What is the difference between limited tort and full tort in Pennsylvania?

Limited tort keeps your right to recover medical expenses and economic losses but generally restricts your ability to sue for pain and suffering unless your injury is serious, such as death or permanent disfigurement. Full tort preserves the unrestricted right to sue for pain and suffering, but costs more.

What are Pennsylvania's minimum insurance requirements?

At least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, $5,000 in property damage liability, and $5,000 in first-party medical benefits. Confirm current figures with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

Does the tort choice apply to my whole family?

Generally yes — the election applies to you and resident relatives covered under your policy, which is why the Pennsylvania Insurance Department recommends discussing it as a household decision rather than an individual checkbox.

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Pennsylvania?

It isn't automatic, but insurers must offer it, and you must reject it in writing if you don't want it. Given Pennsylvania's relatively low liability minimums, many drivers choose to keep it.

Pennsylvania car insurance requirements

Updated 2026-08-19 · This article is for general educational information only and is not insurance advice.

Pennsylvania is a no-fault state with a twist most drivers don't fully understand until they're in an accident: you choose, in advance, between “limited tort” and “full tort,” and that choice determines whether you can sue for pain and suffering later. Getting this decision right matters more than almost any other line item on a Pennsylvania policy.

Minimum coverage requirements

Pennsylvania requires drivers to carry:

$15,000 in bodily injury liability per person.
$30,000 in bodily injury liability per accident.
$5,000 in property damage liability per accident.
$5,000 in first-party medical benefits, which pays your own medical bills after an accident regardless of fault.

These are commonly shown as 15/30/5 plus the required medical benefits component. Confirm current minimums with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, since state minimums can be revised.

The limited tort vs. full tort choice

This is the feature that sets Pennsylvania apart from most states. When you buy a policy, you must choose one of two options:

Limited tort: you keep the right to sue for all your medical expenses and economic losses after an accident, but you generally give up the right to sue for pain and suffering unless your injury meets certain serious thresholds, such as death, dismemberment, or serious permanent disfigurement or impairment.
Full tort: you retain the unrestricted right to sue for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages regardless of how serious the injury is.

Limited tort policies are cheaper because insurers price in the reduced likelihood of a pain-and-suffering lawsuit. Full tort costs more but removes the restriction entirely. The decision isn't a minor form to breeze through — it's worth discussing directly with your agent, especially if you have passengers, like family members, who would also be bound by your election. According to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, this choice applies to you and resident relatives on your policy, so it's a household decision, not just an individual one.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is not automatically included in Pennsylvania, but insurers are required to offer it, and if you want to reject it you must do so in writing. Given that Pennsylvania's mandatory liability minimums are relatively low, and that many drivers on the road carry only the state minimum or nothing at all, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is one of the more important additions to consider, particularly if you or a family member would need coverage for injuries beyond what your own medical benefits limit provides.

Proof of insurance and penalties

Pennsylvania requires proof of financial responsibility, and driving without insurance can result in a fine, a registration and license suspension, and reinstatement fees. Repeat violations carry steeper consequences. Carry proof of insurance, digital or paper, in the vehicle at all times.

What a lender adds

If you finance or lease your car, expect your lender to require comprehensive and collision coverage on top of the state minimums, along with continuous coverage for the life of the loan. Pennsylvania's winters bring real risk of weather-related comprehensive claims — hail, ice damage, deer collisions in rural areas — so this coverage is often worth keeping even after a loan is paid off. Our guide on animal collision claims covers how that works if you're in an area with heavy deer traffic.

Shopping around

Because the tort choice materially changes your premium, it's worth getting quotes under both options before deciding, rather than assuming limited tort is automatically the better deal. You can compare quotes to see the price difference for your own situation.

The bottom line: Pennsylvania requires 15/30/5 liability plus $5,000 in medical benefits, and asks every driver to choose between limited and full tort — a decision that affects your entire household's right to sue after an accident. Confirm current requirements and the details of the tort election with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.