State
Louisiana car insurance requirements and laws
Louisiana requires 15/30/25 liability. 2025 laws added a 51% fault bar from 2026 and bar uninsured drivers from the first $100,000 of damages.
Minimum coverage
| Liability limits | 15/30/25 |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury, per person | $15,000 |
| Bodily injury, per accident | $30,000 |
| Property damage | $25,000 |
Rules
| Fault system | At-fault — the driver who causes a crash (through their liability insurer) pays for the other side's injuries and damage |
|---|---|
| PIP required | No |
| Uninsured motorist required | No — uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is included at your bodily injury limits unless you reject it, choose lower limits or choose economic-only UM on the state's form (La. R.S. 22:1295) |
| Negligence rule | Modified comparative negligence (51% bar) for incidents on or after January 1, 2026; pure comparative negligence for earlier incidents (La. Civil Code art. 2323) |
| Digital proof of insurance | Yes |
| SR-22 | Yes — after a DWI-related suspension or a chemical-test refusal, proof of financial responsibility (an SR-22) must be kept for three years (La. R.S. 32:896) |
| Penalty for driving uninsured | Registration revoked, plates cancelled and the vehicle can be impounded; reinstatement fees of $100 (lapse of 1–30 days), $250 (31–90 days) or $500 (over 90 days); no recovery of the first $100,000 of your own injury or property damage claims |
| Time limit to sue | 2 years (personal injury and property damage) for incidents on or after July 1, 2024; 1 year for earlier incidents (La. Civil Code art. 3493.1) |
Costs and context
| Average cost | $1,754 average annual expenditure (NAIC, 2023 data) |
|---|---|
| Uninsured drivers | About 1 in 8 drivers (11.7%, Insurance Research Council, 2023) |
Regulator
| Insurance regulator | Louisiana Department of Insurance |
|---|---|
| Consumer hotline | 800-259-5300 |
| Website | ldi.la.gov |
| Address | 1702 N. Third Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (mail: P.O. Box 94214, Baton Rouge, LA 70804) |
Minimum car insurance requirements
Louisiana requires every registered vehicle to carry liability insurance of at least 15/30/25 (La. R.S. 32:900). Those bodily injury limits are among the lowest in the country, while the $25,000 property damage minimum is in line with most states. Compare states with the state car insurance requirements lookup.
| Coverage | Louisiana minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability, per person | $15,000 |
| Bodily injury liability, per accident | $30,000 |
| Property damage liability, per accident | $25,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist | Included at your liability limits unless rejected or reduced in writing |
What the minimums mean in practice. If you cause a crash and the other driver runs up $40,000 in medical bills, a minimum policy pays $15,000 and the remaining $25,000 can be pursued from you personally. Two injured people with $20,000 each would exhaust the $30,000 per-accident limit. A new SUV can easily exceed the $25,000 property damage limit. what 25/50/25 means: split liability limits explained explains how split limits work, and how much liability coverage do you need? helps you choose higher ones.
Fault system and what it means after a crash
Louisiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurer, pays for the other side's injuries and vehicle damage. You can claim against the at-fault driver's insurer, use your own coverage and let your insurer pursue subrogation, or sue. See no-fault vs at-fault states.
Two 2025 laws changed what happens after a crash:
- Modified comparative fault (Act 15 of 2025, effective January 1, 2026). For incidents on or after that date, a person found 51% or more at fault recovers nothing; below that, damages are reduced by your share of fault. Incidents before 2026 stay under the old pure comparative system (comparative vs contributory negligence).
- Stronger "no pay, no play" (Act 16 of 2025, effective August 1, 2025). An owner or driver who fails to carry required insurance cannot recover the first $100,000 of bodily injury damages or the first $100,000 of property damage from a crash, with exceptions such as when the other driver was drunk, fled the scene or caused the crash intentionally (La. R.S. 32:866). See no pay, no play laws.
The deadline to sue also changed. Delictual (tort) actions now carry a two-year prescriptive period for injuries or damage sustained on or after July 1, 2024 (Civil Code art. 3493.1); older claims kept the previous one-year period. See statutes of limitations for car accident claims.
Optional coverage worth considering here
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Louisiana law includes UM at your bodily injury limits unless you reject it, select lower limits or choose cheaper "economic-only" UM, which excludes pain and suffering, on the commissioner's form (La. R.S. 22:1295). With 15/30 minimums, UM is often the only coverage that will meaningfully pay for a serious injury caused by a minimum-limits driver. The Insurance Research Council estimates 11.7% of Louisiana drivers were uninsured in 2023 (uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explained).
- Medical payments coverage. Louisiana has no PIP, so medical payments coverage is the main way to get quick payment for your own injuries.
- Comprehensive. Hurricanes, tropical storms and street flooding make comprehensive coverage valuable along the coast and in New Orleans (hail, flood and storm damage: filing a comprehensive claim).
- Higher liability limits or an umbrella policy if you own a home or have savings.
What drives rates in Louisiana
The NAIC puts Louisiana's average annual expenditure at $1,754 in 2023, well above the national average of $1,282. Averages are not quotes (What NAIC auto insurance data measures).
Louisiana has long had high claim frequency and a heavy share of injury claims that end up in litigation, which pushes up bodily injury costs. Hurricanes and flooding drive comprehensive losses, and repair and medical costs have climbed. The 2025 legislative package, including the comparative fault and no-pay-no-play changes, was aimed at these costs; its effect on premiums will take time to show in rate filings. Why Louisiana car insurance is among the priciest covers the background, and tort reform and car insurance explains how such laws work.
Penalties for driving uninsured
- Registration and impoundment. When the Office of Motor Vehicles finds a vehicle uninsured, it revokes the registration, cancels the plate and can impound the vehicle (La. R.S. 32:863). An officer who stops a driver without proof of coverage can impound the car (La. R.S. 32:863.1).
- Reinstatement fees. $100 if the lapse lasted 1 to 30 days, $250 for 31 to 90 days and $500 for more than 90 days, on top of proof of new coverage.
- Lost lawsuit rights. Under no pay, no play, an uninsured owner or driver absorbs the first $100,000 of their own injury and property damage.
See penalties for driving without insurance.
SR-22 and high-risk drivers
After a license suspension tied to driving while intoxicated or refusing a chemical test, Louisiana will not reinstate the license until the driver files and keeps proof of financial responsibility, usually an SR-22 from an insurer, for three years (La. R.S. 32:896). Other serious violations and uninsured crashes can also trigger filings. See SR-22 insurance explained, Car insurance after a DUI and high-risk car insurance: options when insurers say no.
Insurers with a strong presence in Louisiana
State Farm, Progressive, Allstate and GEICO are the largest writers. Farm Bureau members are served by Southern Farm Bureau Casualty, and Shelter Insurance sells through agents across the state. GoAuto Insurance, headquartered in Baton Rouge, and Safeway Insurance focus on drivers who need lower-cost or nonstandard coverage (nonstandard auto insurers: who they serve and what to watch).
Where to get help
The Louisiana Department of Insurance regulates insurers and handles complaints about claims, cancellations and rates. Call the consumer hotline at 800-259-5300 (225-342-5900 in Baton Rouge), file online at ldi.la.gov, or write to P.O. Box 94214, Baton Rouge, LA 70804; the office is at 1702 N. Third Street. Registration, plate and reinstatement questions go to the Office of Motor Vehicles. For an injury claim, especially one near the new 51% fault line, consult a licensed Louisiana attorney.
Sources
- ldi.la.gov/
- web.archive.org/web/20261002193113/https://ldi.la.gov/
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88632
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=508161
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88612
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88606
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88607
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88628
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=109387
- legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=1386443
- legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=25RS&b=HB431
- legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=25RS&b=HB434
- iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists
- iii.org/table-archive/21247
Requirements were checked against these sources on the review date below. Laws change - confirm with the state insurance regulator or motor vehicle agency.
Profile last reviewed October 4, 2026