Minimum car insurance requirements in Michigan
Michigan requires insurance for all motor vehicles operated or parked on state Michigan roads. Michigan is a no-fault state, which means when an accident occurs, each party’s insurance is responsible for paying their own damages. The state’s complex minimum liability insurance requirements include three parts:[2]
Personal injury protection (PIP)
PIP pays medical expenses for you and your passengers in case of an accident, up to the policy’s coverage limit. In Michigan, you must purchase PIP with unlimited coverage. The coverage options for PIP are:
$500,000 per person, per accident
$250,000 per person, per accident
$250,000 per person, per accident with exclusions (but only if someone on the policy has health insurance that’s not Medicare)
$50,000 per person, per accident (only if everyone on the policy has health insurance or is covered by another policy with PIP, and the named insured is enrolled in Medicaid)
No medical PIP coverage (only if the named insured has Medicare Parts A and B, and all others on the policy are covered by health insurance or another auto policy that does have PIP medical coverage)
Property protection insurance (PPI)
PPI pays for damage your vehicle does to someone else’s property (like a fence or mailbox), or parked car, but it won’t pay for any other damage to vehicles.
Residual bodily injury and property damage liability
Because Michigan is a no-fault state, you largely can’t be sued because of a car accident, although there are exceptions. Instead, your bodily injury liability will pay the medical expenses of anyone else injured in your car. The trade-off for this security, though, are higher required amounts of minimum coverage:
$50,000 per person, per accident
$100,000 per accident
$10,000 for property damage in another state[3]
Driving in Michigan, you’ll need to carry proof of insurance with you in your car at all times and be ready to show it when necessary, such as at the request of law enforcement or when you register your vehicle.
The Michigan Secretary of State (SOS) Office runs the DMV duties in the state. It allows you to renew your driver’s license, change your address, check personalized plate availability, and perform many other services online.[4]
If you need in-person service, there are many SOS offices in Michigan, and you don’t have to visit a specific one — you can simply locate the one closest to you. Most SOS branches are open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and some offices may be open on Saturdays.
Public transportation in Michigan
Several public transportation options exist in Michigan. MichiganFlyer offers motor coach connections between Lansing, Brighton, Ann Arbor, and the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. You can also find public transportation through Amtrak, Greyhound, Indian Trails, and Megabus.
In addition, 82 local public transit agencies operate throughout the state.[5] Some examples include the Detroit People Mover, Charlevoix County Public Transit, Huron Transit Corporation, St. Joseph County Transportation Authority, and The Rapid.