What Are the Minimum Car Insurance Limits in Texas? (30/60/25 Rule — Transp. Code § 601.072)
Direct Answer Under Texas Law
Under Texas Transportation Code § 601.072(a-1), the mandatory minimum motor vehicle liability insurance limits in Texas are '30/60/25': (1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision, (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision (subject to the $30,000 per-person cap), and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.
Critical Texas Procedural Trap to Watch Out For
A single night in a Texas Level I Trauma Center easily exceeds $60,000, and a totaled new pickup truck regularly exceeds the $25,000 property damage cap—meaning if you are hit by a driver carrying a 'basic' Texas minimum policy, their insurance will run out before your hospital or body-shop bills are paid unless you also carry PIP, UM/UIM, and Collision coverage!
Recommended Action Plan for Texas Claimants
Immediately demand disclosure of the at-fault driver's policy limits (mandatory in litigation under TRCP 194.2(b)(7)) and open your own Texas PIP and UIM claims simultaneously.
Detailed Texas Statutory & Case Law Breakdown
Under Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1) and controlling Texas appellate precedent in Texas Farmers Insurance Co. v. Soriano, 881 S.W.2d 312 (Tex. 1994), Texas trial and appellate courts apply strict statutory rules to this exact issue. Unlike generic multi-state legal summaries, Texas tort procedure under the Civil Practice and Remedies Code (CPRC), Insurance Code, Transportation Code, and Labor Code enforces specific statutory formulas—including the 51% proportionate responsibility bar (CPRC § 33.001), paid-or-incurred medical expense admissibility (CPRC § 41.0105 / Haygood), and mandatory statutory lien caps (Prop. Code Ch. 55 & Ins. Code Ch. 140).
Step-by-Step Texas Procedural Checklist
- Verify the exact statutory text of Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1) and how Texas courts apply Texas Farmers Insurance Co. v. Soriano, 881 S.W.2d 312 (Tex. 1994) in your county's appellate district.
- Beware of the Texas Procedural Trap: A single night in a Texas Level I Trauma Center easily exceeds $60,000, and a totaled new pickup truck regularly exceeds the $25,000 property damage cap—meaning if you are hit by a driver carrying a 'basic' Texas minimum policy, their insurance will run out before your hospital or body-shop bills are paid unless you also carry PIP, UM/UIM, and Collision coverage!
- Execute the Texas Action Plan: Immediately demand disclosure of the at-fault driver's policy limits (mandatory in litigation under TRCP 194.2(b)(7)) and open your own Texas PIP and UIM claims simultaneously.
- Preserve all physical, electronic, and medical billing records early so your CPRC § 18.001 affidavits and TRCP 194.2 Initial Disclosures are complete.
Frequently Asked Questions Under Texas Law
What Are the Minimum Car Insurance Limits in Texas? (30/60/25 Rule — Transp. Code § 601.072)
Under Texas Transportation Code § 601.072(a-1), the mandatory minimum motor vehicle liability insurance limits in Texas are '30/60/25': (1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision, (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision (subject to the $30,000 per-person cap), and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision. Key Texas Trap to Avoid: A single night in a Texas Level I Trauma Center easily exceeds $60,000, and a totaled new pickup truck regularly exceeds the $25,000 property damage cap—meaning if you are hit by a driver carrying a 'basic' Texas minimum policy, their insurance will run out before your hospital or body-shop bills are paid unless you also carry PIP, UM/UIM, and Collision coverage!
What Texas statute and Supreme Court / appellate precedent control texas 30/60/25 minimum auto insurance limits?
This question is governed in Texas by Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1) and the legal standards articulated in Texas Farmers Insurance Co. v. Soriano, 881 S.W.2d 312 (Tex. 1994). Recommended step: Immediately demand disclosure of the at-fault driver's policy limits (mandatory in litigation under TRCP 194.2(b)(7)) and open your own Texas PIP and UIM claims simultaneously.
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