120+ more*Quotes generated for Insurify users from Ohio within the last 10 days. Last updated on August 3, 2026. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users from Ohio within the last 10 days. Last updated on August 3, 2026. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
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7+ years in personal finance writing
Certified Financial Education Instructor
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
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25 years teaching risk management and insurance course
Former commercial lines underwriter
Updated
Coverage | Minimum Requirement in Ohio |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 |
In Ohio, you can’t legally drive a motor vehicle without proof of financial responsibility (FR). To comply with the FR law, you must purchase the minimum car insurance required in Ohio or get a cash FR bond and post it with the state treasurer.
Ohio requires drivers to carry minimum bodily injury liability coverage limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.[1] This coverage pays for injuries or deaths you cause to others if you’re at fault in an accident.
Damages after a serious accident can quickly exceed state-minimum coverage limits. If you cause an accident and don’t have enough liability coverage, you may have to pay out of pocket.
While bodily injury liability insurance pays the medical expenses of others when you cause an accident, it doesn’t cover your medical expenses or those of your passengers.
The Buckeye State requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 in property damage liability coverage.
If you cause a car accident, property damage liability insurance covers the cost of repairing the other driver’s car and property. A car crash involving newer vehicles can result in costly repairs, and damages can quickly exceed minimum coverage limits.
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Ohio’s insurance requirements represent the bare minimum and generally aren’t enough to provide adequate protection.
After a serious at-fault accident, a policy with state-minimum car insurance likely won’t completely cover the damages. The other driver may sue you, and you could be held personally responsible for paying any costs that exceed your auto policy coverage.
At a minimum, increasing your liability limits provides more financial protection against out-of-pocket expenses if you cause an accident. Adding optional coverages, such as collision, comprehensive, uninsured motorist, or medical payments, offers more protection for you, your passengers, and your vehicle.
The following table shows coverage types available in Ohio and recommended coverage levels.
Recommended Coverage Type | Recommended Coverage Levels |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $100,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) | $100,000 / $300,000 to match liability limits |
| Medical payments coverage (MedPay) | $5,000 |
| Collision | $500 |
| Comprehensive | $500 |
The state of Ohio requires only liability coverage. But if you lease or finance your vehicle, your lender will likely require you to have physical damage protection.[2] Also known as full coverage, physical damage protection typically includes collision and comprehensive coverage.
Collision insurance pays to repair your vehicle if you hit another car or another object, regardless of who’s at fault.
Comprehensive coverage helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a non-collision incident, such as theft, vandalism, hail, flooding, or fire.
Ohio experienced a record number of tornadoes in 2024. Additionally, the state has had 10 of its wettest years on record since 1990, according to the State Climate Office of Ohio, increasing flood risk.
Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against weather-related damage.
The average cost of liability insurance in Ohio is $64 per month.
The amount of coverage and type of car insurance you choose affect your rate. Adding additional coverage or increasing your liability coverage limits typically increases your monthly car insurance premium.
Purchasing Ohio’s minimum-required insurance can reduce your monthly insurance premiums. But it also increases your financial risk of being underinsured in the event of a serious accident.
For example, say you cause an accident where you total the other vehicle, which is worth $45,000, and the other driver has $75,000 in medical bills. You only have minimum liability coverage, so your insurance will pay up to $25,000 for the vehicle and $25,000 for the driver’s injuries.
Since you don’t have enough insurance to fully cover the other driver’s medical bills and damages, you could be personally responsible for the remaining $20,000 in property damage and $50,000 in medical expenses. Ohio law allows the victim to take any of your assets, including your house or car, to cover their costs.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| Mile Auto | $35 |
| State Farm | $36 |
| Progressive | $41 |
| Auto-Owners | $42 |
| Erie | $42 |
| Commonwealth Casualty | $46 |
| GEICO | $46 |
| USAA | $46 |
| Safeco | $48 |
| The General | $48 |
| Certainly | $50 |
| American Family | $51 |
| Trexis | $56 |
| Hugo | $57 |
| AssuranceAmerica | $58 |
| Trexis One | $61 |
| First Acceptance | $62 |
| Direct Auto | $66 |
| Elephant | $66 |
| GAINSCO | $66 |
| Clearcover | $70 |
| Bristol West | $71 |
| Dairyland | $74 |
| Root | $76 |
| Allstate | $79 |
| National General | $79 |
| Liberty Mutual | $81 |
| Travelers | $85 |
| Farmers | $88 |
| Insurify Car | $106 |
| State Auto | $122 |
In Ohio, all drivers must meet minimum financial responsibility requirements.
You can meet the state’s requirements by purchasing a policy with minimum liability coverage or getting a bond. If an officer stops you, you’re in an accident, or you’re selected during the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ (BMV) random verification process, you must be able to provide proof of insurance.
Ohio law allows drivers to present electronic proof of auto insurance. In addition to your paper insurance cards, you can show proof of coverage by taking a picture of your ID card and pulling it up on your phone if you’re stopped.
If you’re unable to purchase coverage through Ohio’s voluntary market, you can check out the Ohio Automobile Insurance Plan (OAIP). This is a “last resort” plan that helps licensed drivers who can’t get insurance elsewhere find coverage. OAIP premiums are among the highest in the state.
If you’re caught driving without insurance in Ohio, you face a range of penalties, including:
License suspension: The state may suspend your license for 90 days if it’s your first offense, and up to one year for subsequent offenses.
Vehicle impoundment: The state may impound your vehicle and/or your license plate, and you’ll have to pay a fee to get your car back.
Fees: Along with court fees, the state will charge a reinstatement fee ranging from $75 to $500, depending on whether you’re a first-time or repeat offender.
SR-22 requirement: Your insurer will need to file an SR-22 form on your behalf with the Ohio BMV for one year.
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For more financial protection, consider the following optional car insurance coverages in Ohio:
UM/UIM coverage: In Ohio, up to 15% of drivers are uninsured, and this number is higher in some parts of the state. Consider adding UM/UIM coverage to help pay for your medical expenses if an uninsured or underinsured driver hits you.
Comprehensive coverage: Floods, tornadoes, and severe winter storms aren’t uncommon in Ohio. Comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it sustains weather damage.
Collision coverage: The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated 25,977 crashes in the first half of 2026.[3] Collision insurance covers vehicle damage after an accident, regardless of fault.
Roadside assistance coverage: Whether you drive in metropolitan areas like Columbus or Cleveland, or in less-populated regions like Vinton County or Monroe County, roadside assistance coverage provides inexpensive protection. It pays if you blow a tire on the highway, lock your keys in your car, or need a tow.
The information below can help answer any remaining questions you have about car insurance requirements in Ohio.
Mile Auto offers the cheapest state-minimum car insurance in Ohio, averaging $35 per month, according to Insurify data. The best insurance company for you may vary depending on your driving record and other factors.
A 250/500/200 liability limit means $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage and $200,000 in property damage liability coverage.
Ohio requires drivers to carry $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, and $25,000 in property damage liability.
In Ohio, your liability car insurance pays for the other person’s medical bills and property damage if you cause an accident. It can also protect you against lawsuits — up to your policy limits — if someone sues you after an at-fault accident.
Ohio’s financial responsibility law states that it’s illegal to drive without insurance or other proof of financial responsibility. It’s also illegal for you to allow someone else to drive your vehicle without proof of financial responsibility.
If you’re caught driving without state-minimum car insurance in Ohio, the state can suspend your license and registration and impound your vehicle. You’ll also have to pay reinstatement and impoundment fees to get your license and vehicle back.
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:
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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7+ years in personal finance writing
Certified Financial Education Instructor
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Featured in
25 years teaching risk management and insurance course
Former commercial lines underwriter
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
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