State guide
Car Insurance in Vermont
Updated August 2026
Vermont's liability minimums are 25/50/10 — $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 for property damage, under 23 V.S.A. §800. The oddity is what sits next to them: Vermont also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on every policy, and its minimums are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident — double the liability floor. Almost no other state sets its mandatory UM limits above its liability limits.
In practice that means a minimum Vermont policy protects you against an uninsured driver better than it protects an uninsured driver's victims against you. Vermont is an at-fault state with no PIP requirement, and its $10,000 property-damage minimum is among the lowest still on the books — two reasons the legal floor and a sensible policy are further apart here than the small premiums suggest.
| Coverage | Required minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability (per person) | $25,000 |
| Bodily injury liability (per accident) | $50,000 |
| Property damage liability | $10,000 |
| PIP / medical | Not required (at-fault state) |
| Additional requirements | Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage required at $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $10,000 property damage |
| No-fault state | No |
| SR-22 used | Yes |
Source: 23 V.S.A. §800 & §941; Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
Average annual expenditure for auto insurance in Vermont was $793 in 2022. (NAIC 2022 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (June 2024))
Vermont's unusual UM/UIM mandate
Under 23 V.S.A. §941, every Vermont policy must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least $50,000/$100,000 for bodily injury plus $10,000 for property damage (subject to a $150 deductible). And if you buy liability limits above the minimum, your UM/UIM limits must match them unless you opt out in writing — the statute defaults you into symmetric protection.
Nationally, 15.4% of drivers were uninsured in 2023, per the Insurance Research Council. Vermont's answer is to make every insured driver carry meaningful protection against them by default. When comparing Vermont quotes, the UM/UIM line is already comparable across carriers at the minimum level; the differences show up in how each prices the matching limits on larger policies.
SR-22s in Vermont
Vermont requires SR-22 filings after serious violations — DUI, driving with a suspended license, or driving without insurance. Your insurer files the certificate with the Vermont DMV, typically for about three years, proving you carry at least the required coverage.
Not every carrier writes SR-22 business in a small market like Vermont, and those that do surcharge the underlying violation very differently. For SR-22 drivers, the useful comparison is which carriers will file at all — and what premium each attaches to the same record.
What Vermont drivers pay
Vermont is one of the least expensive auto insurance markets in the country: NAIC data puts the state's average annual expenditure at $793 in 2022, versus $1,127 countrywide — notable given the mandatory UM/UIM package built into every policy. Low traffic density and low theft rates do most of the work. Averages still hide a wide spread between carriers for the same driver, so the low statewide figure is a reason to expect good quotes, not a substitute for collecting them.
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Frequently asked questions
What car insurance is required in Vermont?+
Liability coverage of at least $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage (25/50/10) under 23 V.S.A. §800 — plus uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $10,000 property damage under 23 V.S.A. §941.
Why are Vermont's UM/UIM minimums higher than its liability minimums?+
Vermont's statute sets required UM/UIM at $50,000/$100,000 — double the 25/50 liability floor — so every insured driver carries meaningful protection against uninsured and underinsured motorists. If you buy higher liability limits, UM/UIM must match them unless you decline in writing.
Is Vermont a no-fault state?+
No. Vermont is an at-fault (tort) state: the driver who causes the accident pays for the other side's injuries and damage through their liability coverage. PIP is not required.
Does Vermont use SR-22s?+
Yes. Vermont requires SR-22 filings after serious violations such as DUI or driving uninsured, filed by your insurer with the Vermont DMV, typically for around three years.
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