Car Insurance in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania car insurance laws ensure that residents have both Medical Benefits (or no-fault) coverage and Liability coverage. These requirements serve to fully protect PA drivers in case of an accident.

Medical Benefits

Pennsylvania is a no-fault state.

Your car insurance carrier will help pay for medical bills incurred by you or your passenger(s) after a car accident, regardless of which driver was determined “at fault.”

The minimum Medical Benefits coverage you must have in your car insurance policy is $5,000.

Limited or Full Tort

The main goal of no-fault insurance is to reduce the number of civil suits resulting from car accidents. When you purchase your insurance, you have two tort options:

  • Option 1: Limited right to sue.
  • Option 2: Full tort right to sue.

The limited tort option allows you to sue for all medical costs resulting from a car accident. This option comes with a cheaper premium, but will limit your right to sue for pain and suffering. Essentially, you can only sue for your medical costs unless the injury is very severe.

The full tort option gives you an unrestricted right to sue for BOTH:

  • Medical costs.
  • Pain and suffering.

This option will raise the price of your premium.

Liability Coverage

While Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, you are still required to purchase liability insurance.

Liability coverage helps cover the costs of any victims’ injuries and damages that result from a car accident that you caused.

The following minimums apply:

  • Bodily Injury Liability:
    • $15,000 per person, per accident.
    • $30,000 total per accident.
  • Property Damage: $5,000 per accident.

Some car insurance carriers offer a single limit of $35,000; this covers the entire liability requirement.

Proof of Insurance

PA requires you to have proof of insurance with you while driving.

Proofs of insurance must be shown during traffic stops and may be requested when you register your car.

In Pennsylvania, acceptable forms of proof of insurance include:

  • An insurance ID card issued to you by your insurance carrier.
  • A copy of the declaration page from your policy.
  • An insurance binder.
  • A signed letter from your insurance company on their official letterhead.
  • A copy of your Pennsylvania Assigned Risk Plan application.

Insurance Violations

If the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) finds that you have driven your car without the required amount of insurance, or if you are pulled over for a traffic violation and have no car insurance, you may face the following consequences:

  • A minimum fine of $300.
  • 3-month suspension of your driver’s license and registration.
    • Once your suspensions are over, you will have to pay the following restoration fees:
      • Vehicle registration: $91.
  • Impoundment of your car.

If your car’s registration is suspended, NOBODY can legally drive it.

Most Stolen Cars in Pennsylvania

If you own a car that is highly targeted by thieves, you may have to pay higher car insurance rates.

The following is a list of the most stolen cars in Pennsylvania for 2013, according to www.nicb.org:

  1. Honda Accord.
  2. Honda Civic.
  3. Ford Pickup (Full Size).
  4. Toyota Camry.
  5. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee.
  6. Dodge Caravan.
  7. Chevrolet Impala.
  8. Nissan Altima.
  9. Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size).
  10. Ford Explorer.