Pennsylvania car insurance: minimums, SR-22 rules and costs

Last updated: November 12, 2026

Pennsylvania drivers must carry at least $15,000/$30,000 of bodily injury liability and $5,000 of property damage liability, plus personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. In 2023, insured drivers in Pennsylvania spent an average of $1,154.63 on car insurance, 10% below the national average of $1,281.60, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That makes Pennsylvania the 23rd most expensive of the 50 states and D.C. by that measure.

Minimum car insurance required in Pennsylvania

Coverage	Minimum
Bodily injury liability, per person	$15,000
Bodily injury liability, per accident	$30,000
Property damage liability, per accident	$5,000
Personal injury protection (PIP)	Required

You'll often see this written as 15/30/5. 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 Pennsylvania a no-fault state?

Yes. Pennsylvania is one of 12 states with a no-fault auto insurance law, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Your own personal injury protection pays your medical bills after a crash, whoever caused it. You can only sue the other driver for pain and suffering once your injuries pass a verbal (descriptive) threshold.

Pennsylvania has a "choice" no-fault law: you can reject the lawsuit threshold and keep the full right to sue, usually for a higher premium.

SR-22 rules in Pennsylvania

PennDOT's insurance pages don't describe SR-22 filings. What they spell out are the penalties for letting coverage lapse:

A lapse means a three-month registration suspension, unless it lasted 30 days or less and you can show the vehicle wasn't driven.
Instead of serving the suspension, you can pay a $500 civil penalty plus the restoration fee, no more than once in 12 months.
If you're caught driving without insurance, both your registration and your driver license can be suspended for three months.

If you're dropping coverage, return the plate and registration card to PennDOT within 30 days of canceling to avoid a suspension.

What drives car insurance costs in Pennsylvania

Average spending in Pennsylvania rose 16% from 2019 to 2023, compared with 19% nationwide. Here's average annual spending per insured vehicle, from the NAIC:

Year	Pennsylvania average	U.S. average
2019	$995.08	$1,075.08
2020	$975.58	$1,047.76
2021	$967.38	$1,060.23
2022	$1,017.59	$1,124.45
2023	$1,154.63	$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 11.0% of drivers in Pennsylvania were uninsured in 2023, lower than the national estimate of 15.4%. That's the 16th lowest 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. Pennsylvania recorded 1,127 motor vehicle crash deaths in 2024, or 1.18 per 100 million miles driven, lower than the U.S. rate of 1.19 (the 26th highest of the 50 states and D.C.). Severe crashes drive up bodily injury claim costs.
Where and how crashes happen. In 2024, 39% of Pennsylvania's crash deaths happened in rural areas (U.S.: 41%), 39% involved speeding (U.S.: 29%), and 15% of those killed were pedestrians (U.S.: 18%).
No-fault rules. Mandatory PIP means every policy pays for its own driver's medical costs, which shapes what you pay for that part of the policy.

Ways to save on car insurance in Pennsylvania

Compare at least three quotes. Insurers weigh the same facts differently, so prices for the same driver in Pennsylvania can vary widely. More ways to lower your bill.
Check your uninsured motorist limits anyway. Even at 11.0%, uninsured and underinsured drivers are common, and UM coverage is usually inexpensive. 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.
Review your PIP options. In a no-fault state, PIP is a big part of the bill. Ask how different PIP limits, deductibles or coordination with your health insurance change the price.
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

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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.