Mississippi requires at least $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 of property damage liability, often written as 25/50/25. Uninsured motorist coverage for both injuries and property damage comes with every policy unless an insured named in the policy rejects it in writing.
Mississippi isn’t a no-fault state, so personal injury protection isn’t required. Police can check your coverage in real time through a state database, and driving without a valid insurance card can lead to a fine and a license suspension.
Key Takeaways
- Mississippi requires 25/50/25 liability coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage for injuries and property damage is included unless it’s rejected in writing on a state-approved form, and it also applies when the at-fault driver’s liability limits are lower than your UM limits.
- You have to keep an insurance card in the car or on your phone. Officers check it during roadblocks and stops for other violations, and they can confirm coverage through the Department of Public Safety’s verification system.
- Under the statute, not having proof of insurance brings a $100 fine plus court assessments and a driver’s license suspension of up to one year, lasting until you show proof of insurance and pay the fines and fees. Some state pages list higher amounts.
- Starting with policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026, insurers have to give 45 days’ notice before canceling for reasons other than nonpayment or before declining to renew. Nonpayment cancellations still need only 10 days’ notice.
Mississippi Minimum Car Insurance at a Glance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury | Included at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident unless rejected in writing. It also applies when the at-fault driver has lower limits than your UM limits. |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | Included at $25,000 unless rejected in writing. The policy can exclude the first $200 of damage. |
| Personal injury protection and medical payments | Not required |
| Collision and comprehensive | Not required by law, but lenders and lessors often require them |
These limits come from Miss. Code 63-15-3(j), and Miss. Code 63-15-4 says every vehicle operated in the state must have a liability policy that meets them. The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) says on its auto insurance page that these minimums took effect January 1, 2006. Some websites claim Mississippi raised its minimums to 40/80/40. That’s not true, and the statute still lists 25/50/25. RateFrog’s guide to liability limits explains how the numbers work.
A few vehicles are exempt from the mandate, including government vehicles, self-insured fleets and vehicles with a bond or certificate of deposit for at least the minimum amounts on file with the state.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Mississippi
Under Miss. Code 83-11-101, auto liability policies have to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage for bodily injury and for property damage, at no less than the state minimum limits. You can raise the UM limits as high as your bodily injury liability limits. The property damage part can exclude the first $200 of damage, and it doesn’t have to pay for damage that other insurance already paid for.
Rejecting UM Coverage
Your insurer has to give you a form approved by the Department of Insurance that explains the coverage. To reject it, the form has to be signed by or on behalf of the named insured. A signed rejection is binding on everyone the policy covers. You can reject only the property damage part and keep the bodily injury part, but rejecting bodily injury UM also drops UM property damage.
Once you’ve rejected it, the same insurer doesn’t have to add UM back at renewal, or on a similar replacement policy, unless you ask for it in writing. A 2025 bill that would have set UM limits equal to your liability limits by default died in committee.
What Counts as an Uninsured Driver
Mississippi law doesn’t treat underinsured motorist coverage as a separate coverage. Under Miss. Code 83-11-103, an “uninsured motor vehicle” includes a vehicle with no liability insurance, one whose insurer denied coverage or became insolvent, and one whose bodily injury limits are lower than the UM limits that apply to the injured person. A hit-and-run driver counts only if there was actual physical contact.
UM coverage applies to the named insured and a spouse and relatives living in the same household, whether they’re in a car or not. It also covers people driving the insured car with permission and guests riding in it.
A policy covering four or more vehicles can carry single-limit, nonstacking UM coverage under Miss. Code 83-11-102, but only if the named insured signs an approved acceptance form. Ask your insurer how stacking and payments from the at-fault driver work on your own policy. RateFrog’s guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explains these coverages in general.
Proof of Insurance in Mississippi
Your insurer has to give you an insurance card for each car when the policy takes effect. Under Miss. Code 63-15-4, you can carry it on paper or show it on a phone or other device, and an officer may look only at the card image, not anything else on the phone. RateFrog’s guide to getting proof of insurance fast can help if you need a card right away.
An officer who stops you at a roadblock or for another violation has to check for your card. Outside a roadblock, police can’t stop you just to check for insurance.
How Mississippi Checks Your Coverage
Under Miss. Code 63-16-3, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) runs an insurance verification system with the Commissioner of Insurance and the Department of Revenue. DPS’s Mississippi Vehicle Insurance Verification System page says officers can check a vehicle by plate or VIN in real time, and that enforcement began in September 2017. If the system shows your car is insured, the officer can’t cite you under the insurance card law.
Mississippi doesn’t currently ask for proof of insurance when you register or renew a car. A 2026 bill, HB 676, would have had tax collectors check the verification system and deny registration to uninsured cars, but it died in committee on February 3, 2026.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Mississippi
You may have to deal with both the court and DPS.
Court Penalties
Under Miss. Code 63-15-4(4), failing to have an insurance card in the car or on your phone is a misdemeanor. A conviction brings a $100 fine plus court assessments and a suspension of your driving privilege for one year, or until you show proof of insurance that meets the minimums and pay the fines, assessments and DPS reinstatement fees. A judge who finds you indigent can let you reinstate your license with proof of insurance and a payment plan.
DPS’s verification page says a driver found to be uninsured can receive a criminal misdemeanor citation. The statute doesn’t list a higher fine for a repeat offense. Some state agency pages list higher fine amounts than the statute does, so check your citation or ask the court for the exact amount you owe.
If you show the court that your insurance was in effect when you were cited, the case is dismissed and court costs are waived. Buying a policy after the ticket doesn’t meet that test, because the coverage has to have existed at the time of the citation.
Fake or False Proof
Using a fraudulent insurance card is punished under Miss. Code 97-7-10, which allows a fine of up to $10,000, up to five years in prison or both. Under Miss. Code 63-15-69, knowingly giving false information in an accident report under that law, or forging proof of financial responsibility, can bring a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in jail or both.
A Crash Without Insurance
DPS’s crash reports page says your license may be suspended if no insurance is listed for your vehicle on the crash report. If you were insured but couldn’t show proof at the scene, send proof to the Driver Service Bureau’s Records Division within 60 days to avoid a suspension. DPS says that if you bought insurance after the crash, you also have to send proof within 60 days of the accident. Reinstating after an accident suspension costs $100.
DPS also says a citation for not showing proof means two jobs: handling the ticket in court and sending proof of insurance to the Driver Service Bureau. Its reinstatement page lists a $100 fee to reinstate after a suspension citation. RateFrog’s guide to what happens when insurance lapses covers the broader risks.
SR-22 Filings in Mississippi
Mississippi’s statutes mostly call this “proof of financial responsibility.” The term SR-22 appears in DPS rule 31-1-16.1: if your license was suspended under the state’s implied consent laws, which cover DUI test refusals and results, you have to show proof such as “high risk insurance, SR22 Insurance or the like” to reinstate, and keep it for at least three years.
Under Miss. Code 63-15-35, proof can also be required after a license suspension or revocation following certain convictions, and DPS can suspend the registrations of vehicles in your name until you provide it. Miss. Code 63-15-61 says you keep the proof for three years. After that, DPS can agree to cancel it if no conviction or forfeiture requiring a suspension was reported in the prior three years, with some exceptions, such as a pending damages lawsuit or an unpaid judgment.
Ask DPS what your case requires. RateFrog’s SR-22 guide explains how these filings work in general.
If You Can’t Find Coverage
The Mississippi Automobile Insurance Plan is for drivers who are entitled to liability insurance but can’t get it through ordinary methods. Under Miss. Code 63-15-65, the premium can’t be more than the basic manual rate for similar drivers plus any surcharge the state sets.
According to the plan’s page on AIPSO, drivers with a valid Mississippi license and a car registered in Mississippi are eligible, subject to the plan’s rules, and any agent with a Mississippi property and casualty license can submit an application. AIPSO lists the private passenger line as 800-827-6370.
How Mississippi Insurers Set Rates
Insurers can use credit information, with limits. Under MID Regulation 2003-1, an insurer can’t:
- Refuse to insure you, cancel or nonrenew based solely on your credit history or insurance score
- Take action against you solely because you have no credit history, if you gave the insurer accurate and complete information
- Take action against you solely because you don’t have a credit card account
Drivers 55 and older can get a discount. Under Miss. Code 63-15-46, a principal operator who completes an accident prevention course approved by DPS, including a written test, gets an appropriate premium reduction for three years. Insurers can require no at-fault accidents and no moving violation convictions. A course a court orders you to take doesn’t count, and the law doesn’t set a percentage. RateFrog’s guide to the factors that affect car insurance rates covers the rest.
Cancellation and Nonrenewal Rules
Under Miss. Code 83-11-1, these rules cover personal auto policies for one person or a married couple, insuring no more than four cars. Plan policies are excluded. Once a policy has been in effect for 60 days, Miss. Code 83-11-3 lets the insurer cancel only for nonpayment, a license or registration suspension or revocation during the policy period for the named insured or a regular driver, or the loss of a membership the policy depended on.
Notice Periods
Starting with policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026, Miss. Code 83-11-5 requires at least 45 days’ notice before a cancellation for any reason other than nonpayment. Before that date the rule was 30 days. Cancellation for nonpayment still needs at least 10 days’ notice. If the insurer’s notice falls short, you can keep the policy for the rest of the notice period plus another 45 days at your current rate.
For nonrenewal, Miss. Code 83-11-7 requires at least 45 days’ notice for the same policies, up from 30. The law lists some exceptions, such as nonpayment or when you’ve said you don’t want to renew.
Asking for the Reason and Appealing
If the notice doesn’t give a reason, you can ask for it in writing at least 15 days before the cancellation date, and under Miss. Code 83-11-13 the insurer has five days to send it. To contest the reason for canceling a policy that has been in effect for at least 60 days, or an improper nonrenewal notice, send a written hearing request to the Commissioner of Insurance promptly under Miss. Code 83-11-17. The cancellation stays in effect unless the commissioner decides otherwise. RateFrog’s guide to car insurance grace periods explains what usually happens when a payment is late.
Is Mississippi’s Minimum Coverage Enough?
MID’s own page says the minimums may not be enough. A 25/50/25 policy can run out quickly in a serious crash, and $25,000 of property damage coverage may not replace a newer car. If a claim is more than your limits, you could owe the rest. Before you reject uninsured motorist coverage to save money, think about how you’d pay your own medical bills and car repairs if the other driver has little or no insurance. RateFrog’s guide to how much car insurance you need can help you choose, and you can compare car insurance quotes at several coverage levels.
Where to Get Help
MID’s Consumer Services Division handles questions and complaints about cancellations, claims and uninsured motorist disputes. Its consumer help line is 800-562-2957, the Jackson-area number is 601-359-2453, and you can email consumer@mid.ms.gov. For license suspensions, reinstatement and SR-22 questions, contact the DPS Driver Service Bureau through its reinstatement page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Mississippi?
It’s included in every auto liability policy unless an insured named in the policy rejects it in writing on a state-approved form. It covers injuries and property damage, and it also applies when the at-fault driver’s liability limits are lower than your UM limits.
Does Mississippi Require Proof of Insurance to Register a Car?
Not currently. A 2026 bill to require a check at registration died in committee. You still have to keep an insurance card in the car or on your phone, and police can verify coverage through the DPS system.
What Is the Fine for Driving Without Insurance in Mississippi?
The statute sets a $100 fine plus court assessments, with a license suspension of up to one year that lasts until you show proof of insurance and pay the fines and fees. Some state pages list higher amounts, so check your citation for the figure that applies to you.
Can I Show Proof of Insurance on My Phone in Mississippi?
Yes. Mississippi law accepts an electronic image of your insurance card on a phone or other device, and the officer may look only at the card image.
Sources
- Mississippi Insurance Department: Auto Insurance
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety: Vehicle Insurance Verification System
- Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau: Reinstatement
- Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau: Crash Reports and Judgments
- Miss. Admin. Code 31-1-16.1
- Miss. Code 63-15-3
- Miss. Code 63-15-4
- Miss. Code 63-15-35
- Miss. Code 63-15-46
- Miss. Code 63-15-61
- Miss. Code 63-15-65
- Miss. Code 63-15-69
- Miss. Code 63-16-3
- Miss. Code 83-11-1
- Miss. Code 83-11-3
- Miss. Code 83-11-5 (effective July 1, 2026)
- Miss. Code 83-11-7 (effective July 1, 2026)
- Miss. Code 83-11-13
- Miss. Code 83-11-17
- Miss. Code 83-11-101
- Miss. Code 83-11-102
- Miss. Code 83-11-103
- Miss. Code 97-7-10
- 19 Miss. Code R. 1-31.6 (MID Regulation 2003-1)
- LegiScan: Mississippi HB 676 (2026)
- AIPSO: Mississippi Automobile Insurance Plan