What is liability car insurance?
Liability car insurance covers you if you injure someone or damage their property in a car accident or other covered mishap. If you’re in a car accident, liability insurance provides you with financial protection by covering the cost of injuries and damages to other drivers, passengers, or property owners.
Pennsylvania requires drivers to purchase liability insurance to maintain financial responsibility if they cause injury or damage.[1]
Liability insurance doesn’t cover your own injury or vehicle damage, but Pennsylvania does require you to have some no-fault medical benefits to cover your own injury. To protect your vehicle, you’ll need a full-coverage policy with comprehensive and collision insurance.
Find Cheap Car Insurance in Pennsylvania
Average liability quotes start at $49/mo.
Cheapest liability car insurance in Pennsylvania
The average cost of Pennsylvania car insurance is $90 per month for liability-only car insurance and $161 for full coverage, which also includes comprehensive and collision insurance.
It’s important to note that these are average rates. The rate you pay depends on driving history, age, credit history, ZIP code, and other factors.
The following table shows the cheapest car insurance rates for liability-only coverage in Pennsylvania.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote: Liability Only |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $49 |
| National General | $55 |
| Erie | $57 |
| First Acceptance | $59 |
| Auto-Owners | $61 |
| The General | $67 |
| Progressive | $68 |
| Travelers | $74 |
| GEICO | $77 |
| Safeco | $80 |
| Direct Auto | $82 |
| Allstate | $87 |
| Bristol West | $89 |
| Root | $101 |
| USAA | $101 |
| Dairyland | $107 |
| Chubb | $117 |
| Liberty Mutual | $124 |
| GAINSCO | $125 |
| State Auto | $136 |
| CSAA | $163 |
Minimum liability car insurance requirements in Pennsylvania
To meet minimum Pennsylvania car insurance requirements, you need the following amount of coverage:
Coverage | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $5,000 per accident |
| Medical benefits | $5,000 |
Let’s say you cause an accident that injures another driver and damages their car. If they incurred $25,000 in medical expenses and $10,000 in car repair bills, your 15/30/5 insurance policy will only cover $15,000 in for bodily injury liability and $5,000 for property damage liability.
You’re on the hook financially to pay the other driver’s remaining $15,000 out of pocket, and you’ll also have to pay to repair or replace your own vehicle in the event of damage or loss. For more financial and vehicle protection, you may want to consider a full-coverage policy, which includes higher liability limits, collision insurance, and comprehensive coverage.
Is minimum liability coverage enough in Pennsylvania?
Minimum-coverage car insurance might fall short of protecting your assets if someone sues you for damages that exceed your liability coverage limits. An at-fault accident with serious injuries or fatalities could exceed $30,000 in bodily injury claims, for example. And it could leave you paying out of pocket for your and your family’s medical bills.
Consider purchasing additional coverage if you:
Work as a rideshare driver
Finance the purchase of a new car
Have a loan on your car
Drive in congested areas such as Pittsburgh or Philadelphia
Drive in areas with a lot of deer
Need insurance in Erie or another area that gets frequent, heavy snow
Might benefit from underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage
Lack the financial assets to pay out of pocket for car repairs or replacement, loss of income, or funeral services resulting from a major crash
Penalties for driving without liability insurance in Pennsylvania
Car insurance laws in Pennsylvania impose strict penalties on drivers who don’t carry state-minimum coverage on their vehicles.[2] If your liability car insurance lapses or you cancel it, you could face:
A fine of at least $300 if you drive while uninsured
Three-month vehicle registration suspension or a $500 fine in lieu of suspension
Three-month driver’s license suspension
Fees to restore your registration and driver’s license
You can avoid these penalties by surrendering your license plates within 30 days after your insurance lapses, or by proving to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) that you didn’t drive the vehicle during the coverage lapse.
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How to find cheap liability car insurance in Pennsylvania
One of the best ways to find cheap liability car insurance is to compare quotes from a few insurers. But you can take the following steps to help you earn a lower premium and qualify for car insurance discounts.
Drive safely. Maintain a clean driving record for good driver discounts.
Set a high deductible. Increase your deductible to the highest amount you can afford out of pocket in the event of a car accident.
Bundle your coverage. Bundle your renters or home insurance with your auto insurance policy with the same insurer.
Improve your credit. Pennsylvania allows auto insurers to consider credit-based insurance scores.[3] Strengthening your credit by making on-time payments can help you lower your insurance premiums in some cases.
Submit your teen’s report card. If you’re a teen driver or you insure one, ask about discounts for good grades and leaving the car at home while living away at school.
Install safety features. Install an anti-theft device if your car doesn’t already have one, as some insurers offer anti-theft discounts.
Take a defensive driving course. If you and all other insured drivers on your policy are age 55 or older, you can complete a PennDOT-approved Basic Mature Driver Improvement Course for a minimum discount of 5%.[4]
Liability car insurance in Pennsylvania FAQs
The following information can help you learn more about Pennsylvania liability insurance.
What company has the cheapest liability insurance in Pennsylvania?
With an average monthly premium of $49, State Farm has the cheapest liability insurance in Pennsylvania.
Is Pennsylvania a no-fault state?
Yes. Pennsylvania is a “choice no-fault” car insurance state. The required medical benefits coverage is no-fault and applies only to injuries, not to vehicle damage.[5]
That said, in Pennsylvania, you can select limited tort coverage with your insurance company, which will limit your right to financial reimbursement if another driver injures you in a car accident. Selecting full tort coverage will give you the right to reimbursement.
What are the minimum liability car insurance requirements in Pennsylvania?
The coverage requirements for minimum car insurance in Pennsylvania include $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $5,000 in property damage liability. The state also requires $5,000 in medical benefits coverage.
How much is liability car insurance in PA?
The average cost of car insurance in Pennsylvania is $90 per month for liability-only coverage. But the cost varies according to factors like driving history, age, ZIP code, and the car you drive, so the average rate doesn’t necessarily reflect what you’ll pay. High-risk drivers typically pay more.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Insurance Department. "Automobile Insurance Guide."
- Pennsylvania Driver & Vehicle Services. "Penalties for Cancelling."
- Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. "Understanding Credit Reports and Scores."
- Pennsylvania Driver & Vehicle Services. "Safe Driving Resources for Mature Drivers."
- NOLO. "What Car Insurance Do I Need in Pennsylvania?."
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
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
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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