Tennessee
25/50/25
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage.
Tennessee driving guide
What Tennessee requires on your car, in plain English.
Every vehicle on a Tennessee road needs proof of financial responsibility, and for almost everyone that means a car insurance policy. Here's what the law asks for, how the state checks, and why the minimum is rarely enough.
The short version.
Tennessee requires liability coverage of at least 25/50/25: $25,000 for one person's injuries, $50,000 for all injuries in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. A $65,000 single-limit policy also qualifies, and drivers may instead post a $65,000 bond or cash deposit with the state.
Keep proof in the car. Police ask for it when you are charged with a moving violation or involved in a reportable crash, and an insurance card on your phone counts.
Minimums by state
How Tennessee compares with its neighbors.
If you live near the state line or move across it, the rules change. We write auto policies in all three states.
Kentucky
25/50/25+ PIP
The same liability limits plus $10,000 of personal injury protection, which most drivers can reject in writing.
Virginia
50/100/25
Raised on January 1, 2025, with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matching those limits by default.
Limits shown as bodily injury per person / per accident / property damage. Confirm current requirements with your state before you rely on them.
Coverage
How the rules work.
A quote request does not bind, change, or cancel coverage. Campbell Insurance will confirm details in writing before any coverage action is taken.
Proof of insurance
Acceptable proof includes your insurance card, policy declarations page, or a binder from a company authorized in Tennessee, on paper or on your phone. Showing it on a phone does not give an officer permission to look through the rest of your device.
- Insurance card
- Declarations page
- Insurance binder
- Paper or phone
Electronic verification
Under the James Lee Atwood Jr. Law, the Department of Revenue checks registered vehicles against insurance company records. If the state can't match your coverage, it sends notices, and leaving them unresolved can lead to fines and suspension of your registration.
- Monthly carrier reporting
- Notices to registrants
- Fines if notices go unresolved
- Registration suspension
Penalties
Failing to show proof is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $300. If it is your first offense and you had coverage on the date you were stopped, the court dismisses the charge.
- Class C misdemeanor
- Fine up to $300
- First-offense dismissal with proof
- Possible registration suspension
Uninsured motorist coverage
Tennessee insurers must include uninsured motorist coverage for injuries at your bodily injury liability limits unless you reject it or choose lower limits in writing. We recommend keeping it.
- Matches your liability limits
- Written rejection required to drop it
- Lower limits by signed selection
- Protects your own household
Where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet.
Our Harrogate office sits a few miles from Cumberland Gap. We're licensed in all three states, so we can keep helping if you move across the line.
Pinnacle Overlook, Cumberland Gap. Photo: National Park Service.
Questions
Common questions.
What are the minimum liability limits in Tennessee?
25/50/25: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage. The property damage minimum rose from $15,000 to $25,000 in 2023.
What happens if I can't show proof of insurance in Tennessee?
Failing to show proof is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $300. Separately, if the state's verification program can't confirm your coverage and you don't resolve its notices, your registration can be suspended.
Can I show proof of insurance on my phone in Tennessee?
Yes. Tennessee accepts an electronic image of your insurance card on a phone or other portable device.
Is the state minimum enough?
Usually not. Medical bills and a newer vehicle can push one crash past $25,000 per person or $25,000 of property damage, and anything above your limits can come back to you. We'll show you prices at higher limits next to the minimum.
Ready to compare?
Tell us what you need to protect.
Call (423) 869-8699, start your quote online, or ask us to call you back.