Tennessee's minimums are 25/50/25: $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The property-damage number is relatively new, Tennessee raised it from $15,000 to $25,000 effective January 1, 2023, a nod to what vehicles actually cost to replace. Drivers can alternatively carry a single-limit policy of at least $65,000 covering all injury and property claims from one accident.
Tennessee is an at-fault state under its Financial Responsibility Law, so the driver who causes a crash pays for it through their liability coverage. PIP isn't required. If you bought a minimum policy before 2023 and have renewed since, your property-damage limit already reflects the new floor, but the premium attached to it varies by carrier, which is a good reason to re-shop rather than auto-renew.
The figures below explain the policy structure used in Tennessee. They do not predict an individual premium. For a broader view of how state rules differ, use our national car insurance directory.
Tennessee minimum car insurance requirements
Most quotes begin with liability coverage. Bodily injury liability addresses covered injury claims made by other people when you cause a crash. Property damage liability addresses covered damage to their vehicles or other property. The legal minimum keeps a policy compliant, but it does not say how much financial risk a household can comfortably retain.
- Coverage
- Bodily injury liability, one person
- Required amount or rule
- $25,000
- What it generally addresses
- Covered injuries to one other person
- Coverage
- Bodily injury liability, one accident
- Required amount or rule
- $50,000
- What it generally addresses
- Total covered injuries in one accident
- Coverage
- Property damage liability
- Required amount or rule
- $25,000
- What it generally addresses
- Covered damage you cause to other property
- Coverage
- PIP or medical coverage
- Required amount or rule
- Not required (at-fault state)
- What it generally addresses
- Medical coverage rules vary by policy
- Coverage
- Additional state rule
- Required amount or rule
- Single-limit alternative: $65,000 combined for one accident
- What it generally addresses
- Review the selection or rejection shown on the quote
- Coverage
- Accident framework
- Required amount or rule
- At-fault
- What it generally addresses
- The responsible driver's liability coverage is central
- Coverage
- SR-22 filing
- Required amount or rule
- Used in this state
- What it generally addresses
- Applies only when ordered after qualifying events
| Coverage | Required amount or rule | What it generally addresses |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability, one person | $25,000 | Covered injuries to one other person |
| Bodily injury liability, one accident | $50,000 | Total covered injuries in one accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 | Covered damage you cause to other property |
| PIP or medical coverage | Not required (at-fault state) | Medical coverage rules vary by policy |
| Additional state rule | Single-limit alternative: $65,000 combined for one accident | Review the selection or rejection shown on the quote |
| Accident framework | At-fault | The responsible driver's liability coverage is central |
| SR-22 filing | Used in this state | Applies only when ordered after qualifying events |
Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue — Insurance verification overview
What the state minimum covers, and what it leaves with you
A minimum policy is designed to satisfy state law. It is not designed around the value of your car, the size of a possible injury claim or the amount of savings you want to protect. Those are household decisions, so they need a separate review.
A financed or leased vehicle commonly needs collision and comprehensive coverage under the contract even when state law does not require them. For plain-language definitions and buying context, visit our insurance guides before selecting limits.
Rules and risks that matter in Tennessee
State law is only the starting point. These Tennessee-specific details show what to confirm before you compare coverage or buy a policy.
The Atwood Law: how Tennessee checks that you're insured
Tennessee doesn't wait for a traffic stop to find uninsured drivers. Under the James Lee Atwood Jr. Law (Tenn. Code Ann. §55-12-139), the state runs an electronic insurance verification program, insurers report coverage, the system matches it against vehicle registrations, and owners who can't be matched get a notice to provide proof or face fines and registration suspension.
The practical upshot: a lapse in Tennessee tends to get noticed even if you're never pulled over. If a policy is about to cancel, lining up replacement quotes before the lapse, not after the state's notice arrives, keeps both the fines and the lapse surcharge off your record.
SR-22s in Tennessee
After a DUI, driving uninsured, or other serious violations, Tennessee requires an SR-22 filing, a certificate from your insurer proving you carry the required liability coverage, typically maintained for three to five years depending on the offense.
Carriers treat the violation behind the SR-22 very differently: the same record can produce widely different premiums from one insurer to the next. That spread is largest for exactly the drivers who need the filing, which makes comparing several SR-22-friendly quotes the single most useful step after a suspension.
What Tennessee drivers pay
NAIC data puts Tennessee's average annual auto insurance expenditure at $924 in 2022, below the $1,127 countrywide average. Nashville and Memphis metro rates run well above the state's rural counties, and the 2023 property-damage increase nudged minimum-coverage premiums upward at renewal. Averages describe the market, not your quote: the spread between carriers for the same Tennessee driver is routinely wider than the gap between Tennessee and the national average.
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Start a Tennessee quote requestWhat affects car insurance rates in Tennessee?
Average annual expenditure for auto insurance in Tennessee was $924 in 2022. This is a historical statewide expenditure benchmark from NAIC 2022 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (June 2024). It combines many types of drivers and policies, so it should be used for market context rather than as a current quote estimate.
Insurers apply their filed rating plans to the household in front of them. Two neighbors can see different prices, and the same household can receive a wide range from different companies because each insurer weighs the inputs differently.
Garaging location
Claim frequency, traffic, repair costs, theft and weather exposure vary across Tennessee ZIP codes.
Drivers and record
Age, driving experience, citations, accidents, claims and continuous insurance history can affect price and eligibility.
Vehicle and use
Repair technology, vehicle value, annual mileage, commute and business use change the potential cost of a claim.
Coverage choices
Liability limits, collision, comprehensive, optional benefits and deductibles determine what the policy is being asked to pay.
Household details
Other licensed drivers, additional vehicles and bundling opportunities can change the account-level price.
Company fit
Insurers target different customer profiles. No one company is consistently cheapest for every driver in every territory.
Before you switch
Read the declarations, not only the price.
The declarations page shows drivers, vehicles, limits, deductibles and selected benefits. Match those fields before deciding that one quote is better.
Learn how a quote becomes a policy →How to compare Tennessee car insurance quotes
Keep the drivers, vehicles, limits, deductibles, dates and payment method the same. Then compare the full-term cost and change only one choice at a time.
Compare insurance companies on price, coverage and service
A familiar name is not automatically the best fit. Compare how each insurer sells and services policies, which optional programs it offers and whether it writes your profile in Tennessee. Availability and underwriting can vary by state.
See how Progressive sells and services policies →
See how GEICO sells and services policies →
See how State Farm sells and services policies →
See how Allstate sells and services policies →Company marks link to independent editorial reviews. They do not identify quote partners or a personalized match.
Browse all company reviews →Compare car insurance by Tennessee city
State law applies across Tennessee, but the garaging address can add a more local rating layer. Use a city guide to review ZIP related factors, vehicle details and the quote worksheet, then return here for the state requirement source.
Check the facts
Rules and market data used on this Tennessee page
The minimum-coverage table is paired with a first-party state reference, and the legal authority named in the guide is Tenn. Code Ann. §55-12-102 (limits, amended eff. Jan. 1, 2023) & §55-12-139 (James Lee Atwood Jr. Law); Tennessee Department of Revenue. Historical premium context is labeled by year and linked to the underlying publication. These sources do not replace a policy contract or individualized legal advice; rules and forms can change, so confirm current requirements with the regulator, insurer or a licensed professional.
State requirement source
Tennessee Department of Revenue — Insurance verification overview ↗Official state guidance on Tennessee's financial-responsibility requirements and minimum limits.
Historical market data
NAIC — 2022 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement ↗Historical statewide average-expenditure data published by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in June 2024.
Regulator directory
NAIC — State insurance department directory ↗Directory of state insurance regulators for current consumer guidance, licensing checks and complaints.
Checked by Show my rates · Last updated August 3, 2026
Tennessee car insurance FAQs
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