Delaware car insurance: minimums, SR-22 rules and costs
Last updated: November 12, 2026
Delaware drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 of bodily injury liability and $10,000 of property damage liability, plus personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. In 2023, insured drivers in Delaware spent an average of $1,462.03 on car insurance, 14% above the national average of $1,281.60, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That makes Delaware the 9th most expensive of the 50 states and D.C. by that measure.
Minimum car insurance required in Delaware
| Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability, per person | $25,000 |
| Bodily injury liability, per accident | $50,000 |
| Property damage liability, per accident | $10,000 |
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Required |
You'll often see this written as 25/50/10. The first two numbers are the bodily injury limits in thousands of dollars (per person and per accident), and the last is property damage. Those amounts are the most the policy pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. Anything above them can come back to you personally.
Is Delaware a no-fault state?
No. Delaware isn't one of the 12 no-fault states listed by the Insurance Information Institute, so the driver who causes a crash, and their insurer, is generally responsible for the other people's injuries and damage. That's why the liability limits above matter so much.
Delaware does require personal injury protection, which pays your own medical costs whoever caused the crash. The Insurance Information Institute calls this an "add-on" system: you get first-party benefits like in a no-fault state, but there are no limits on your right to sue.
SR-22 rules in Delaware
Delaware's law on proof of future financial responsibility (Title 21, Chapter 29, Subchapter III) centers on unpaid judgments. If you don't pay a judgment from a crash within 60 days, the state suspends your license. It stays suspended until the judgment is satisfied and you give proof of financial responsibility, such as a certificate of insurance. The statute doesn't use the name SR-22. Ask your insurer which certificate Delaware needs in your situation.
Read more: what an SR-22 is and how it works.
What drives car insurance costs in Delaware
Average spending in Delaware rose 14% from 2019 to 2023, compared with 19% nationwide. Here's average annual spending per insured vehicle, from the NAIC:
| Year | Delaware average | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1,286.99 | $1,075.08 |
| 2020 | $1,250.51 | $1,047.76 |
| 2021 | $1,257.08 | $1,060.23 |
| 2022 | $1,296.14 | $1,124.45 |
| 2023 | $1,462.03 | $1,281.60 |
The NAIC's "average expenditure" is total written premium divided by insured vehicles. It isn't a quote, and your own price depends on your driver profile and the coverage you choose.
- Uninsured drivers. An estimated 17.6% of drivers in Delaware were uninsured in 2023, higher than the national estimate of 15.4%. That's the 13th highest rate among the 50 states and D.C. When more drivers are uninsured, insured drivers' own uninsured motorist coverage pays more claims, which pushes up its price.
- Crash deaths. Delaware recorded 126 motor vehicle crash deaths in 2024, or 1.27 per 100 million miles driven, higher than the U.S. rate of 1.19 (the 19th highest of the 50 states and D.C.). Severe crashes drive up bodily injury claim costs.
- Where and how crashes happen. In 2024, 40% of Delaware's crash deaths happened in rural areas (U.S.: 41%), 25% involved speeding (U.S.: 29%), and 22% of those killed were pedestrians (U.S.: 18%).
Ways to save on car insurance in Delaware
- Compare at least three quotes. Insurers weigh the same facts differently, so prices for the same driver in Delaware can vary widely. More ways to lower your bill.
- Don't drop uninsured motorist coverage to save money. With roughly 1 in 6 drivers in Delaware uninsured, it's what pays your injury bills if one of them hits you. How UM coverage works.
- Shop at renewal. Even where prices rise more slowly, your own renewal can jump after a claim, a move or a new car. When to compare.
- Pick a deductible you can actually pay. Raising it lowers your premium, but only if you could cover it after a claim. How deductibles work.
- Ask about discounts. Common ones include safe driver, multi-car, bundling, paying in full, good student and usage-based programs. They're not always applied automatically.
See other states in our car insurance guides by state.
Sources
- Insurance Information Institute, Automobile Financial Responsibility Limits and Enforcement by State (as of July 2024)
- NAIC, 2023 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (June 2025), Table 4: average expenditure
- Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance
- Delaware Code, Title 21, Chapter 29, Subchapter III (Proof of future responsibility)
- Insurance Information Institute / Insurance Research Council, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists (2023 estimates)
- IIHS-HLDI, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state
Compare car insurance options in your area → It takes about 2 minutes, and we never ask for your name, phone number or email.
DriveCheaper may be paid by companies shown on this site. How we make money. This page is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Laws and prices change, so confirm details with your insurer or your state's insurance department or DMV.