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Maryland minimum coverage averages up to $86/month, with full coverage around $150/month. Learn the state's 30/60/15 legal minimums, why Maryland mandates PIP and UM coverage most states leave optional, how Baltimore compares to the rest of the state, and how an independent agent finds the carrier that prices you best.
Maryland requires more built-in protection than most states, and that shows up in both the paperwork and the price. According to MoneyGeek's 2026 Maryland rate analysis, Maryland drivers pay an average of $86 a month for minimum coverage and around $150 a month for full coverage, both above the national average. Two mandatory coverages most states leave optional are the reason. This guide covers exactly what Maryland requires, what drives your rate, and where the real savings are.
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Where We Write Policies
Licensed in PA, TX, VA, MD, OH, TN & KY only. Quotes available for these states.
This is our statewide Maryland guide. If you are in the Baltimore area, compare rates on our Baltimore insurance page. For Maryland-specific auto coverage beyond what is here, visit our Maryland auto insurance page, or see the full Maryland insurance overview.
Key takeaways
Maryland law requires every registered vehicle owner to carry liability insurance meeting the state's 30/60/15 minimum: $30,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 in property damage liability. Maryland layers two additional mandatory coverages on top of that liability minimum, set under Maryland Insurance Code Sections 19-505 and 19-509: $2,500 in Personal Injury Protection, and Uninsured Motorist coverage at the same limits as your liability coverage. Maryland is an at-fault state.
Dragon Insurance Services is an independent agency licensed to write auto insurance in Maryland. We compare 30+ carriers, including Progressive, Safeco, GEICO, and The General, to find competitive coverage for your situation. Explore options on our auto insurance page or read on.
The two coverages Maryland requires that most states do not
Personal Injury Protection (PIP): $2,500 in PIP comes with every Maryland auto policy by default. PIP pays medical expenses and lost wages for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the accident. Drivers with qualifying health insurance may elect a reduced or waived PIP option, but the rejection must be made in writing. We walk through that trade-off during every Maryland quote rather than letting it happen automatically.
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage: Maryland requires UM coverage at the same limits as your liability coverage. If your liability limits are 30/60/15, your UM coverage must also be at least 30/60/15. This protects you if you are hit by a driver who carries no insurance or not enough to cover your damages, and it is not something Maryland lets you decline the way some neighboring states do.
Maryland drivers pay an average of around $86 a month for minimum coverage and $150 a month for full coverage, according to MoneyGeek's 2026 Maryland analysis, both above the national average. The mandatory PIP and UM coverage layered on top of the 30/60/15 minimum is part of why Maryland runs higher than states with a bare liability-only floor. Your exact rate still depends on your ZIP code, driving record, vehicle, and any coverage you choose above the minimum.
Where you garage your car matters enormously in Maryland. Here is what MoneyGeek's 2026 analysis found for full coverage in two Maryland cities with meaningfully different profiles.
| City | Full Coverage / Month | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Around $248 | Dense urban traffic, elevated theft rates, and accident frequency in a city of over 600,000 |
| Hagerstown | Around $113 | Smaller western Maryland city, well below the Baltimore metro premium |
Source: MoneyGeek Maryland rate analysis, 2026. The roughly $135 monthly gap between Baltimore and Hagerstown is larger than Maryland's entire statewide minimum-coverage average, meaning where you garage the car can cost more than an entire coverage tier does. Montgomery and Howard County suburbs, including Rockville and Columbia, typically price below Baltimore City. These are averages for a sample driver profile, not quotes.
| Coverage Type | MD Minimum | What It Pays For |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily Injury Liability | $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident | Injuries to other people when you are at fault |
| Property Damage Liability | $15,000 per accident | Damage to other vehicles or property when you are at fault |
| Personal Injury Protection | $2,500, mandatory unless rejected in writing | Your own medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault |
| Uninsured Motorist | 30/60/15, matching your liability limits | Your injuries and damage when the at-fault driver has no coverage or too little |
Penalties for driving without insurance in Maryland
Maryland verifies coverage electronically through insurer reporting to the MVA, so a lapse can be flagged without a traffic stop. Confirm current penalty amounts with the Maryland MVA.
Because Maryland requires PIP and UM on top of liability, there is less room to cut costs by dropping coverage than in most states. Real savings in Maryland come from three places.
1. Being quoted by the carrier that prices your profile best
This is the biggest lever. Carriers rate the same driver very differently, and no single company is cheapest for everyone. A clean-record driver in Rockville and a driver with a recent claim in Baltimore will not share a cheapest carrier. Comparing several on identical limits, including matching PIP and UM, is the only reliable way to find yours.
2. Rejecting PIP in writing only makes sense with real health coverage behind you
Maryland lets you reject the $2,500 PIP benefit in writing if you have qualifying health insurance, and doing so lowers your premium slightly. It is a reasonable trade for someone with solid health coverage and no dependents riding in the car regularly. It is a poor trade for anyone relying on PIP as their real medical safety net after a crash. We walk through this specifically rather than defaulting either way.
3. Discounts nobody asked you about
Bundling, paperless billing, paying in full, good student, defensive driving, low mileage, and anti-theft equipment are standard and commonly missed when you buy online with nobody reviewing your situation. Affordable car insurance in Maryland is usually the same coverage with every discount applied, not a thinner policy.
Have these five things ready and an accurate Maryland quote takes minutes instead of a day of back and forth.
You do not need a Social Security number to get a quote in Maryland, and you do not need to have decided about the PIP rejection option in advance. That decision is part of the conversation.
Compare Maryland auto insurance quotes in one call
Dragon Insurance shops 30+ carriers for Maryland drivers, at the current 30/60/15 minimum with mandatory PIP and UM explained clearly. One conversation, several real quotes on matching limits, no cost to you.
The DC-Baltimore corridor is home to a large and diverse immigrant community, and the U.S. insurance system often works differently from wherever you came from. Dragon Insurance works with families new to Maryland and to the country.
No U.S. driving history, and no Social Security number required
U.S. insurers usually cannot verify a foreign driving record, so most new residents are rated as new drivers regardless of years of clean driving elsewhere. You do not need a Social Security number to buy coverage. Most carriers accept an ITIN, a foreign passport, or a Maryland license.
What to have for a Maryland quote
Call one carrier and you get one quote. Work with an independent agency and your information goes to multiple carriers at once. Rate filings are regulated, so the premium is the same whether you buy direct or through an agent.
The value is knowing which carrier prices Maryland's required PIP and UM stack best. Because every Maryland policy carries mandatory coverage most states leave optional, the way carriers price that stack varies more than the base liability number alone suggests. An agent who places Maryland risk every week knows which carrier handles it well.
Most guides stop at what a policy costs. What decides whether the policy was worth buying is what happens after a crash, and Maryland has one rule that makes documentation more important than almost anywhere else in the country.
1. At the scene
Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Photograph both vehicles, the road, and the other driver's insurance card. Do not tell the other driver the crash was your fault, and do not speculate about what happened. In Maryland specifically, an offhand admission can matter more than it would almost anywhere else.
2. Report it promptly, even if you were not at fault
Call your carrier the same day and tell us. Your PIP coverage pays your medical costs regardless of fault, so use it. If the other driver is uninsured, your mandatory UM coverage is what pays, and that protection is already built into every Maryland policy by law.
3. Maryland is a pure contributory negligence state, the strictest fault rule in the country
Maryland is one of only five U.S. jurisdictions, alongside Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Washington D.C., that still use pure contributory negligence. If you are found even 1 percent at fault for an accident, you can be barred from recovering anything from the other driver. This is why the scene photographs and an accurate police report matter enormously in Maryland, and it is exactly why the state requires PIP and UM as backstops: even a driver with a strong claim against someone else can end up needing their own coverage to pay for it.
4. Repairs, then your renewal
Collision repairs your car regardless of fault, minus your deductible. Comprehensive handles theft, storm, and animal strikes, which matters in a state with meaningful vehicle theft rates in its urban core. Afterward the claim follows you into renewal, and that is when shopping the market again usually pays.
What Dragon does when you have a claim
We are not the adjuster and we will not pretend otherwise. What we do is make sure the claim is filed against the right coverage, including your PIP and UM if they apply, explain what your policy actually says in plain language, follow up when the file goes quiet, and tell you honestly when a small claim is not worth filing given what it will do to your renewal. Given how strict Maryland's fault rule is, we also make sure clients understand why documentation at the scene matters before an accident happens, not after.
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What is the minimum auto insurance required in Maryland?
Maryland requires minimum liability coverage of 30/60/15: $30,000 bodily injury per person, $60,000 bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 property damage. Maryland also requires $2,500 in Personal Injury Protection with every auto policy and Uninsured Motorist coverage at the same limits as your liability coverage under Maryland Insurance Code Sections 19-505 and 19-509. Maryland is an at-fault state.
Does Maryland require PIP coverage?
Yes. Maryland law requires $2,500 in Personal Injury Protection with every auto policy under Maryland Insurance Code Section 19-505. PIP pays medical expenses and lost wages for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the accident. Drivers with qualifying health insurance may elect a reduced or waived PIP option, but the rejection must be made in writing.
How much is car insurance per month in Maryland?
Maryland drivers pay an average of around $86 a month for minimum coverage and $150 a month for full coverage, according to MoneyGeek's 2026 analysis, both above the national average. Baltimore runs well above the statewide average at around $248 a month for full coverage, while smaller cities like Hagerstown run closer to $113. These are averages for a sample driver, not quotes.
How do I get car insurance quotes in MD?
Have five things ready: driver details for everyone in the household who drives, your vehicle year, make, model and VIN, your current declarations page, your Maryland garaging ZIP code, and a rough driving history for the past three to five years. Dragon Insurance compares 30+ carriers on matching limits, including PIP and UM, in one call. Call 717-229-5115 or request a free quote online.
Does Maryland require uninsured motorist coverage?
Yes. Maryland requires Uninsured Motorist coverage at the same limits as your liability coverage under Maryland Insurance Code Section 19-509. If your liability limits are 30/60/15, your UM coverage must also be at least 30/60/15. This protects you if you are hit by a driver who carries no insurance or not enough to cover your damages.
Is Maryland an at-fault or no-fault state?
Maryland is an at-fault state, and it uses pure contributory negligence, one of the strictest fault rules in the country, shared with only Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Washington D.C. If you are found even 1 percent at fault, you can be barred from recovering anything from the other driver. Maryland's mandatory PIP and UM coverage exist partly as a backstop against exactly this risk.
Can I get car insurance in Maryland with a DUI or driving violations?
Yes. Non-standard carriers like The General specialize in coverage for Maryland drivers with a DUI history, multiple violations, or a prior coverage lapse. We also handle SR-22 filings for Maryland license reinstatement after a suspension. Rates will be higher than a clean-record policy, but coverage is available.
Dragon Insurance is an independent agency licensed in Maryland. We compare Progressive, Safeco, GEICO, The General, and 30+ other carriers to find coverage built around your driver profile, including Maryland's mandatory PIP and UM requirements. Whether you are lowering a renewal, insuring a first car, or new to Maryland and starting from scratch, we can help.
Visit us: 1525 Cedar Cliff Dr STE 202, Camp Hill, PA 17011
Serving Maryland drivers in Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring, Rockville, Towson, Frederick, Gaithersburg, and communities across the state.
Last updated: August 2026. Dragon Insurance Services LLC is a licensed independent insurance agency. Availability, terms, limits, and rates vary by carrier, driver profile, vehicle, and ZIP code. Rate figures cited are averages from published analyses by MoneyGeek using sample driver profiles; they are not quotes and do not guarantee pricing. Maryland minimum requirements are set under Maryland Insurance Code Sections 19-505 and 19-509; verify current requirements with the Maryland MVA or a licensed agent. This content is educational and is not legal advice.
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About the Author
Bimal GurungCEO, Agency Principal & Licensed Insurance Agent
Bimal Gurung is CEO and Agency Principal of Dragon Insurance Services, an independent agency in Camp Hill, PA that compares 30+ carriers for clients across Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
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