Hey folks, I'm trying to cut down on expenses lately and my car insurance is kinda pricey. Does anyone know what's the absolute bare minimum coverage I can legally have in Texas without getting into trouble?
I remember when I moved to Texas a few years back, I had the same thought—insurance felt like such a drain on my wallet. Legally, I think the minimum is something like 30/60/25 liability coverage (that's $30k per person, $60k per accident, and $25k property damage). But honestly, after seeing a buddy get into a minor fender-bender that ended up costing way more than his coverage, I'd be cautious about going too bare-bones. Have you checked if raising your deductible might help lower your premium without sacrificing too much coverage?
Yeah, totally agree with being cautious about going bare minimum. Seen it happen too many times—someone thinks they're saving money until something actually happens. If you're really tight on cash, here's what I'd do: first, bump up your deductible a bit to lower premiums. Second, shop around every year or two—companies change rates constantly. And third, if your car's older (like mine), maybe skip comprehensive coverage altogether... just make sure you're comfortable covering repairs yourself if something happens.
- Good points, but I'd be careful about dropping comprehensive entirely—even on older cars. Had a buddy whose car got flooded last year... repairs were way more than the car was worth. Just something to think about before ditching coverage completely.
Minimum legal coverage in Texas is 30/60/25 liability—that's $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. That's the absolute lowest you can legally carry without risking fines or license suspension. But honestly, I'd strongly advise against going with just the bare minimum. Liability-only coverage won't pay a dime toward your own vehicle repairs or medical bills if you're at fault or if something happens like theft, vandalism, or flooding (as mentioned earlier).
The point about comprehensive coverage is valid. Even older vehicles can rack up significant repair costs from unexpected events. If your car is financed, your lender will likely require comprehensive and collision anyway. If it's paid off, you technically have the option to drop these coverages, but consider carefully whether you could comfortably afford to replace or repair your car out-of-pocket. Saving money is understandable, but insurance isn't the best place to cut corners too aggressively.
