Massachusetts Car Insurance

Massachusetts drivers must carry four compulsory coverages under M.G.L. c.90 § 34A. Effective for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025 under Chapter 275 of the Acts of 2024, the limits are: 25/50 Bodily Injury to Others, $8,000 Personal Injury Protection under § 34M, 25/50 Bodily Injury Caused by Uninsured Auto under M.G.L. c.175 § 113L, and $30,000 Property Damage¹³⁴. Massachusetts is a no-fault state: PIP is primary, and tort recovery of pain and suffering is limited by the statutory threshold⁶. Credit-based insurance scoring is fully prohibited in personal-auto rating⁶.

The four compulsory coverages (post-July 1, 2025)

Massachusetts is one of the few states to compel four coverages, not three, on every registered motor vehicle. Chapter 275 of the Acts of 2024 raised three of the four compulsory minimums for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. These are the current limits¹²:

• Bodily Injury to Others: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. The maximum the policy pays for bodily-injury costs you cause to others. Previously 20/40.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP): $8,000 per person. First-party medical, lost wages, and replacement services for the insured and specified occupants, regardless of fault, coordinated with health insurance. Unchanged by Chapter 275.
• Bodily Injury Caused by Uninsured Auto (UM): $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. Required on every compulsory policy under M.G.L. c.175 § 113L. Previously 20/40.
• Damage to Someone Else's Property (PD): $30,000 per accident. Previously $5,000.

25/50/30 is a floor, not a recommendation. For how to think about raising limits above the compulsory floor, see our how to choose coverage limits guide.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) under M.G.L. c.90 § 34M

Massachusetts is a no-fault state. M.G.L. c.90 § 34M requires $8,000 PIP per person on every compulsory motor vehicle liability policy³. PIP pays medical expenses, lost wages, and replacement services for the insured and specified occupants regardless of fault, up to the policy limit, and is coordinated with the insured's health insurance.

UM and UIM under M.G.L. c.175 § 113L

Bodily Injury Caused by Uninsured Auto (UM) is one of the four compulsory coverages. M.G.L. c.175 § 113L requires UM at the statutory floor on every compulsory policy; the floor is 25/50 effective July 1, 2025⁴.

Underinsured Motorist (UIM) is optional. Insurers must offer UIM, and the named insured may purchase up to the policy's bodily-injury liability limits. Because UIM is where you recover when the at-fault driver has coverage but not enough, it is the practically important decision at policy issuance even though it is not compulsory.

Rating landscape (credit prohibited; SDIP merit rating)

Massachusetts operates a managed-competition rate regime overseen by the Division of Insurance. Credit-based insurance scoring is fully prohibited in personal-auto rating. Age and gender are broadly restricted⁶. The Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) at 211 CMR 134 governs operator-level merit rating⁵:

• Six-year experience period. Points accumulate per operator across a six-year policy experience window.
• Surchargeable incident threshold. A claim payment, exclusive of any deductible, exceeding $1,000 for accidents on or after July 1, 2015. The threshold was $500 for accidents before that date.
• Operator-level, not vehicle-level. Surcharges follow the operator, not the vehicle.

How specific points translate to premium is covered in our after-an-accident guide, which already sources the SDIP surchargeable definition and point structure.

Tort threshold

Because Massachusetts is a no-fault state, PIP is primary and suit for pain and suffering is limited by the statutory tort threshold. The threshold is met when medical expenses exceed $2,000, or when the injury falls into one of the specified categories (death, substantial loss of body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or fracture)⁶.

Below the threshold, first-party medical and wage recovery flows through PIP and health insurance. Above the threshold, the injured party may pursue the at-fault driver's bodily-injury liability policy for pain and suffering.

RMV verification and lapse enforcement

Massachusetts auto insurers report policy status electronically to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Massachusetts does not operate a named verification program comparable to TexasSure or IIES; the RMV relies on insurer-reported data⁶.

Operating a Massachusetts-registered vehicle without the compulsory coverages is a misdemeanor. Consequences include fines, revocation of driver license and registration, and insurance surcharges⁶. For a general handling of lapse mechanics that applies across states, see our after-a-lapse guide.

Where the Massachusetts situation rules live on YesWeSure

This State Guide owns the Massachusetts pricing and legal framework. Situation-specific Massachusetts mechanics already live on the sibling Situation guides:

• After an accident. SDIP surcharge mechanics (threshold, points, six-year period) are treated in our after-an-accident guide, which already cites 211 CMR 134 directly.
• After a DUI. Massachusetts post-conviction surcharge and reinstatement mechanics are treated in our after-a-DUI guide.
• After a lapse. RMV-driven consequences of a lapse in coverage are treated in our after-a-lapse guide.
• Moving into Massachusetts. New-resident registration and the RMV compulsory-policy flow are treated in our moving-to-another-state guide.

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