Cheapest Liability Car Insurance in Texas

If you’re responsible for an accident, your liability car insurance will pay for damages and injuries you cause to other drivers and their passengers. Texas is one of 49 U.S. states that require drivers to have at least a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive legally.

Most insurers offer a range of other coverage options besides basic liability insurance. If you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender or leasing company will probably require you to buy collision and comprehensive coverage as well. 

Here’s what to know about liability car insurance in Texas and how to find the best coverage for your needs.

What does liability car insurance cover in Texas?

The state of Texas requires all car owners to buy two types of liability coverage to help pay for damage they might cause in a car accident: bodily injury liability and property damage liability.

Bodily injury liability coverage pays the medical bills if you injure someone. Property damage liability coverage pays to fix the damage you cause to other people’s property, like their cars, homes, or the contents of their vehicle.

Your policy will pay these expenses up to the limits you selected when you bought it. You’ll generally be responsible for paying out of pocket for any damages over your policy limit amount.2  

For example, if you’ve purchased an auto insurance policy with Texas minimum liability limits, it’ll reimburse any one person for up to $30,000 in medical costs. If you caused bodily harm to multiple people, your insurer will pay up to $60,000 for everyone’s costs combined. Similarly, if you damage anyone’s personal property, your insurance coverage will only pay out up to $25,000.

That can make for a big bill if you wreck someone’s brand-new luxury car or rear-end a bus carrying a high school sports team, for example. That’s why many experts recommend choosing higher coverage limits if you can afford it.

Cheapest liability car insurance rates in Texas

The following table shows monthly liability-only rates from the cheapest car insurers in Texas. Keep in mind there’s a good chance that your costs will be different.

Companies take many insurance-rating factors into account when setting your insurance premiums, such as your ZIP code, credit history, age, gender, car make and model, driving record, and more — and that’s even before factoring anything like discounts into the mix.3

How much liability coverage does Texas require?

The Texas Department of Insurance requires all drivers to buy at least:4

• Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident

• Bodily injury liability: $30,000 per person, up to $60,000 per accident

Texas also requires all insurance companies to include two other types of coverage in all new policies, and if you don’t want them, you’ll need to decline them in writing:

• Personal injury protection: This covers medical treatment, funeral expenses, and lost wages if you or any passengers in your car suffer bodily injury in an accident you cause.

• Underinsured/uninsured motorist protection: This covers your property damage and injuries if an uninsured driver — or one without enough coverage to fully reimburse you — causes an accident.

All other coverage options are up to you (and your lender if you’re financing a vehicle).

How to find cheap liability car insurance in Texas

Sticker shock is real when it comes to insurance, but the good news is you have many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. Getting a quote from several car insurance companies is the best way to find affordable car insurance, but here are several other tips to try:

• Drive safely. Practicing good driving habits will help you score the lowest rates possible, earn safe driver discounts, lower your risk of permanent disability, and avoid having to file claims.

• Use telematics. Allowing your insurer to track your driving through a telematics mobile app or device can help you qualify for big discounts. But if you display risky driving behaviors, some insurers may increase your rates.

• Improve your credit. Like most states, Texas allows insurance companies to use your credit history to generate credit-based insurance scores that predict your likelihood of filing a claim. Generally, people with good or excellent credit get lower rates than people with poor credit.

• Set reminders to compare rates. It’s easy to forget to check your rates every six to 12 months when your policy is up for renewal. But that’s an easy time to switch to a new insurer that offers lower rates.

• Opt for mileage-based coverage. A mileage-based policy will charge a low base rate and a low rate for each mile you drive in a month. If you’re able to drive less, it could offer a lot of savings.

Other car insurance coverages to consider in Texas

Although they may not be a legal requirement in the Lone Star State, additional coverage can provide you with greater financial protection than minimum coverage. For example, you may have to buy full-coverage car insurance to protect your motor vehicle from damage under your financial institution’s terms and conditions if you took out a car loan or lease. A full-coverage policy adds collision and comprehensive coverage onto a state-minimum liability policy.

Even if you have no obligation to buy extra coverages, it’s still worth considering them for greater financial protection.

For example, Texas has one of the highest rates of auto theft in the country. If you only have liability coverage and someone steals your vehicle, your insurance policy won’t reimburse you for the cost of your stolen car. But if you have comprehensive coverage, your insurer will pay you the ACV of the vehicle.4