Maryland Requires Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
Maryland law mandates bodily injury liability coverage for every registered vehicle. The state sets minimum limits at $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident. These limits are not optional — you cannot register or legally drive a vehicle in Maryland without carrying at least this amount of bodily injury liability on your policy.
The requirement applies to every vehicle on your policy. If you insure two or more cars under one Maryland policy, each vehicle must meet the $30,000/$60,000 bodily injury liability minimum. The coverage protects other people injured in an accident you cause, paying their medical bills, lost wages, and related expenses up to your policy limits. It does not cover your own injuries or the injuries of passengers in your vehicle — that's what personal injury protection addresses.
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Get Your Free QuoteMaryland Bodily Injury Minimum
$30,000 / $60,000
Maryland requires $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage. These limits are the floor — you can purchase higher limits, and many multi-car households do to protect household assets.
Maryland Transportation Code §17-103
How Bodily Injury Liability Differs from Property Damage
Bodily injury liability and property damage liability are separate coverages under Maryland law. Bodily injury liability pays for injuries to other people. Property damage liability pays for damage to other people's vehicles and property. Maryland requires $15,000 in property damage liability in addition to the $30,000/$60,000 bodily injury liability minimum.
The combined requirement is often written as 30/60/15. The first number is bodily injury per person, the second is bodily injury per accident, and the third is property damage per accident. All three are mandatory. A policy that carries only property damage liability or only bodily injury liability does not meet Maryland's legal requirements.
When you add a second or third vehicle to your Maryland policy, each vehicle carries the same liability limits. The per-person and per-accident limits apply to the accident, not to the vehicle. If two of your insured vehicles are involved in the same accident, the bodily injury liability limit is still $60,000 per accident unless you purchased higher limits.
Maryland's bodily injury liability requirement is mandatory for registration. A policy without it cannot be used to register or legally drive any vehicle in the state.
What Bodily Injury Liability Covers in Maryland
The coverage pays medical bills, hospital stays, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering for people injured in an accident you cause. It also covers legal defense costs if the injured party sues you. The $30,000 per-person limit applies to each individual injured in the accident. The $60,000 per-accident limit is the maximum your policy pays for all injuries in a single accident, regardless of how many people are hurt.
Bodily injury liability does not cover your own injuries, injuries to passengers in your vehicle, or damage to your own vehicle. Those are covered by personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, and collision coverage respectively. If you cause an accident and the other party's medical bills exceed your $30,000 per-person limit, you are personally liable for the difference.
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Maryland's Uninsured Motorist Requirement and Bodily Injury Liability
Maryland also requires uninsured motorist coverage, which mirrors your bodily injury liability limits unless you reject it in writing. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and the injuries of passengers in your vehicle when the at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient insurance. The default uninsured motorist limit matches your bodily injury liability limit — if you carry $30,000/$60,000 in bodily injury liability, your uninsured motorist coverage is also $30,000/$60,000.
You can reject uninsured motorist coverage or select lower limits, but you must do so in writing on a form your carrier provides. Most Maryland households with multiple vehicles keep uninsured motorist coverage at the same level as their bodily injury liability limits. Maryland's uninsured motorist rate is 16.9 percent, meaning roughly one in six drivers on Maryland roads carries no insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when one of those drivers causes an accident that injures you or your passengers.
When you add a vehicle to your Maryland policy, the uninsured motorist coverage applies to that vehicle automatically at the same limits as your bodily injury liability unless you have previously rejected it. The coverage follows the policy, not the individual vehicle.
Maryland Uninsured Motorist Rate
16.9%
Approximately 16.9 percent of Maryland drivers carry no insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when one of those drivers causes an accident that injures you or your passengers.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
Higher Limits and Multi-Car Households
Maryland's $30,000/$60,000 bodily injury liability minimum is the legal floor, not a recommendation. A serious accident can produce medical bills and lost wages far exceeding $30,000 per person. If you cause an accident and the injured party's expenses exceed your policy limits, you are personally liable for the difference. That liability can reach household assets — savings, home equity, and future wages.
Multi-car households often carry higher bodily injury liability limits to protect household assets. Carriers writing in Maryland include State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Nationwide, USAA, and Travelers, among others. Each carrier prices bodily injury liability limits differently, and the price difference between minimum and higher limits varies by carrier.
Compare Carriers and Secure Coverage
Maryland requires bodily injury liability coverage at $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for every registered vehicle. If you insure multiple vehicles, each vehicle on your policy must meet that minimum. Higher limits protect household assets and cost less than many drivers expect. Secure coverage that meets Maryland's legal requirements and fits your household's asset protection needs.