Does Texas require you to have car insurance?
No one likes it, but it’s just how it goes. Insurance is an important part of our everyday lives, and car insurance is no different. But, with it being something that’s not always convenient, is it something that you must have? Some states can vary on their requirements. Does Texas require you to have car insurance? In a word, yes. As a resident of Texas, you need to have liability coverage in accordance with Texas law. Read ahead for some other helpful tips on auto insurance.
Does Texas require two license plates on your vehicle?
Different car insurance coverages to remember
So, with Texas requiring you to have liability coverage, what exactly is liability coverage, anyway? Liability coverage on your car insurance is coverage which pays for repairs to another driver’s vehicle if you are the cause of an accident. That coverage will also take care of the other driver’s medical bills and certain other expenses, as well as those of their passengers if applicable or necessary. You need to have at a minimum $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person up to a total of $60,000 per accident, as well as $25,000 of coverage to take care of property damage. That is also referred to as 30/60/25 coverage.
How can you extend the life of your car?
That’s not the only coverage you can get, however. There is also collision coverage, which pays for repairs to or replacement of your vehicle after an accident, and comprehensive (other than collision) coverage to pay for a stolen vehicle or if there is damage caused by a flood, fire, vandalism, or a number of other causes that are not a collision. Medical payments coverage will pay for medical bills you and/or your passengers receive as the result of an auto-related incident, which includes if you are hurt while riding in someone else’s vehicle or while you are walking or biking. Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage does what medical payments coverage does, as well as paying for lost wages or other nonmedical costs related to the accident. This is something that is automatically included in Texas auto insurance policies, and you’d have to specifically decline it when signing up if you don’t want it.
If you are hit by someone without insurance or without enough coverage to pay for medical and repair bills, count on uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Towing and labor coverage will pay to tow your car if it isn’t able to be driven, and it also covers labor costs to change a flat tire or give your car a jump. Finally, rental reimbursement coverage will pay for you to rent a car if yours is stolen or awaiting repairs after an accident.
