A Guide to Auto Insurance for Tennessee Residents

As with most states, Tennessee has its own laws and regulations about auto insurance. It’s important to have the right amount of car insurance not only to drive legally but to cover you and your vehicle in case of an accident.

How Much Car Insurance Does Tennessee Require?

At minimum, Tennessee requires you to carry coverage for:

• $25,000 in bodily injury per person
• $50,000 in bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 in property damage liability

How Much is Car Insurance in Tennessee?

Tennessee falls around the middle when it comes to car insurance prices in the US. For basic minimum requirements, Indiana drivers can expect to pay around $498 a year. For a full coverage policy, you may pay around $1,489 a year. This leaves a steep $991 difference between full coverage and minimum coverage. This doesn’t always mean you should opt for the least amount of coverage, however. The minimum requirements for Tennessee protect other people and their property in an accident but not you, your car or your passengers. In 2017, there were around 911 car crash fatalities in Tennessee and 50,042 non-fatal collision injuries.

What Does a Car Insurance Policy Cover in Tennessee?

A typical car insurance policy covers:

• Bodily injury liability: Bodily injury liability provides coverage if you cause bodily injury to someone in an accident.
• Property damage liability: Property damage liability provides coverage if you cause damage to someone else’s property in an accident.
• Medical payments: Medical payments, or personal injury protection (PIP), helps pay medical expenses for you and your passengers no matter who caused the accident.
• Comprehensive: Comprehensive coverage provides coverage for incidents such as fire, vandalism, theft, hail and more.
• Collision: Collision coverage provides coverage for accidents involving a collision with a vehicle or object.

What Affects My Car Insurance Rates?

Car insurance rates vary wildly for reasons besides location. Aspects that also affect your car insurance rates include:

• Age

• Gender
• Driving record
• Amount of coverage
• Claims history
• Credit score

As a rule, drivers with a bad driving record or bad credit score tend to pay higher car insurance premiums. There are still ways you can pay cheaper car insurance rates, however.

Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates in Tennessee?

The top carriers with the cheapest car insurance rates in Tennessee and their average rates are:

• Erie Insurance: $277 a year
• Auto-Owners: $412 a year
• Progressive: $442 a year
• State Farm: $494 a year