Insurance
Car Insurance in Maryland
Published September 24, 2026 · Last updated October 1, 2026
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What Maryland requires
Every registered car in Maryland must carry:
- Bodily injury liability: $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash
- Property damage liability: $15,000
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury: the same amounts as your liability
- Uninsured motorist property damage: $15,000
- Personal injury protection (PIP): $2,500
About PIP: it pays some medical bills and lost income after a crash, no matter who caused it. Insurers must offer it, but you can waive it. Before you do, check whether your health insurance and sick leave would cover the same costs.
Why partial fault matters so much in Maryland
The Maryland Insurance Administration puts it plainly: your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage won't apply if you're found at fault for the crash, even partially.
The state's example: you and another driver back out of parking spaces at the same time and hit each other. You may both be found at fault. Even if the other driver has no insurance, your insurer may deny your uninsured motorist claim.
That makes collision coverage more important in Maryland. It pays to fix your car regardless of fault.
Enhanced underinsured motorist coverage (EUIM)
Here's the problem EUIM solves. With standard underinsured coverage, what you can collect is capped at your own limit, minus what the other driver's insurance pays. If you both carry the minimums, you get nothing extra.
Example with property damage:
| At-fault driver's coverage | Your coverage | Most you can collect |
|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | $15,000 standard UM/UIM | $15,000 |
| $15,000 | $50,000 standard UM/UIM | $50,000 |
| $15,000 | $15,000 enhanced UIM | $30,000 |
Enhanced UIM isn't reduced by what the other driver's insurer pays. It adds on top.
Since July 1, 2024, EUIM is the default on new Maryland policies. To drop it, you must sign a written opt-out. That choice carries over to renewals until you change it in writing. EUIM costs more, so the alternative is to buy higher regular limits instead. Ask for quotes both ways.
How Maryland insurers can use your credit
Maryland puts limits on how credit is used in pricing car insurance. For a new policy rated partly on credit, your insurer:
- can't use credit items more than 5 years old,
- must tell you credit is being used, and on request, show how much of your premium comes from credit,
- can't penalize you for having no credit history, or for the number of credit inquiries,
- must re-check your credit every 2 years, or sooner if you ask, and lower your premium if your credit improves.
Credit-based discounts or surcharges are capped at 40%.
A few other Maryland protections:
- A homeowners claim can't raise your car insurance premium at renewal.
- Your premium can't go up just because you became a surviving spouse.
- An insurer can't refuse you just because you were insured by MAIF before (see below).
What happens if your insurance lapses
Maryland requires insurance the entire time a car is registered, even if you're not driving it.
- Your insurer reports the cancellation to the MVA.
- The MVA asks you to prove coverage with an FR-19 form. Your insurer must provide it for free.
- If there was a gap, you're charged a penalty for each day the car was uninsured.
Unpaid penalties can lead to a suspended registration and collection with 17% added. If you drop your insurance and don't replace it, return your plates to stop penalties from building. A lapse can also make your next policy cost more.
If you can't find an insurer: MAIF
The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) is the state's insurer of last resort. It covers Maryland residents who have been refused by at least two insurers, or who were canceled or non-renewed.
How much is car insurance in Maryland?
It depends on where you live, your record, your car, and your coverage. In 2021, Maryland households spent about 1.23% of their income on car insurance, below the U.S. average of 1.50%. That ranked 31st.
Why can it feel expensive? About 16.9% of Maryland drivers were uninsured in 2023, the 14th highest rate in the country. More uninsured drivers can mean more costly claims, and since EUIM is now the default, many policies include more coverage than they used to.
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Sources
- Maryland Insurance Administration, Will I need to pay a penalty if I don't have auto insurance?
- Maryland Insurance Administration, Enhanced underinsured motorist coverage
- Maryland Insurance Administration, Consumer advisory: enhanced underinsured motorist coverage
- Maryland Insurance Administration, Auto insurance guide
- Maryland MVA, Auto insurance violation penalties and payments
- Maryland Code, Insurance § 27-501
- Insurance Information Institute, Auto insurance affordability (IRC)
- Insurance Information Institute, Uninsured motorists (IRC 2023 data)