Updated May 2026
What Is Standard Auto Coverage Insurance?
Standard auto coverage is the minimum liability insurance every state requires you to carry — it covers damage you cause to other people and their property, not your own vehicle or injuries. Most states require split limits like 25/50/25, meaning $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. After you clear your FTA hold and the court releases the suspension to the DMV, you must purchase at least this coverage level before the state will reinstate your license.
- You're merging onto the highway three weeks after reinstatement and rear-end the car in front of you. The other driver has $8,000 in vehicle damage and $4,500 in medical bills. Your standard 25/50/25 policy pays the full $12,500 to the other party. Your own front bumper damage of $3,200 comes out of your pocket because standard coverage doesn't include collision.
- You're stopped at a red light when an uninsured driver runs the light and totals your car. The at-fault driver has no insurance and no assets. Your standard liability-only policy pays nothing for your totaled vehicle or your medical bills because it only covers damage you cause to others. You would need uninsured motorist coverage and collision to be covered here.
- You missed court for a no-insurance ticket in Florida. After clearing the bench warrant and resolving the citation, the judge orders SR-22 filing for three years. You purchase standard 10/20/10 coverage and your carrier files the SR-22 with the state. The coverage itself is standard minimum liability — the SR-22 is just the monitoring mechanism your state uses to confirm you're continuously insured.
How Much Does Standard Auto Coverage Insurance Cost?
Standard coverage typically adds $45 to $85 per month after an FTA reinstatement, or approximately $540 to $1,020 annually.
- The underlying citation you missed court for — an uninsured-driving FTA costs 40 to 60 percent more than a speeding-ticket FTA because carriers price violation history, not just the suspension itself.
- Time between FTA clearance and coverage purchase — applying for coverage the same day you clear the hold with the DMV signals reliability and lowers risk scoring compared to waiting weeks.
- Whether your state requires SR-22 filing — the filing itself adds $15 to $35 per month on top of standard coverage premiums.
- Your state's minimum liability limits — Oregon requires 25/50/20, Florida only 10/20/10, so Florida residents pay less for the same coverage tier.
- Payment method — paying six months upfront instead of monthly autopay reduces total cost by 8 to 12 percent at most carriers.
- Vehicle type — insuring a 2015 sedan costs less than a 2020 truck even with liability-only coverage because property damage liability risk scales with vehicle weight.
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Who Needs Standard Auto Coverage Insurance?
Standard coverage is required for every driver reinstating after FTA suspension — you cannot get your license back without it. If you drive an older vehicle worth under $4,000 and the underlying citation does not require SR-22, standard liability-only coverage is the most cost-effective reinstatement path.
If your vehicle is worth less than $3,000 and you can replace it with savings, standard coverage meets reinstatement requirements and keeps costs low. If your vehicle is worth more than $5,000 or you cannot afford sudden replacement costs, add collision coverage. If the underlying citation was DUI-related or uninsured-driving, check whether your state requires SR-22 — if so, purchase standard coverage from an SR-22-filing carrier before applying for reinstatement.