What is included in standard car insurance policy?
A standard car insurance policy provides the minimum coverage required by your state. Standard car insurance policies do not include collision or comprehensive coverage.
Free Car Insurance Comparison
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
UPDATED: Oct 20, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Oct 20, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Standard insurance refers to the most basic coverage available, usually the limits required by the state
- Usually, the only type of insurance included in a standard car insurance policy is liability coverage
- Other types of insurance such as comprehensive and collision can be added to your policy for more protection
Standard auto insurance is not always what the majority of the population purchases, but it does give a driver peace of mind and the legal right to drive.
Standard insurance usually refers to the insurance coverage that is required by law in order to make a car legal.
Learn all about what is included with a standard auto insurance policy and then enter your ZIP to start comparing online car insurance rates!
The Importance of Liability Insurance
First and foremost, a standard policy will include liability coverage. Liability coverage protects the consumer against the cost of damages and injury that might result from a collision on the road.
This coverage does not cover your car’s damages, but only the car of the person you collide with.
There are two aspects of liability coverage:
- Bodily injury – coverage handles personal injury that results due to your negligent or accidental actions
- Property damage liability – covers the damage you inflict upon another person’s property, including their vehicle
The industry-recommended standard for liability insurance is usually about $100,000 for bodily injury caused to another person, $300,000 for total bodily injuries for everyone in the vehicle, and $100,000 for property damage.
Medical costs and car costs are drastically rising, so the 100/300/100 standard is actually a minimum of cover protection.
Each state is different concerning minimum standards.
Free Car Insurance Comparison
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap car insurance rates.
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What is covered in a standard liability policy?
Liability policies are designed to cover victims of an accident you cause.
Each state has its own requirements for minimum liability, usually expressed in a three-number formula that looks something like Pennsylvania’s 15/30/5.
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s list of required coverage defines those numbers as $15,000 to pay for the injuries of one person, $30,000 to pay for the injuries of multiple persons, and $5,000 to pay for damages caused to another person’s property.
Although amounts vary from state to state, the categories of liability insurance are consistent throughout.
Minimum liability insurance does not cover damage to your own car.
It also does not cover your medical expenses or those of your passengers. Those expenses will typically be covered by your own health insurance or extra personal injury protection (PIP) coverage you may decide to carry.
If you want coverage to protect damage done to your car, you’ll need to add collision and comprehensive coverage. If you want protection against glass damage, fire, and theft, you’ll need even more extra coverage.
Other Policies Worth Noting
Collision and comprehensive damages are not included in a standard policy. These are extra policies you can buy to protect your own car from car collisions, vandalism, and other threats.
Many motorists choose to eliminate their collision and comprehensive coverage altogether and just pay for liability. With no obligation to pay for your own car’s protection, you can save a lot of money on premiums.
Be aware that if you owe money on your vehicle the loan holder will likely require those coverage options as part of your lending agreement.
There are a few other policies which may be covered in an insurance contract.
- Medical payments insurance – covers the immediate treatment of injuries that take place during an automobile collision. This policy allows motorists to go to the doctor and have their injuries treated
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – covers miscellaneous expenses for lost wages, pain and suffering, funeral expenses and other avenues as well as the immediate treatment of injuries
Not every state will require these special policies to be included in a standard contract, but some do.
Standard Car Insurance Quotes
Don’t always accept the standard policy offered by a new auto insurance provider.
Make sure that you read the contract and understand what coverage options are offered and what situations are not covered.
A car insurance rate quote tool can help you search different insurance companies and compare policies.
Why not compare rates on your car insurance now? Enter your ZIP code in our comparison tool below to compare car insurance quotes for FREE.
Free Car Insurance Comparison
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap car insurance rates.
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.