States Requiring Motorcycle Insurance for Riders

If you're a motorcycle enthusiast in the United States, it's essential to know the laws regarding insurance in your state. Some states require riders to have insurance coverage.

In California, for example, motorcycle insurance is mandatory for all riders. This means you'll need to have liability insurance, which covers damages to others in the event of an accident, as well as personal injury protection, which covers medical expenses for you and your passengers.

If you're planning to ride in Florida, you'll also need to have insurance coverage. Florida law requires riders to have at least $10,000 in personal injury protection, which covers medical expenses for you and your passengers.

In New York, motorcycle insurance is also mandatory, and riders must have at least $25,000 in liability insurance to cover damages to others in the event of an accident.

Washington state requires motorcyclists to carry insurance with 25/50/10 minimum liability levels. This means you'll need to have at least $25,000 in bodily injury protection per person and $50,000 per accident, as well as $10,000 in property damage coverage.

Some states require motorcyclists to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, including Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, and many others. You can find the full list of states that require PIP coverage in the article.

In addition to PIP, some states require Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, including Connecticut, Washington D.C., Illinois, and many others. Make sure to check your state's minimum requirements to ensure you have the right coverage.

Here's a list of states that require motorcycle insurance, with their minimum liability requirements:

Washington State requires motorcyclists to carry insurance with 25/50/10 minimum liability levels, as of 2019.

To drive a motorcycle in Washington state, you must carry liability insurance, apply for a certificate of deposit to pay for your liability insurance, have a liability bond of at least $60,000, or self-insure if you have 26 or more vehicles.

Washington state also requires motorcyclists to have PIP insurance, which is included in a list of states that require PIP coverage: Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.

Here's a breakdown of the minimum required insurance levels in Washington state:

Note that Washington state's insurance requirements apply to motorcyclists, not just drivers of other vehicles.

California has minimum liability requirements of 15/30/5, which means you'll need at least $15,000 in bodily injury protection per person, $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 in property damage coverage.

If you're unable to obtain coverage from an insurance provider, you can apply for low-cost 10/20/3 coverage through the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP).

The minimum required level of coverage in California is 15/30/5, which is lower than many other states.

You can obtain this level of coverage from a licensed insurance provider, or you can opt for the low-cost 10/20/3 coverage through CAARP.

In some states, you have the option to ride without motorcycle insurance.

Florida is one of those states, where you can opt out of mandatory motorcycle insurance if you meet certain requirements.

You'll need to post a $10,000 bond or deposit the money into an escrow account.

Some states with optional motorcycle insurance include Florida, Iowa, and South Dakota.

Motorcycle insurance is required in 49 out of 50 states, with each state setting its own minimum coverage levels. Most states require at least $25,000 in bodily injury protection per person and $50,000 per accident, along with $10,000 in property damage coverage.

The minimum liability limits vary by state, with some states requiring higher or lower limits. For example, Alaska requires 50/100/25 coverage, while California requires 15/30/5 coverage. Check your state's limits to ensure you're meeting the legal requirements.

Here's a breakdown of the minimum liability limits required in some states:

Remember to check your state's specific requirements to ensure you have the necessary coverage.

Some states require motorcyclists to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, which covers medical bills regardless of who's at fault in an accident. PIP is especially important for motorcyclists, as they're more likely to be injured or have severe injuries.

Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah require PIP coverage.

Other states require motorcyclists to have Uninsured Motorist (UM) or Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage, which covers damages if the other party doesn't have insurance or has insufficient coverage. Connecticut, Washington D.C., Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin require UM/UIM coverage.

Some states, like Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and North Dakota, require both PIP and UM/UIM coverage.

If you're shopping for car insurance, you'll likely come across the term 50/100/25 coverage. This refers to the minimum liability coverage recommended by MoneyGeek, which is a great starting point for most drivers.

The first number, 50, represents the maximum amount your insurance company will pay for bodily injury claims for each individual harmed if you're at fault in an accident, which is $50,000.

The second number, 100, is the maximum amount your insurance company will pay for bodily injury claims for a total accident. This means if you're involved in an accident that affects multiple people, your insurance will cover up to $100,000 in total.

The third number, 25, represents the maximum amount your insurance company pays for property damage claims in an at-fault accident, which is $25,000.

Here's a breakdown of what each number means: