Texas Minimum Car Insurance (30/60/25) and Crash Rules

Photo: Jason Lawrence, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Texas requires every vehicle on the road to have liability insurance of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for injuries and $25,000 for property damage. Known as 30/60/25, these limits are set in Texas law. This guide explains the minimums, what to show an officer, the penalties for driving uninsured, what to do and report after a crash, and Texas’s safety responsibility rules.

Texas minimum car insurance (30/60/25)

Coverage	Minimum per crash
Bodily injury or death, one person	$30,000
Bodily injury or death, two or more people	$60,000
Damage to other people’s property	$25,000

These limits have applied since January 1, 2011 (Transportation Code section 601.072). They pay for damage you cause to others, not your own car or injuries.

PIP and uninsured motorist coverage

Texas insurers must include personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in an auto liability policy unless a named insured rejects it in writing (Insurance Code sections 1952.101 and 1952.152). PIP pays reasonable medical expenses and lost income from a crash, for you, your household and your passengers, whoever caused it. Think carefully before signing a rejection.

Insurance is one way to meet the Texas “financial responsibility” rule. The law also allows a surety bond, a deposit or self-insurance, but nearly all new drivers use an insurance policy. For pricing and policy choices as a new driver, see car insurance for new drivers.

Showing proof of insurance in Texas

When a police officer asks, or when another driver involved in a crash asks, you must show proof. Accepted proof includes:

your insurance card (the standard Texas proof of insurance form)
an image of it on your phone, from your insurer
the policy or a photocopy, or an insurance binder

Showing proof on your phone does not give the officer consent to look at anything else on it. Officers also check coverage through Texas’s insurance verification program, TexasSure. They may not ticket you for no insurance without first trying to verify it that way.

Penalties for driving without insurance in Texas (as of November 2026)

Offense	Penalty
First conviction	Fine of $175 to $350 (a court can lower it if you cannot afford to pay)
Second or later conviction	Fine of $350 to $1,000
Second conviction, license	DPS suspends your license unless you file and keep proof of insurance with DPS for two years
Second conviction, vehicle	The court orders the vehicle impounded if you owned it at the time and still own it, for 180 days per the DL-7

If you had valid insurance at the time but could not show it, take the proof to court. The charge must be dismissed once the court verifies it.

The DL-7 (January 2026) also lists suspension of your license, driving privilege or registration if a crash judgment goes unpaid for 60 days, or if an installment agreement from a crash settlement goes into default.

What to do after a crash in Texas

Stop at the scene, or as close as you can without blocking traffic more than necessary. If you drove on, go back immediately.
Check for injuries. Give reasonable help to anyone hurt, including arranging transport to a doctor or hospital if treatment is clearly needed or they ask.
Move off the freeway if you can. In a metropolitan area, if the crash is on a freeway lane, ramp, shoulder or median and every vehicle can still be driven normally and safely, move to a frontage road, cross street or other safe spot to swap details.
Exchange information: your name and address, the vehicle’s registration number and your insurer’s name. Show your driver’s license if asked.
Call police immediately if anyone is hurt or killed, or a vehicle cannot be driven normally and safely. Call the city police inside a city, or the sheriff or DPS outside one. The DL-7 also says to notify police when a driver leaves the scene or you suspect a driver is intoxicated.

Hitting a parked car or property

Unattended vehicle: stop, then find the owner or leave a note in a visible place with your name and address, the owner’s name and address and what happened.
Fence, sign, building or landscaping: take reasonable steps to find and tell the owner, with your name, address and vehicle registration number.

Leaving the scene

Failing to stop and give information after damaging a vehicle is a Class C misdemeanor if total damage is under $200, and Class B if it is $200 or more. Leaving a crash that injures someone can mean up to 5 years in prison or 1 year in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Serious bodily injury makes it a third-degree felony, with 2 to 10 years and up to $10,000. A death makes it a second-degree felony, with 2 to 20 years and up to $10,000. The same Class C and Class B penalties apply to an unattended vehicle or damaged fixture.

If someone hits you and drives off, report it to police. The Texas Department of Insurance advises that uninsured motorist coverage pays for hit-and-run damage reported to law enforcement.

When helping the injured, give the location clearly and send for skilled help, even if people say they are fine. Do not move a victim unless you must. Press a clean, thick cloth on serious bleeding, and keep the person shaded or warm as needed.

For a general checklist, see what to do after a car crash.

Texas crash report thresholds

Police report: an officer who investigates a crash must file a written report if anyone was injured or killed, or if any one person’s property was damaged to an apparent $1,000 or more. It goes electronically to TxDOT within 10 days.
Driver reports: since September 1, 2017, Texas drivers no longer send their own crash report to the state. The Transportation Code section that required one was repealed under Senate Bill 312, and TxDOT no longer keeps the Driver’s Crash Report (Form CR-2). A city can still require drivers to file a report with a city department by ordinance, so ask local police whether one applies. Keep your own notes for your insurer.
Getting the police report: people involved in the crash, their insurers and others with a proper interest can buy a copy of the officer’s crash report (CR-3) through TxDOT’s Crash Report Online Purchase System.

Texas safety responsibility rules: crashes without insurance

Chapter 601’s security rules apply if you are involved in a Texas crash that causes injury, death, or at least $1,000 of damage to one person’s property, and you had no insurance covering it.

If DPS finds a reasonable probability that a court judgment will be made against you, it can suspend your driver’s license and vehicle registrations.
To avoid the suspension, you deposit security with DPS and file proof of financial responsibility. The amount is set by DPS, from $1,000 up to the 30/60/25 limits.
If you file proof using an insurance policy, it must run for at least six months with the full premium paid.
DPS waits until 21 days after receiving the crash report. In that time, you can show a release from liability, a court ruling that you are not liable, or a signed installment agreement to pay the claims.
The rules do not apply if you had insurance covering the vehicle, if your vehicle was legally parked or stopped at a signal, or if only you and your own property were hurt or damaged.

Common questions

What is the minimum car insurance in Texas?

30/60/25: $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash for injuries and $25,000 for property damage.

Do I need my own policy on a learner license?

The law requires the vehicle you drive to be covered. Learners usually practice in a family car, so ask the insurer how to add you to that policy.

Is a photo of my insurance card on my phone valid in Texas?

Yes. Texas law accepts an image on a phone that shows the required information from your insurer.

Do I have to call the police after a minor crash in Texas?

You must call immediately if anyone is hurt or a vehicle cannot be driven normally and safely. For minor damage with drivable cars, you still have to stop and exchange information.

Do I file a crash report with the state myself?

No, not with the state. Since September 1, 2017, Texas drivers do not file their own crash report with TxDOT, which no longer keeps CR-2 reports. Police file a report when one is required, and some cities require a local report by ordinance, so ask local police. Report the crash to your insurer.

Can I lose my license for a crash if I was uninsured?

Yes. Under the safety responsibility rules, DPS can suspend your license and registrations unless you post security and file proof of financial responsibility.

Related guides

Sources

Texas Department of Public Safety, “Texas Driver Handbook” (DL-7, revised January 2026), chapters 3 and 11 (dps.texas.gov)
Texas Legislature, “Transportation Code Chapter 601, Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act”, sections 601.051, 601.053, 601.072, 601.151 to 601.154, 601.191, 601.193, 601.231 and 601.261 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Texas Legislature, “Transportation Code Chapter 550, Accidents and Accident Reports”, sections 550.021 to 550.026, 550.062 and 550.067 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Texas Legislature, “Insurance Code Chapter 1952, Policy Provisions and Forms for Automobile Insurance”, sections 1952.101, 1952.151 and 1952.152 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Texas Department of Transportation, “Crash reports and records” (txdot.gov)
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, “New to Texas” (txdmv.gov)

Texas Minimum Car Insurance, Crash Reporting and Safety Rules