current coverage may extend to your new car for 30 days to give you time to buy another policy for your new car, but it depends on your insurance company. You should call your insurer before buying a car to check its policy.[3]

Does insurance follow the car or the driver in Louisiana?

In general, car insurance follows the car when you give permission for someone else to drive it. Your car insurance may also follow you in some cases, including if you’re renting a car while on vacation.

What happens if someone who isn’t on your insurance crashes your car in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, insurance follows the car and not the driver. As long as you give explicit permission, anyone can drive your car even if they aren’t on your insurance. So if someone you gave permission to drive your car gets into an accident, your insurance would cover it.

Sources

  1. Louisiana Department of Insurance. "Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance."
  2. III. "Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists."
  3. III. "Buying a New Car or Truck? Consider Auto Insurance Costs and Protect Your Loan When Trading Up."

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
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
  • Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
  • Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Lindsay VanSomeren
Writer: Lindsay VanSomerenInsurance and Personal Finance Writer

Qualifications:
  • 8 years in insurance and personal finance writing

  • Former data scientist for U.S. Geological Survey


Lindsay is a freelance personal finance writer currently pursuing her Series 65 license. She enjoys helping readers learn money management skills that improve their lives.

Photo of an Insurify author
Editor: John LeachLicensed P&C Agent, Chief Copy Editor

Qualifications:
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 10+ years editing experience

  • NPN: 20461358


John is Insurify’s Chief Copy Editor, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

David Marlett
Reviewer: David MarlettAdvisor

Qualifications:
  • 25 years teaching risk management and insurance course

  • Former commercial lines underwriter


David is the managing director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. He has been quoted by The New York Times and CNN.