What is the minimum car insurance required in Mississippi?

$25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage — limits that took effect on 1 January 2006.

Can I post a bond instead of buying insurance in Mississippi?

Yes. Mississippi accepts a bond in the minimum amounts, or a cash or security deposit equal to them, as proof of financial responsibility. Very few drivers use either route.

Does my Mississippi policy cover hurricane or flood damage?

Only if you carry comprehensive coverage, which the state minimum does not require. Storm, wind and flood damage to your own vehicle are comprehensive claims.

Who enforces the insurance requirement in Mississippi?

The Department of Public Safety’s Safety Responsibility Division enforces the Compulsory Liability Law. The Mississippi Insurance Department regulates the carriers themselves and handles complaints about them.

Mississippi

Auto insurance in Mississippi: what’s required, and what isn’t

By Gaby Valencia, Insurance Content Editor

Last verified August 26, 2026

Mississippi requires 25/50/25 liability, a figure set on 1 January 2006 and unchanged since. It also has one of the highest uninsured-driver rates in the country while leaving uninsured motorist coverage entirely optional. Put those together and the single most useful decision a Mississippi driver can make is to buy the coverage the state does not require, because the odds of being hit by someone with nothing are higher here than almost anywhere.

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What Mississippi requires you to carry

Minimum liability limits in Mississippi — 25/50/25
Bodily injury, per person	$25,000
Bodily injury, per accident	$50,000
Property damage, per accident	$25,000

These are floors, not recommendations. Mississippi sets the minimum a driver may legally carry. It does not assess whether that amount would cover a claim you caused. Anything above your limits is your personal exposure.

How Mississippi enforces it

Mississippi’s Compulsory Liability Law is enforced by the Department of Public Safety’s Safety Responsibility Division rather than by the insurance regulator. Proof can be satisfied by a policy meeting the minimums, by posting a bond in those amounts, or by a cash or security deposit equal to them.

How rates are set in Mississippi

Mississippi is an at-fault state. The driver responsible for a crash is responsible for the resulting injury and property damage, and their liability limits cap what the insurer pays on their behalf.

The Mississippi Insurance Department regulates carriers and publishes a shopping tool for auto insurance, while the Department of Public Safety’s Safety Responsibility Division enforces the Compulsory Liability Law. Which to contact depends on whether your problem is with an insurer or with your driving status.

Mississippi accepts alternatives to a policy: a bond in the minimum amounts, or a cash or security deposit equal to them. Almost nobody uses either, but they are why the statute speaks of financial responsibility rather than insurance.

Credit-based insurance scores in Mississippi

Mississippi permits credit-based insurance scores in rating. Mississippi has among the lowest median incomes in the country alongside mid-range premiums, which means auto insurance consumes a larger share of household budget here than almost anywhere — and makes the spread between carriers worth working through carefully.

What actually moves your premium here

The current limits date from 2006

Mississippi’s 25/50/25 minimum took effect on 1 January 2006 and has not moved since. Vehicle values and medical costs have moved considerably in that time, which means the real protection those numbers buy is a fraction of what it was when they were set.

Hurricane exposure on the Gulf Coast

The Mississippi Gulf Coast carries serious tropical storm and surge exposure, and inland flooding follows the river systems. Vehicle storm and flood damage is a comprehensive claim — nothing in the state minimum touches it.

Uninsured driving is among the highest in the country

Mississippi has consistently ranked at or near the top nationally for the share of uninsured drivers. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional here, which makes the state where you are least likely to be hit by an insured driver also one that does not require you to protect yourself against that.

Rural roads and long distances

Outside Jackson and the coast, Mississippi is rural with long two-lane distances and limited nearby trauma care. That pushes crash severity up even as frequency stays low, which is exactly the profile a 25/50 bodily injury floor handles worst.

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Comparing carriers in Mississippi

Buy uninsured motorist coverage. In the state with among the highest uninsured rates in the country, it is the coverage most likely to actually be called on, and Mississippi does not make you carry it.

If you are on or near the coast, price comprehensive deliberately. Storm and flood damage to your own vehicle is a comprehensive claim and the minimum policy contains none of it.

One habit matters more than any single carrier choice: re-check every year or two, and again after anything that changes your risk profile — a move across town, a new vehicle, a driver added or removed, or a violation ageing off your record. Carriers re-weight their rating factors continuously, so the one that priced you best three years ago is often not the one that prices you best today.

If you need an SR-22 in Mississippi

Mississippi requires proof of financial responsibility to be filed after certain suspensions, including driving uninsured and DUI convictions. Your insurer files it with the Department of Public Safety. Confirm the period for your case with the Safety Responsibility Division, since it runs from your reinstatement date.

Mississippi auto insurance FAQ

What is the minimum car insurance required in Mississippi?: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage — limits that took effect on 1 January 2006.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Mississippi?: No, it is optional. That is worth weighing carefully, because Mississippi has consistently ranked at or near the top nationally for the share of uninsured drivers — so the coverage the state does not require is the one most likely to be needed.
Can I post a bond instead of buying insurance in Mississippi?: Yes. Mississippi accepts a bond in the minimum amounts, or a cash or security deposit equal to them, as proof of financial responsibility. Very few drivers use either route.
Does my Mississippi policy cover hurricane or flood damage?: Only if you carry comprehensive coverage, which the state minimum does not require. Storm, wind and flood damage to your own vehicle are comprehensive claims.
Who enforces the insurance requirement in Mississippi?: The Department of Public Safety’s Safety Responsibility Division enforces the Compulsory Liability Law. The Mississippi Insurance Department regulates the carriers themselves and handles complaints about them.

Sources

Requirements on this page were verified against Mississippi’s own regulator and motor vehicle agency on the date shown at the top. Rules change — if you are making a decision that turns on an exact figure, confirm it at the source.

Consumer help in Mississippi: Mississippi Insurance Department, (800) 562-2957.