Louisiana Car Insurance
Louisiana drivers must carry 15/30/25 liability under La. R.S. § 32:9001. UM and UIM are a must-offer at policy BI limits under La. R.S. § 22:12952, with written rejection on the LDI-prescribed form required to decline. The no-pay no-play rule under La. R.S. § 32:866 bars an uninsured driver from recovering the first $15,000 BI and $25,000 PD from an at-fault driver3.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
No-pay no-play has real teeth. If you drive uninsured and someone else causes a crash, Louisiana law blocks the first $15,000 of BI damages and the first $25,000 of PD damages, even if you were not at fault3.
UM/UIM default is on at policy limits. UM and UIM ship on every Louisiana personal auto policy at the policy's BI limits unless rejected or reduced in writing on the LDI-prescribed form2.
How to make a real decision. Treat 15/30/25 as a floor. For how to think about higher limits, see how to choose coverage limits.
State requirements at a glance
What Louisiana car insurance law requires
Minimum liability limits
15 / 30 / 251
$15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage per accident, under La. R.S. § 32:900.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Not required5
Louisiana is a traditional tort state. No PIP is required on personal auto. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on insurers typically offer.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist
Must offer at policy BI limits2
La. R.S. § 22:1295 requires every Louisiana personal auto policy to include UM/UIM at the policy's bodily-injury limits unless the named insured rejects the coverage or selects lower limits using the LDI-prescribed form.
No-pay no-play rule
Applies to uninsured drivers3
La. R.S. § 32:866 bars an uninsured driver from recovering the first $15,000 of bodily-injury damages and the first $25,000 of property-damage damages from an at-fault driver, even when the uninsured driver was not at fault. Narrow exceptions apply.
Coverage verification
OMV electronic verification4
The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles administers electronic insurance verification. Confirmed lapse under La. R.S. § 32:863.1 can trigger registration suspension, reinstatement fees, and vehicle impoundment.
Rate approval regime
LDI oversight5
Louisiana does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age as personal-auto rating factors.
15/30/25 compulsory liability
La. R.S. § 32:900 compels every registered Louisiana vehicle to carry 15/30/25 liability1. Many Louisiana drivers carry higher limits.
PIP: not required in Louisiana
Louisiana does not require Personal Injury Protection. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on that insurers typically offer. For how MedPay compares to PIP in states that require it, see our medical payments coverage guide.
UM/UIM must-offer under La. R.S. § 22:1295
Every Louisiana personal auto policy must include UM/UIM at the policy's bodily-injury limits unless the named insured rejects the coverage or selects lower limits using the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) prescribed form2. The form-based rejection requirement is strict; Louisiana courts have invalidated UM/UIM rejections that did not use the required form.
OMV verification and lapse enforcement
La. R.S. § 32:863.1 governs compulsory insurance enforcement; the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles administers electronic verification46. A confirmed lapse can trigger registration suspension, reinstatement fees, and vehicle impoundment. For a general lapse treatment, see our after-a-lapse guide.
Rating-factor landscape
Louisiana does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age5.
Where the Louisiana situation rules live on YesWeSure
This State Guide owns the Louisiana pricing and legal framework. Situation-specific mechanics live on the sibling Situation guides:
- After an accident. See our after-an-accident guide.
- After a DUI. Louisiana SR-22 and reinstatement mechanics are treated in our after-a-DUI guide.
- After a lapse. OMV consequences of a lapse are treated in our after-a-lapse guide.
- Moving into Louisiana. New-resident registration is treated in our moving-to-another-state guide.
What we verified for this page
- Strong15/30/25 minimum liability under La. R.S. § 32:900 verified against the statute.
- StrongLouisiana is a traditional tort state (no PIP) verified against the LDI consumer guide. Consistent with the frozen YesWeSure medical-payments guide; no conflict.
- StrongUM/UIM must-offer at policy BI limits under La. R.S. § 22:1295 verified against the statute. Written rejection on the LDI-prescribed form is required to decline or reduce the coverage.
- StrongNo-pay no-play under La. R.S. § 32:866 verified against the statute. The uninsured driver loses the first $15,000 of BI damages and the first $25,000 of PD damages, even when not at fault.
- StrongOMV electronic verification under La. R.S. § 32:863.1 verified against the statute and the Louisiana OMV consumer page.
- LimitedDeliberately omitted from V1. A Louisiana modeled cost anchor; carrier-specific LA underwriting; the exact SR-22 duration (deferred to the after-a-DUI guide); and telematics program detail.
- LimitedNamed author and expert reviewer. V1 attributes to "YesWeSure Editorial." A Louisiana-licensed reviewer is tracked as a pre-launch YMYL item.
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Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Louisiana?
15/30/25 liability under La. R.S. § 32:9001. UM/UIM is a must-offer at policy BI limits and ships on the policy unless rejected on the LDI-prescribed form2.
What is the Louisiana no-pay no-play rule?
Under La. R.S. § 32:866, an uninsured driver injured in a Louisiana crash loses the first $15,000 of bodily-injury damages and the first $25,000 of property-damage damages, even when not at fault. Narrow exceptions apply3.
Is Louisiana a no-fault state?
No. Louisiana is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP5.
Sources & methodology
- La. R.S. § 32:900: motor vehicle liability policy; 15/30/25 compulsory liability. (Louisiana Legislature, TIER 1)
- La. R.S. § 22:1295: Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage; must-offer at policy BI limits; written rejection on LDI-prescribed form required. (Louisiana Legislature, TIER 1)
- La. R.S. § 32:866: no-pay no-play; uninsured driver barred from recovering first $15,000 BI and first $25,000 PD. (Louisiana Legislature, TIER 1)
- La. R.S. § 32:863.1: compulsory insurance; penalties, registration suspension, and impoundment for lapse. (Louisiana Legislature, TIER 1)
- Louisiana Department of Insurance: Automobile Insurance consumer page. (Louisiana Department of Insurance, TIER 1)
- Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles: Insurance Requirements consumer page. (Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after an accident (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a DUI (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a lapse in coverage (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when moving to another state (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: What is medical payments coverage? (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How to choose coverage limits (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How insurers calculate rates (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (Louisiana Revised Statutes, Louisiana Department of Insurance, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles). Every legal number traces to a Louisiana primary source: La. R.S. §§ 22:1295, 32:863.1, 32:866, 32:900. This page is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or insurance advice. Last reviewed .