Is Texas an at-fault state for car insurance?

Yes. The driver who causes a crash is responsible for the damage. You cannot recover damages if you are more than 50% at fault, and your recovery is reduced by your share of fault (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.001, 33.012).

Texas liability car insurance requirements, explained

Q: What is the minimum car insurance required in Texas?

Texas requires liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage, known as 30/60/25 (Texas Transportation Code 601.072).

Q: Is liability-only insurance legal in Texas?

Yes. Liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for injuries and $25,000 for property damage (30/60/25) meets Texas law. It covers damage you cause to others, not your own car.

Q: Is PIP required in Texas?

Every Texas auto liability policy must include personal injury protection unless a named insured rejects it in writing (Texas Insurance Code 1952.152). The standard amount is $2,500 per person (1952.153).

Q: What is the fine for driving without insurance in Texas?

A first offense carries a fine of $175 to $350. A second or later offense carries $350 to $1,000 and can lead to license suspension and a 180-day vehicle impoundment (Texas Transportation Code 601.191, 601.231, 601.262).

Q: How long do you need an SR-22 in Texas?

Texas DPS requires an SR-22 for 2 years, counted from the conviction or judgment date that triggered it.

By the Quiet Quotes editorial team. Last reviewed October 20, 2026 against the sources listed at the bottom. General education, not advice about any specific policy.

The short version

Minimum liability is 30/60/25: $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for injuries, $25,000 for property damage.
PIP and uninsured motorist coverage come with every policy unless you reject them in writing.
Texas is an at-fault state: whoever causes the crash pays, usually through their insurance.
Driving uninsured: $175 to $350 fine the first time, up to $1,000 plus suspension and impoundment after that.

The 30/60/25 liability minimum

Texas law requires every driver to be able to pay for damage they cause. Almost everyone does this with liability insurance that meets these minimums, in place since January 1, 2011 (Transportation Code 601.072).

Number	What it pays for
$30,000	Injuries or death of one person in a crash you cause
$60,000	Injuries or death of two or more people in one crash (still $30,000 max per person)
$25,000	Damage to other people's cars or property in one crash

What the minimum does not cover: your own car. Repairs to your vehicle need collision coverage (crashes) and comprehensive coverage (theft, hail, flood, fire), which are optional unless your lender requires them. TDI also warns that the minimums can be too low for a serious crash, and you can be sued for costs above your limits (TDI auto insurance guide).

Liability-only or full coverage?

Liability-only coverage at 30/60/25 or higher is all Texas law requires. It pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. It does not pay to fix or replace your own car.

What people call full coverage usually means liability plus collision and comprehensive, so your own car is covered too. If you have a car loan or lease, the lender typically requires those coverages.

The price gap is large. In 2024 the average Texas liability premium was $893 a year, while a policy with liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,917 (NAIC 2024 average premium report). Liability-only can make sense for an older car you could afford to replace; TDI also suggests considering limits above the minimum, because you can be sued for costs beyond your coverage.

PIP and uninsured motorist coverage

Personal injury protection (PIP) pays medical bills, lost income and similar costs for you and your passengers no matter who caused the crash. Every Texas policy must include it unless a named insured rejects it in writing (Insurance Code 1952.152). The standard amount is $2,500 per person (Insurance Code 1952.153), and you can buy more.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) pays your costs when the driver who hit you has no insurance, or not enough. It is also included unless rejected in writing (Insurance Code 1952.101). You choose limits between the 30/60/25 minimum and your own liability limits, and UM property damage carries a $250 deductible (Insurance Code 1952.105). For a hit-and-run by an unknown driver, the other vehicle must have actually touched you or your property.

Once you reject PIP or UM/UIM in writing, your insurer does not have to add it back at renewal unless you ask for it in writing.

Proof of insurance and TexasSure

At a traffic stop you can show your insurance card, the policy, or an image of the card on your phone. Showing your phone does not give the officer permission to look at anything else on it (Transportation Code 601.053).
Officers check coverage through TexasSure, the state's insurance database, and must try it before writing a no-insurance ticket.
TexasSure updates weekly, so a brand-new policy can take about three weeks to show up. Keep your card handy until then (TexasSure FAQ).
You cannot register a vehicle in Texas without proof of insurance (Transportation Code 502.046).

Penalties for driving without insurance

Situation	Penalty	Law
First offense	Fine of $175 to $350 (court costs extra)	601.191(b)
Second or later offense	Fine of $350 to $1,000	601.191(c)
Second conviction	License suspended unless you file and keep an SR-22 for 2 years	601.231
Second or later conviction, own vehicle	Vehicle impounded for 180 days at $15 a day	601.261 to 601.263
You were actually insured	Ticket dismissed if you show proof coverage was valid that day	601.193

Texas ended the old Driver Responsibility Program surcharges on September 1, 2019, so older articles that mention yearly surcharges are out of date (Texas DPS).

SR-22 in Texas

An SR-22 is a form your insurer files with the Texas Department of Public Safety to prove you carry insurance (full details in our SR-22 guide). DPS requires one after a license suspension from a crash, a second conviction for driving uninsured, or a court judgment from a crash. You must keep it for 2 years. If it lapses, your insurer tells DPS, and your license and registration can be suspended again. People without a car can buy a non-owner SR-22 policy (Texas DPS SR-22).

Texas is an at-fault state

The driver who causes a crash is responsible for the damage. Texas uses a 51% rule: if you are more than 50% at fault you cannot recover damages, and otherwise your recovery shrinks by your share of fault (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.001 and 33.012).

After a crash, TDI suggests filing first with the other driver's insurer. If they refuse, you can claim on your own policy if you have collision coverage, then your insurer may recover the money and refund your deductible. If the other driver had no insurance or drove off, turn to your own collision and UM coverage (TDI).

How car insurance prices are set in Texas

File-and-use: insurers file their rates with TDI and can use them right away. TDI has 30 days to reject a rate that breaks the rules (Insurance Code 2251).
What affects your price: driving record and claims, where the car is kept, the car itself, how you use it, and at some companies your credit. Age, gender and marital status may be used only when backed by actual loss data.
Credit rules: an insurer cannot turn you down based on credit alone, must tell you the reasons in writing within 30 days if credit hurt your price, and must make exceptions for events like a serious illness, divorce, job loss or identity theft if you ask in writing (Insurance Code 559).

What Texans pay

The most recent official figures come from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for 2024. The average Texas driver spent $1,578 a year on car insurance, compared with $1,432 nationally. A policy carrying liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,917 in Texas versus $1,613 nationally (NAIC 2024 average premium report).

There is no official average for individual cities such as Dallas or Fort Worth. City averages you see on other sites are their own estimates. Your price depends on your own driver, car and ZIP code.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

No forced bundling: an insurer cannot require you to buy home and auto together (SB 213, from September 1, 2025).
Reasons in writing: insurers must explain in writing why they declined, canceled or did not renew you (HB 2067, from January 1, 2026).
Fresher credit: insurers that use credit must re-check it at least every 36 months, and once a year at renewal if you ask (SB 1644, policies from January 1, 2026).
No widow penalty: widowed drivers cannot be rated differently from married drivers (SB 1238, now Insurance Code 544.002(d)).

The 30/60/25 minimums, the PIP and UM rules, and the no-insurance fines did not change (TDI legislative review).

Free official tools

HelpInsure.com: sample prices from many insurers in your area, run by TDI and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
TDI Help Line: 800-252-3439, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, or file a complaint online.
Agent lookup: check that any agent is licensed in Texas before you buy.
Complaint data: see how often people complain about each company.

Common questions

What is the minimum car insurance required in Texas?

Liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage, known as 30/60/25.

Is liability-only insurance legal in Texas?

Yes. Liability coverage of at least 30/60/25 meets Texas law. It covers damage you cause to others, not your own car.

Is PIP required in Texas?

It comes with every policy unless a named insured rejects it in writing. The standard amount is $2,500 per person.

What is the fine for driving without insurance in Texas?

$175 to $350 for a first offense. A second or later offense is $350 to $1,000, and can bring license suspension and a 180-day impoundment.

How long do you need an SR-22 in Texas?

2 years, counted from the conviction or judgment date that triggered it.

Is Texas an at-fault state?

Yes. The driver who causes the crash is responsible, and you cannot recover damages if you are more than 50% at fault.

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