Missouri Car Insurance Requirements in 2026

Missouri car insurance requirements at a glance

Coverage	Minimum Requirement in Missouri
Bodily injury liability	$25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
Property damage liability	$25,000 per accident
Uninsured motorist coverage	$25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident

Missouri car insurance requirements explained

Missouri law requires drivers to maintain liability insurance coverage.^[1] The state also requires uninsured motorist coverage, which helps pay your medical bills if a driver without coverage hits you or you’re the victim of a hit-and-run.

Missouri has a “No-Pay, No-Play” law that can limit an uninsured driver’s ability to recover certain damages after a crash.^[2]

Missouri bodily injury liability insurance requirements

Missouri requires drivers to carry $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability insurance. Neighboring Illinois, Arkansas, and Kansas require the same minimum bodily injury limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

To highlight how bodily injury coverage works, let’s say you rear-end another vehicle on your commute home. The other driver experiences a neck injury. Your bodily injury liability coverage can help pay the other driver’s medical bills. If you’re hurt in the accident, it won’t pay for your medical expenses.

Missouri property damage liability insurance requirements

Drivers in Missouri must also carry $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. This is slightly higher than the $20,000 required in Illinois and the same as the limits in Arkansas and Kansas.

Suppose you cause an accident that leads to $30,000 in damage to another vehicle. Your $25,000 property damage liability limit can cover up to $25,000, but you might need to pay the remaining $5,000 out of pocket.

Missouri uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance requirements

Missouri law also requires drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury. Twenty-three states, including Missouri, require uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Nineteen additional states require insurers to offer it but allow vehicle owners to reject it in writing.^[3]

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can help you cover bodily injuries you sustain in an accident with an uninsured driver or a hit-and-run accident. It doesn’t cover damage to your vehicle.

Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which can help pay for your injuries if an at-fault driver’s liability limits aren’t high enough to cover your losses, isn’t a required coverage in Missouri.

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

Purchasing Missouri’s minimum car insurance requirements means you can legally drive, but the state warns that minimum coverage isn’t usually enough to fully protect you and your assets after a serious collision.

For instance, if you cause an accident that injures two people, and their combined medical bills are $70,000, you still might be on the hook for part of that. Minimum bodily injury insurance will cover you up to $50,000, but you could be personally responsible for paying the remaining $20,000.

To ensure you have the proper protection, consider higher limits. You can speak to an insurance agent to determine what’s right for you.

The table below shows recommended coverage and coverage levels Missouri drivers may want to consider.

Coverage	Coverage Levels to Consider
Bodily injury liability	$100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
Property damage liability	$100,000 per accident
Uninsured motorist	$100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
Underinsured motorist	$100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
Collision and comprehensive	$1000 deductible/$500 deductible
Medical payments	$1,000 per person

Expert’s insight

“Like most states, Missouri’s minimum required liability amounts may not always be enough to fully protect you if you cause an accident that results in serious injury or totals someone else’s new vehicle. It’s a good idea to buy higher limits if you’re able.”

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Cammie MaurerLicensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent

Cammie Maurer's bio

Other car insurance requirements to be aware of in Missouri

If you lease or finance a vehicle, the lender might require you to carry collision and comprehensive coverage to protect its interest in your car.

Collision coverage can help pay to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident with another car or object.

Comprehensive coverage can help pay for damage to your vehicle from events other than a collision, such as theft, vandalism, or hail. It can be particularly helpful in Missouri, which has many severe weather risks, including tornadoes, flooding, and winter storms.

Consider purchasing collision and comprehensive coverage to protect your new or high-value vehicle, even though Missouri law doesn’t require it.

How Missouri’s car insurance requirements influence rates

The average cost of car insurance in Missouri is $92 per month for liability-only car insurance and $180 for full-coverage car insurance. Since Missouri also requires uninsured motorist coverage, this can increase the overall cost. 

If you choose to purchase higher insurance limits, your premiums will increase, but you’ll have more protection.

To highlight how this works, say you cause an accident that results in $20,000 in damage to the other driver’s vehicle and $30,000 in in medical bills for the other driver.

With minimum liability coverage, your property damage liability can cover the total cost of damages to the other driver’s vehicle. But your policy will only cover up to $25,000 of the other driver’s medical bills. That means you may have to pay the remaining $5,000 out of pocket.

Cheapest state-minimum required car insurance in Missouri

The below rates in Missouri are estimated rates current as of: Monday, August 31 at 5:00 PM PDT. 

Insurance Company	Average Monthly Quote
USAA	$46
State Farm	$55
Progressive	$60
Safeco	$71
National General	$74
Clearcover	$75
Allstate	$80
GEICO	$80
Direct Auto	$82
Root	$82
The General	$89
Bristol West	$90
American Family	$93
Dairyland	$96
GAINSCO	$98
Liberty Mutual	$105
Shelter	$122
Insurify Car	$127
Auto-Owners	$134
Travelers	$136
AssuranceAmerica	$142

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

Missouri car insurance laws and related programs

Many states allow insurance companies to use credit history to calculate credit-based insurance scores, which can affect car insurance rates.

In 2026, Missouri lawmakers introduced legislation (HB2632) to prohibit the use of credit scores in determining insurance rates.^[4] The bill didn’t pass, so Missouri insurers can still use credit-based insurance scoring when setting premiums.^[5]

If you’re having a hard time finding coverage in the voluntary insurance market, you might qualify for the Missouri Automobile Insurance Plan (the Plan).

To qualify, you must certify that you’ve tried and failed to obtain coverage in Missouri within the previous 60 days at rates no higher than those available through the Plan. You also need a valid driver’s license or be eligible to get one through a filing.^[6]

Penalties for driving without insurance in Missouri

Missouri requires drivers to maintain liability insurance. If you drive without insurance or fail to provide proof of coverage, you may face the following consequences:

• Ticket: If a law enforcement officer asks you for proof of insurance and you can’t provide it, you might get a ticket.

• Points: A conviction for failing to show proof of insurance can result in four points on your driving record. Accumulating eight points within 18 months can result in a license suspension in Missouri.

• License suspension: A first suspension has no mandatory suspension period, but a second lasts 90 days. A third or subsequent suspension lasts one year.

• Reinstatement fees: You’ll pay $20 for your first suspension, $200 after a second, and $400 after a third or subsequent suspension.

• SR-22 filing: If you get in an accident and don’t have insurance, and the state suspends your driving privileges or license plate, you’ll need an SR-22 form as proof of liability coverage. You must maintain the filing for three years from the date you’re eligible for reinstatement.

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Other car insurance coverages worth considering in Missouri

In addition to Missouri’s minimum liability coverage, you might consider other insurance to increase protection. Here are some common coverages:

• Medical payments insurance: Medical payments insurance helps cover your medical costs up to the limit of your policy. It can also cover family members and passengers in your vehicle, as well as you or a family member if a vehicle hits you while you’re a pedestrian.

• Comprehensive insurance: Missouri regularly experiences ice storms, tornadoes, and flooding. Comprehensive coverage can help pay to repair your vehicle if it sustains weather-related damage.

• Collision insurance: In 2025, Missouri law enforcement reported more than 105,000 motor vehicle traffic crashes.^[7] Collision coverage can help pay for damages, regardless of who’s at fault.

• Roadside assistance: Missouri is largely a rural state, with 99 rural counties and 16 urban counties.^[8] Roadside assistance can help you if you get a flat tire or run out of gas while driving in an area where services may be farther away.

Missouri car insurance requirements FAQs