Start with the declarations page, then locate the complete policy and endorsements. Keep the names and dates on those documents together so that an agent or attorney can review the correct version. This guide explains the figures and products described by Indiana’s regulators.
Key takeaways
- Indiana’s minimum liability limits are 25/50/25.
- Liability protection addresses harm to other people or their property, not every expense you face after a crash.
- Medical payments, collision, comprehensive, and UM/UIM are distinct protections.
- Ask which products are actually listed on your documents.
- Keep any BMV correspondence with the dates and response instructions.
- “Full coverage” is not a requirement of Indiana law; check your loan or lease contract for what it requires.
- If the BMV asks for proof of insurance and you cannot provide it, your driving privileges can be suspended, and reinstatement can carry a fee of $250 to $1,000.
What do Indiana’s 25/50/25 figures mean?
The BMV’s insurance-requirements page[1] identifies these minimum amounts:
| Amount | BMV description |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | Bodily injury to or death of one person |
| $50,000 | Bodily injury to or death of two or more people in one accident |
| $25,000 | Damage to or destruction of property in one accident |
These amounts are set by statute. Indiana Code § 9-25-4-5[2] lists the minimum amounts of financial responsibility as $25,000 for bodily injury to or the death of one individual, $50,000 for bodily injury to or the death of two or more individuals in any one accident, and $25,000 for damage to or the destruction of property in one accident.
The per-person and per-accident figures answer different questions, and the statute makes that explicit: it states the $25,000 per-person amount is subject to the $50,000 limit for one accident. Where more than one person is hurt in the same crash, the per-person figure does not simply repeat for each of them without regard to that ceiling. Do not read the $50,000 figure as the per-person amount either. Check the amounts on your own declarations, because a policy may carry limits above the statutory floor.
“Full coverage” and what Indiana actually requires
No. “Full coverage” is an industry phrase, not a term in Indiana’s insurance requirements. The required minimum is liability coverage at the 25/50/25 amounts in Indiana Code § 9-25-4-5[2]. The Indiana Department of Insurance[3] describes collision and comprehensive as separate products for damage to your own car, each subject to its own terms and deductible.
A lender or leasing company may still require collision and comprehensive as a condition of the loan or lease. If you finance or lease the vehicle, read that contract, not only the state minimums, before changing coverage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is also part of a newly written Indiana policy unless you reject it in writing, as explained below.
When the BMV asks for proof of insurance
The BMV’s financial-responsibility page[1] lists the situations that lead it to require proof that you were insured:
- An auto accident for which the BMV receives an accident report.
- A pointable moving violation within one year of two other pointable moving violations.
- A serious traffic violation, such as a misdemeanor or felony.
- Any pointable violation by a driver previously suspended for failing to provide proof of financial responsibility.
The BMV also states that it may request proof of financial responsibility at any time. When it does, the insurance provider submits a Certificate of Compliance showing that you and the vehicle were insured to Indiana’s minimums on the date in question. The BMV explains that information given to a responding officer is not transmitted to the BMV for this purpose, and it gives you ninety days from its mailing of the request to provide verification before your driving privileges are suspended. Follow the BMV’s current response instructions[1], and keep a copy of the request and the date your insurer submitted the certificate.
Suspension, reinstatement fees, and the SR22 path
If the BMV does not receive verification that you were insured, it suspends your driving privileges. Getting them back can involve two separate requirements.
A reinstatement fee. Under Indiana Code § 9-25-6-15[4], the reinstatement fee is $250 for a first suspension, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third or later suspension. These are BMV reinstatement fees, not court fines.
An SR22 as an alternative path. An SR22 is proof of future financial responsibility that your insurer files with the BMV. The BMV explains[5] that maintaining an SR22 for 180 consecutive days with no lapse in coverage terminates an insurance suspension. The same statute provides that a person whose suspension ends this way, for the required period, does not pay the reinstatement fee. If coverage lapses during that period, the suspension can return.
If you were insured on the date in question, the BMV states[5] that the suspension can be removed by having your insurer submit a Certificate of Compliance for that vehicle and date. Your official driver record lists the specific requirements and dollar amounts for your own suspension, so check it before paying anything.
What does liability insurance address?
The Indiana Department of Insurance[3] describes bodily-injury liability as paying, up to policy limits, for injuries to other people caused with your car. Property-damage liability addresses damage to other people’s property caused by your car, up to policy limits.
IDOI describes other products separately: medical payments for specified medical bills, collision for damage to your car from collision or upset subject to a deductible, and comprehensive for other listed perils with a deductible potentially applicable. Read each product’s description separately.
Which coverage answers which question?
The three figures are a starting point, not a complete policy description. The Indiana Department of Insurance’s auto-insurance guide[3] distinguishes liability, medical payments, collision, comprehensive, and UM/UIM protection. Use this comparison to find the relevant documents; it is not a determination that a policy covers your crash.
| Coverage or plan | Question to investigate | Related explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Liability | What protection applies to injury or property damage you cause to others, and what limits apply? | When the other driver has a small policy |
| Medical payments (MedPay) | Does the auto policy include medical-bill protection for you or covered passengers? | How MedPay works |
| UM/UIM | What policy protection may apply when the responsible driver lacks sufficient applicable coverage? | Uninsured and underinsured claims |
| Health insurance | How should treatment bills be submitted, and what plan terms or repayment issues need review? | Health insurance after a crash |
| Collision / comprehensive | Which vehicle-damage coverage, deductible, and cause-of-loss terms apply? | Indiana total-loss guide |
These categories are not interchangeable, and this is not a payment-order chart. If your paperwork uses the term PIP, ask the agent to explain that specific endorsement rather than substituting a different product’s description. Start with the declarations, complete policy, and endorsements.
How does UM/UIM fit into an Indiana policy?
The IDOI auto-insurance guide[3] states that each newly written Indiana auto liability policy must include uninsured and underinsured motorist protection unless rejected in writing. Review the written selection forms alongside the declarations.
Indiana Code § 27-7-5-2[6] is the source of that requirement. It directs the insurer to make uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage available with an Indiana auto liability policy, and states the coverages must be provided unless they have been rejected in writing by the insured. The same section provides that a named insured has the right in writing to reject either coverage, and that underinsured motorist coverage must be made available in limits of not less than $50,000.
Ask for the declarations, complete policy, endorsements, and any signed rejection. Mark anything you do not understand and request a written explanation. Our uninsured and underinsured driver guide addresses the claim side in more detail, and you can learn more about our Fort Wayne car accident practice.
Practical questions for your agent
These are organizing questions, not a statement that every product fits every household:
- Are the listed drivers, vehicles, and address correct?
- Which amounts are per person and which apply to an entire event?
- Which deductibles would I need to pay?
- Which endorsements or signed forms should I keep?
- How would the price change if I selected a different limit or deductible?
- Where should I send questions after a crash?
IDOI recommends comparing quotes on the same basis and explains that the least expensive policy is not always the best policy. Ask an agent to walk through the differences rather than comparing the monthly price alone.
What if the other driver has only a small policy?
That is a different question from what Indiana requires you to carry. Our guide to a crash involving a driver with a small policy addresses that situation. Keep the police report, correspondence, and dated documents together for review. For bill-related questions, start with our guide to medical bills after a crash.
Frequently asked questions
What does 25/50/25 stand for?
The BMV lists $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage in one accident.
Does liability insurance pay to repair my own car?
IDOI describes property-damage liability as protection for other people’s property. Collision and comprehensive are separately described products for damage to your own car, subject to their terms and applicable deductibles.
Is medical payments the same as liability insurance?
No. IDOI describes medical payments as paying specified medical bills for you and usually your passengers up to the policy limit. Its liability descriptions concern harm to other people and their property.
Can UM/UIM be rejected?
IDOI says newly written Indiana auto liability policies must include UM/UIM unless rejected in writing. Obtain the actual documents before assuming what was selected.
Is full coverage required in Indiana?
Not by state law. Indiana requires 25/50/25 liability coverage. Collision and comprehensive are optional under the state minimums, but a loan or lease contract may require them.
What is an SR22 in Indiana?
An SR22 is proof of future financial responsibility that an insurer files with the BMV. The BMV explains[5] that keeping an SR22 for 180 consecutive days with no lapse terminates an insurance suspension.
What happens if I cannot show proof of insurance to the BMV?
The BMV suspends your driving privileges if it does not receive verification within ninety days of mailing its request. Under Indiana Code § 9-25-6-15[4], reinstatement fees are $250, $500, or $1,000 depending on the number of suspensions, unless the suspension ends through an SR22 kept for the required period.
What should I bring to a consultation?
Bring the declarations, policy, endorsements, correspondence, and the documents about what happened. A free case evaluation is a place to discuss your circumstances and whether Delventhal Law Office can assist.
This article is general information about Indiana law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and neither does contacting us.
