The minimum limits
| Coverage | What it pays for | Tennessee minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury, per person | Injuries or death of one other person you cause | $25,000 [1] |
| Bodily injury, per accident | Injuries or deaths of all other people in one accident you cause | $50,000 [1] |
| Property damage, per accident | Damage you cause to someone else's property | $25,000 [1] |
Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue, "Financial Responsibility Law" (Drive Insured Tennessee). The financial responsibility law is in Tenn. Code Ann. Title 55, Chapter 12; the dollar limits are set in § 55-12-102(12)(D) [2]. Section 55-12-107 requires policies to provide at least those amounts [3] [4].
These are the least the law requires, not a measure of what a crash can cost. Liability coverage pays other people's losses; it does not pay for your own injuries or your own car.
What happens if you do not have insurance
Tennessee checks coverage electronically through Drive Insured Tennessee [6]. The Department of Revenue sets the fees below [5]. A 2020 Tennessee Attorney General opinion (No. 20-08) says these are civil penalties [8].
| Coverage-failure fee | Now | From July 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| First notice of noncompliance | $25 | $500 |
| Owner does not comply with the first notice | $100 | $1,000 |
| Lapse again for the same vehicle within three years of the first notice | none | $1,500 (with registration suspension or revocation) |
From July 1, 2027 an owner who has received a second notice and been assessed the $500 fee also cannot renew the registration until proof of insurance is provided and the fee is paid. Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue Notice 26-16, which implements Public Chapter 1077 (2026).
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage is part of your own policy. It is meant for situations where the driver who caused the crash has no insurance (or, depending on the policy, cannot be identified).
- It comes with the policy. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-1201, UM coverage is part of policies issued in Tennessee, with limits equal to the bodily injury liability limits, unless the named insured rejects it [7].
- You can decline it in writing. The named insured may reject UM coverage completely or choose lower limits, but not lower than the minimum limits in § 55-12-107 [7].
- A signed rejection can carry forward. A signed form that rejects coverage or selects lower limits binds everyone the policy covers [7]. If you rejected it with an insurer, that insurer need not include it in a renewal, reinstatement or replacement unless the named insured later asks for it in writing; a new application starts the rules over [7] [7].
- Property damage UM is a separate offer. Insurers must give buyers of UM bodily injury coverage a chance to add UM property damage coverage [7]. After one written rejection, they need not offer it again at renewal.
How to check your own policy: find the declarations page and look for lines labeled "uninsured motorist," "underinsured motorist," "medical payments" and "collision." If you are not sure what a line means, ask your agent or the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance's consumer services.
If the other driver has no insurance
These are common first steps. They are not legal advice.
- Get the driver's name, address, license and plate number, and ask the officer to record that the driver has no proof of insurance.
- Get the police report (Memphis crash reports).
- Tell your own insurer promptly and ask whether your policy has UM, UM property damage, medical payments or collision coverage.
- Keep records of treatment and bills (medical bills organizer).
- Remember the court deadline for injury claims is separate from your policy's deadlines (Tennessee deadlines).
Sources
- State of Tennessee: why-you-should-have-insurance.html (checked November 8, 2026)“$25,000 for each injury or death per accident”“$50,000 for total injuries or deaths per accident”“$25,000 for property damage per accident”“$25,000 for each injury or death per accident. $50,000 for total injuries or deaths per accident”
- Tennessee Code (FindLaw): tn-code-sect-55-12-102 (checked November 8, 2026)“not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one (1) accident”
- Tennessee Code (FindLaw): tn-code-sect-55-12-107 (checked November 8, 2026)“security not less than the amounts specified in § 55-12-102”
- us.vlex.com: minimum-requirements-of-insurance-662926661 (checked November 8, 2026)“security not less than the amounts specified in § 55-12-102”
- State of Tennessee: tr26-16.pdf (checked November 8, 2026)Where: Coverage Failure Fee IncreasesWhere: Limitations on Noneconomic DamagesWhere: Overview
- State of Tennessee: drive-insured-tennessee.html (checked November 8, 2026)“check the status of your motor vehicle liability policy”
- Tennessee Code (FindLaw): tn-code-sect-56-7-1201 (checked November 8, 2026)“The limits of the uninsured motorist coverage shall be equal to the bodily injury liability limits stated in the policy”“any named insured may reject in writing the uninsured motorist coverage completely or select lower limits of the coverage but not less than the minimum coverage limits in § 55-12-107”“shall be binding upon every insured to whom the policy applies”“need not be included in or supplemental to any continuation, renewal, reinstatement, or replacement of the policy”“whenever a new application is submitted in connection with any renewal, reinstatement or replacement transaction”“shall be provided an opportunity to include uninsured motorist property damage coverage”
- State of Tennessee: op20-08.pdf (checked November 8, 2026)Where: Opinion No. 20-08
- Tennessee Public Chapter 1077 (2026), enacted text (Tennessee Secretary of State) (checked November 10, 2026)Official sourceWhere: Section 13, new subsection (o) of Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-102, subdivisions (1) and (3)Where: Section 13, subdivision (o)(2)Where: Section 18
Page last updated November 9, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.
Questions
What is the minimum car insurance in Tennessee?
$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage [1].
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Tennessee?
Tennessee policies include it unless the named insured rejects it. The named insured can reject it in writing or choose lower limits (not below the minimum limits) [7].
What is the penalty for no insurance in Tennessee?
Tennessee's coverage-failure fees are $25 for the first notice and $100 if the owner does not comply with that notice. On July 1, 2027 they become $500 and $1,000, with a new $1,500 fee for a repeat lapse within three years [5].
Does minimum coverage pay my own medical bills?
No. Liability pays other people. Medical payments or health coverage cover your own care.
Do the limits change?
The property damage minimum rose from $15,000 to $25,000 for proof required after December 31, 2022. A 2026 law (Public Chapter 1077) changes fees and proof-of-insurance rules starting July 1, 2027. The Department of Revenue's notice describes fee, proof and reporting changes, and also says the law limits noneconomic damages in certain civil actions involving a plaintiff's uninsured vehicle [5]. It does not list a change to the minimum limits [5]. In the enacted text, that damages limit is $375,000, or $750,000 if there is a catastrophic loss or injury. It applies only if the plaintiff owned or leased the vehicle in the crash, the vehicle was not covered or in compliance with the financial responsibility law at the time, and the Department of Revenue or a county clerk had issued at least three separate written notices of noncompliance for that vehicle in the three years before the crash [9]. It does not apply to a permitted driver who is not the owner or lessee, or to passengers [9]. The act's Section 18 makes Sections 1 through 15 take effect July 1, 2027 [9].
Keep reading
- State reference
How long do you have to file after a car accident in Tennessee?
Tennessee gives one year for most injury claims after a crash. See each deadline, the statute text, exceptions and a Memphis court ruling. Checked Nov 2026.
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Is Tennessee a comparative fault state?
Tennessee uses modified comparative fault: recover if your share is less than the other side's, reduced by your percentage. McIntyre v. Balentine explained.
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A card for the insurer call: what to have ready, what to write down.
A one-page card for organizing facts and records when you talk to an insurance company after a crash. Not advice on what to say. Free PDF.
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One place for what happened, what it cost, and who you talked to.
An 8-page printable organizer for crash details, symptoms, medical visits, bills, missed work and insurer calls. Free PDF, no sign-up.
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Alabama minimum car insurance: the 25/50/25 rule
Alabama requires $25,000 / $50,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage. Statute text, uninsured motorist rules and what to check on your policy.
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