Minimum car insurance in Tennessee.
What Tennessee requires, in plain words, and why the minimum may not be enough.
The minimum limits
In Tennessee, the minimum liability limits are written 25/50/25 (in thousands): $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to everyone in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
How the system works
Tennessee is generally an at-fault (tort) state, so the driver who causes a crash is responsible for the other party’s losses. That is why liability limits matter so much.
Tort (at-fault) state. No other coverage required.
What the minimum means in practice
Say a crash you cause injures three people. The Tennessee minimum pays at most $25,000 to any one of them and $50,000 in total, shared between all three. Any medical bills above that could become your responsibility. Property damage stops at $25,000.
If you drive without insurance in Tennessee
The Department of Revenue says drivers without required liability coverage may pay fines and risk losing vehicle registration. A revenue notice lists a $25 initial coverage failure fee and $100 continued coverage failure fee, to rise to $500 and $1,000 on July 1, 2027.
Proof of insurance
Tennessee checks insurance through its Insurance Verification application using the plate number, and drivers respond to notices or check policy status there with a plate number and PIN or VIN.
Also worth knowing in Tennessee
A revenue notice says that from July 1, 2027, insurers must report their full book of business weekly (daily allowed), excluding commercial policies and insurers with fewer than 500 non-commercial policies.
Your state regulator
Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is the official place for consumer questions and complaints about insurers.
Sources we checked (October 2026)
Requirements change. We checked the pages below. Confirm with your state insurance department or an agent.
Questions
Is Tennessee a no-fault state?
Tennessee is generally an at-fault state.