Mississippi Car Insurance Requirements in 2026

Mississippi car insurance requirements at a glance

Coverage	Minimum Requirement in Mississippi
Bodily injury liability	$25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
Property damage liability	$25,000

Mississippi car insurance requirements explained

Mississippi car insurance law requires all drivers to carry at least $25,000 per person in bodily injury liability, $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, and $25,000 in property damage liability.^[1]

These 25/50/25 car insurance requirements are common in many states, including nearby Alabama and Tennessee. Both states have the same coverage minimums.

Mississippi bodily injury liability insurance requirements

Mississippi drivers must have a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability insurance. This coverage pays the other driver and their passengers for injuries, lost wages, and medical expenses resulting from a collision you cause.

Mississippi has one of the highest rates of fatal and severe crashes in the country, according to Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) data. So a policy that has only the minimum bodily injury liability limit may be insufficient.

Mississippi property damage liability insurance requirements

Mississippi drivers must carry at least $25,000 in property damage liability insurance. This coverage helps pay for vehicle or property damage you cause in an accident.

Property damage liability insurance doesn’t pay for any repairs to your own vehicle. So if you don’t want to pay for damage to your vehicle out of pocket, you’ll need to add collision and comprehensive insurance to your policy.

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Are Mississippi’s car insurance requirements sufficient for most drivers?

A policy that meets Mississippi’s state-minimum coverage limits may provide enough protection for minor fender benders. But considering the high costs of vehicles, car parts, and medical bills, a more serious accident could exceed the amount of coverage a state-minimum policy provides.

For example, if you’re in an accident and cause over $50,000 in injuries or lost wages to the other driver and their passengers, you’d be responsible for the additional expense out of your own pocket.

Raising your policy limits and adding optional types of insurance to your policy will increase your premiums, but it could save you money in the long run. The table below shows the recommended coverage levels for Mississippi drivers.

Coverage Type	Recommended Coverage Limit in Mississippi
Bodily injury liability	$100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
Property damage liability	$100,000
Collision and comprehensive coverage	Deductible of $500–$1,000
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage	Match liability coverage limits

Other car insurance requirements to be aware of in Mississippi

Although Mississippi requires drivers to have only liability coverage, you may need to meet other insurance requirements. Approximately 35% of Mississippi drivers have an auto loan or lease, according to Insurify data. If you finance your vehicle, your loan or lease agreement will require you to have full-coverage insurance, which typically includes liability, collision coverage, and comprehensive insurance.

Collision insurance pays to repair or replace your own vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident and you’re at fault. Comprehensive insurance pays for non-collision-related damages, such as damages from a storm, fallen debris, or animal-related collisions.

Mississippi is one of the 10 worst states for deer-related collisions, according to State Farm data, so comprehensive insurance can be a smart investment.

How Mississippi’s car insurance requirements influence rates

Mississippi is an at-fault, or tort, state, so the at-fault driver in an accident is generally financially responsible for the other party’s injuries and damages. Mississippi law requires drivers to have car insurance policies with at least 25/50/25 liability coverage.

On average, Mississippi drivers pay $89 per month for state-minimum liability insurance. Opting for a policy with higher liability coverage limits can provide more protection but will have higher premiums. That trade-off can be worth the added expense.

Say you accidentally ran a red light, hit a driver in a new car, and caused enough damage that the other driver’s vehicle is a total loss. Considering that the average new car costs more than $50,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, you’d owe more in damages than your limit of $25,000. So if you had a state-minimum policy, you’d be financially responsible for covering the remaining amount.

Cheapest state-minimum required car insurance in Mississippi

The below rates in Mississippi are estimated rates current as of: Wednesday, September 30 at 5:00 PM PDT. 

Insurance Company	Average Monthly Quote
State Farm	$45
USAA	$47
Progressive	$54
Bristol West	$66
Direct Auto	$68
National General	$68
Allstate	$71
GEICO	$79
The General	$86
Travelers	$89
Trexis One	$90
Safeco	$92
First Acceptance	$94
Mendota	$94
GAINSCO	$96
Root	$99
Shelter	$114
Liberty Mutual	$142
Dairyland	$147
Hugo	$147

Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time Mississippi car insurance quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual car insurance quotes in Mississippi may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Mississippi car insurance laws and related programs

If you can’t find coverage in Mississippi because of your driving record, you may be eligible for the Mississippi Automobile Insurance Plan.

This plan is for high-risk drivers who have been unable to purchase coverage on their own. It lets you get a policy that satisfies the state’s minimum liability coverage requirements.^[2]

Penalties for driving without insurance in Mississippi

In Mississippi, the penalties for driving without insurance include monetary fines and license suspensions for up to one year. The fine amounts depend on the number of offenses on your record:^[3]

• First offense: After the first time driving without insurance, the fine is $300.

• Second offense: If you’re cited for driving without insurance a second time, the fine is $400.

• Third or subsequent offense: For the third or subsequent offense, the fine is $500.

• All offenses: If your license is suspended for driving without insurance, state law requires you to hold SR-22 insurance for three years.^[4] Plus, you’ll need to pay a $100 reinstatement fee and license renewal fees.^[5]

Drivers must carry proof of insurance, such as a physical or electronic insurance card. In 2017, Mississippi instituted a statewide electronic vehicle insurance-verification system. If a police officer pulls you over, they can use the system to verify whether you have insurance using your vehicle’s license plate number or its vehicle identification number (VIN).

In 2018, the state changed the penalty for driving without insurance from a civil violation to a criminal offense.

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Other car insurance coverages worth considering in Mississippi

Besides bodily injury liability and property damage liability insurance, Mississippi drivers may want to consider these other types of insurance:

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage: Mississippi has the highest rate of uninsured drivers in the U.S. As of 2023, 28.2% of Mississippi drivers were uninsured, according to Insurance Research Council data. If you’re in an accident where the at-fault driver is uninsured, underinsured, or flees the scene, you could be left covering the cost of damages yourself unless you have UM/UIM coverage.

• Comprehensive insurance: Mississippi has a high rate of animal-related crashes and is also at risk of flood damage. If you hit a deer or your car is damaged in a storm, comprehensive insurance can help with the cost of repairs.

• Gap insurance: About 33.4% of Mississippi drivers have an outstanding auto loan, according to Insurify data. If your car is totaled or stolen and its current value is less than what you owe on your loan, you’ll have to pay the remaining balance out of pocket. Gap insurance helps cover the difference between your vehicle’s value and your loan balance.

• Rideshare coverage: More than 250,000 Mississippi residents are freelancers or self-employed, including rideshare and delivery drivers, according to data from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Most personal policies exclude damages or injuries that occur when driving for a rideshare, but a rideshare insurance policy or endorsement can help prevent coverage gaps.

Mississippi car insurance requirements FAQs