What Maryland requires
Maryland's required package starts at 30/60/15 - $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident, $15,000 of property damage - and keeps growing from there. Every policy must also carry uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage at 30/60, uninsured motorist property damage of $15,000, and $2,500 of personal injury protection. That last piece is unusual: Maryland mandates PIP even though it is not a no-fault state, and the coverage can be waived only by rejecting it in writing.
| Coverage | Maryland minimum | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $30,000 / $60,000 | Yes |
| Property damage liability | $15,000 | Yes |
| Uninsured motorist | $30,000 / $60,000 | Yes |
| Underinsured motorist | $30,000 / $60,000 | Yes |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | $15,000 | Yes |
| Personal injury protection | $2,500 | Yes - rejectable in writing |
The property damage floor is the soft spot - $15,000 will not replace most new vehicles - while the rest of the package is comparatively robust. Insurers must offer UM and UIM matching whatever liability limits you choose; drivers who buy higher liability may elect the statutory floor in writing, but the 30/60 coverage plus UMPD never disappears entirely. Lenders separately require collision and comprehensive on financed cars.
PIP in Maryland
The required $2,500 of PIP is limited coverage: it pays reasonable medical expenses after a crash regardless of fault, and you can reject it in writing if you would rather rely on your health plan. Maryland insurers also offer a full PIP option that stacks wage and service benefits on top of the medical floor - 85 percent of lost income and the cost of essential household services the injury prevents you from performing, for up to three years from the accident.
Because Maryland remains a tort state, PIP here works as a fast first-dollar layer rather than a bar to suing. Medical bills start moving immediately through your own coverage while fault is still being argued, and once the $2,500 limit exhausts, treatment continues through health insurance, medical payments coverage, or the at-fault driver's liability policy. Drivers with high-deductible health plans are the ones who feel the limited-PIP ceiling first - which is exactly who should price the full PIP option.
Contributory negligence: the one-percent rule
Maryland is one of the last contributory-negligence jurisdictions in the country, alongside Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and the District of Columbia. The rule is blunt: if you are found even one percent at fault for the crash, your entire claim against the other party is barred. There is no proportionality, no reduced payout - a 51/49 split that would merely shrink recovery in most states zeroes it out entirely in Maryland.
The same rule protects you defensively: an injured party whose fault contributed at all cannot collect from you either, though their own insurer may still pay within PIP regardless of fault. Contributory negligence is why Maryland adjusters investigate property damage, phone records and witness statements so aggressively - establishing any plaintiff contribution ends the case. Disputes over percentage become disputes over whether the plaintiff touched fault at all.
Lapses, penalties and registration
Maryland ties insurance directly to registration. Insurers report coverage status to the Motor Vehicle Administration, and a lapse triggers a notification flag on the vehicle's record; drive or renew with that flag and registration privileges can be suspended until proof of current insurance is filed plus reinstatement fees are paid. Uninsured drivers stopped by police face citations on top of the administrative consequences, and restoring privileges after a lapse routinely requires documentation rather than a simple payment.
The administrative system cuts both ways. A vehicle sold, garaged out of state, or otherwise off the road needs its registration handled properly rather than simply left to lapse, or the MVA's records will read as a coverage violation years later. Maryland's insurer-of-last-resort pool exists for drivers whom the voluntary market refuses after lapses and violations - a workable safety net that prices well above standard carriers.
Shopping in Maryland
State averages for minimum coverage land around $1,101 a year, though that number hides the real spread: Baltimore and the inner suburbs price well above rural Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore for identical drivers, and vehicle choice swings quotes nearly as much as territory. Compare carriers on matching coverage lines - the cheapest Maryland quote often pairs the statutory floor with a rejected PIP that changes what the policy actually does after a crash.
- Keep PIP unless your health plan genuinely covers accident treatment with first-dollar benefits.
- Raise property damage above $15,000 immediately; most vehicles exceed the floor.
- Hold UM/UIM at or above liability - contributory negligence makes every other protection matter more.
- Bundle with homeowners or renters coverage for the standard multi-policy credit.
- File complaints against stalling carriers with the Maryland Insurance Administration consumer division.
Limited PIP or full PIP: choosing in Maryland
Maryland policies ship with limited PIP - $2,500 of medical expenses after a crash - unless you rejected PIP entirely in writing. The upgrade most drivers should price is full PIP, which keeps the medical floor and adds 85 percent of lost income plus the cost of essential household services the injury prevents you from performing, for up to three years from the accident. The premium difference is modest against a month of missed wages, and because Maryland is a contributory-negligence state, your own PIP is coverage that pays even when the one-percent rule would bar an injury lawsuit.
- Limited PIP is the default; confirm yours was not rejected without your knowledge.
- Full PIP covers wage loss at 85 percent and essential services for three years.
- PIP pays regardless of fault - the protection contributory negligence makes essential.
- Pair full PIP with health coverage that excludes accident treatment or carries a large deductible.
- Review the choice when switching carriers; the PIP election does not always transfer automatically.
Related pages
- Liability limits explained
- How car insurance works
- Non-owner car insurance
- Auto insurance in Virginia
- Auto insurance hub
Frequently Asked Questions
Is car insurance required in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland requires 30/60/15 liability, $30,000/$60,000 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, $15,000 UMPD, and $2,500 of PIP - PIP can be rejected only in writing.
Is Maryland a no-fault state?
No - Maryland is a tort state, but it still mandates $2,500 of PIP that pays medical bills regardless of fault. Pain-and-suffering lawsuits against the at-fault driver remain available, subject to the state's negligence rules.
What is contributory negligence in Maryland?
If you are found even one percent at fault for a crash, your claim against the other driver is barred entirely. Maryland is one of the last contributory-negligence states, alongside Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and D.C.
Can I reject PIP in Maryland?
Yes, by signing a written rejection - otherwise the $2,500 limited PIP is part of every policy. A fuller PIP option adds 85 percent wage loss and essential service benefits for up to three years after the accident.
What happens if my Maryland insurance lapses?
Insurers report lapses to the Motor Vehicle Administration, which flags the vehicle and can suspend registration until proof of coverage and reinstatement fees are filed. Traffic stops during a lapse add citations on top of the administrative penalties.
Last updated: 2026-10-01