What Pennsylvania requires
Pennsylvania minimum liability limits - 15/30/5 - are among the lowest in the United States, and the state does not require uninsured motorist coverage at all. What it does require is first-party medical benefits, the coverage Pennsylvanians think of as PIP, which pays your accident medical bills no matter who was at fault.
| Coverage | Pennsylvania minimum | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $15,000 / $30,000 | Yes |
| Property damage liability | $5,000 | Yes |
| First-party medical benefits | $5,000 | Yes - minimum; higher limits available |
| Uninsured motorist | Not required | Must be offered if you ask |
| Underinsured motorist | Not required | Offered stackable unless you reject in writing |
At $5,000, property damage does not cover most new vehicles, and medical benefits of the same amount evaporate in one ambulance ride. Pennsylvania lets drivers buy medical limits up to six figures and stack UIM coverage - both cheap relative to the protection they add.
Full tort versus limited tort: the election that defines Pennsylvania
When you buy a Pennsylvania policy you elect tort rights. Full tort preserves your right to sue the at-fault driver for all damages including pain and suffering, for you and your household. Limited tort trades that right away for a lower premium - with one statutory exception: you can still sue for pain and suffering if the injury results in death, serious impairment of a bodily function, or permanent serious disfigurement.
The trade-off is sharper than most drivers realize at signup. Limited tort can bar a legitimate claim for chronic pain or a back injury that is serious but falls short of the statutory language, and insurance adjusters apply the threshold aggressively. Full tort typically adds a modest percentage to the premium; whether that percentage is cheap depends entirely on how much you have to lose.
- Full tort: unrestricted right to sue for pain and suffering, for you and resident family.
- Limited tort: sue only for statutory serious injuries; economic losses are still covered.
- The election can be changed at renewal - a free periodic re-decision most drivers skip.
- Limited tort applies even when the other driver is clearly at fault - fault is not the test.
How a Pennsylvania claim unfolds
Pennsylvania is an at-fault state layered over a no-fault medical layer. After a crash your first-party medical benefits pay your bills immediately, without waiting for fault. If the other driver caused the crash and your damages exceed what their liability covers - or you held full tort - a bodily injury claim proceeds against the at-fault driver, with insurers sometimes dragged in directly through Pennsylvania's direct-action provisions for first-party disputes.
Pennsylvania also applies a pure contributory-negligence-flavored rule in modified form: your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and if you are found more than 50% responsible you recover nothing. Rear-end and red-light cases rarely turn on this, but multi-vehicle highway crashes often do.
What Pennsylvania drivers pay
Pennsylvania regularly lands among the cheaper half of national premium tables - broad carrier competition and moderate traffic density outside the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh corridors keep averages down. Within the state, Philadelphia garaging and limited mileage credits create spreads far larger than the statewide average suggests.
Because the medical minimum is so low, the highest-return move for most PA drivers is not shaving premium - it is buying back protection: raise property damage above $5,000, lift medical benefits to a real number, accept stackable UIM, and price the full tort election against your assets. Cheap coverage that does not pay is not cheap.
How to save in Pennsylvania
- Report low annual mileage - Pennsylvania insurers price commuter distance honestly.
- Bundle auto with home or renters and keep the deductible at a level you can cash-flow.
- Take the state-recognized defensive driving discount when offered.
- Ask specifically whether your UIM is stacked - rejection is opt-in, and stacking is the better default.
- Re-shop at every renewal and compare the same tort election across carriers, since full and limited tort quotes are not equivalent.
Pennsylvania's Insurance Department consumer hotline handles rate disputes and complaint mediation - useful when a non-renewal or surcharge looks unfounded on your record.
Related pages
- Liability limits: how much you need
- How car insurance works
- Auto insurance in New York
- Auto insurance in New Jersey
- Auto insurance hub
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Pennsylvania's car insurance minimums?
15/30/5: $15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 property damage - among the lowest minimums in the country. Pennsylvania also requires $5,000 of first-party medical benefits.
What is the difference between full and limited tort?
Full tort keeps your right to sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering. Limited tort lowers your premium but bars pain-and-suffering lawsuits except for death, serious impairment of a bodily function, or permanent serious disfigurement - even when the other driver was clearly at fault.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Pennsylvania?
No. UM is not mandatory, though insurers must offer it. Underinsured motorist coverage must be offered stackable unless you reject stacking in writing - accepting the stacking default is usually the better move.
Does Pennsylvania require PIP?
Pennsylvania requires first-party medical benefits with a $5,000 minimum - often called PIP colloquially. Higher limits are available and worth pricing once the state minimum is exhausted by a single hospital visit.
Can I switch from limited tort to full tort?
Yes - the tort election can be changed at renewal. If your household assets, health coverage, or income protection have changed, revisit the election instead of auto-renewing it.
Last updated: 2026-10-01