Need to know how much is car insurance in MA? We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know about the cost of car insurance in Massachusetts, what coverages you need and how you can save money.
How Much is Car Insurance in MA?
The price of your car insurance policy will mainly come down to which coverages you choose and their limits. The coverage limit is the maximum amount your insurance carrier could pay in the event of a claim.
In Massachusetts, car insurance is mandatory. You must carry the following coverages at these limits:
| Required Coverage | Minimum Limit |
| Bodily Injury Liability | $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident |
| Property Damage Liability | $5,000 per accident |
| Personal Injury Protection | $8,000 per accident |
| Uninsured Motorist | $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident |
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
This protects you if you’re responsible for injuring someone in a car accident. This coverage can help pay for the injured party’s medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. It may also help pay your expenses in a related lawsuit. You need at least $20,000 of coverage per person and $40,000 per accident in MA.
Property Damage Liability Coverage
This protects you if you are responsible for damaging someone else’s property in a car accident. This coverage helps reimburse another person for their damaged property (such as a car or a building). It also helps pay your expenses in the event of a related lawsuit. There’s a minimum limit of $5,000 per accident for MA insurance policies.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Massachusetts is a no-fault state, which means your PIP coverage pays medical expenses and lost wages resulting from an accident for you and your passengers, regardless of who caused the crash. In MA, your PIP limit is $8,000.
This is different from liability coverage, which covers bodily injury and property damage you cause to another driver or their passengers when you’re at fault.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM)
This coverage helps pay medical costs and other related expenses when you or one of your passengers is injured in an accident by a driver who doesn’t have insurance coverage. UM also covers unidentified drivers, as in the case of hit-and-run accidents. You’re required to have at least $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident in Massachusetts. This coverage does not help pay for physical damage to your car, but your optional collision coverage will if you have it.
Full Coverage
Massachusetts does not require coverage for damages to your own vehicle. However, these may be required as a condition of a loan or lease on the car.
- Collision coverage covers the cost to repair or replace your car after a collision with another vehicle or stationary object. Collision only covers damage to your car or someone else’s car that you are operating with permission of the owner.
- Comprehensive coverage protects your car from damage NOT related to a collision. This includes things like natural disasters and storms, fires, theft, vandalism, damages caused by hitting an animal and more.
Having “full coverage” means having these coverages in addition to your required liability coverage.
Optional Coverage
These coverages are not required in Massachusetts, but are recommended to offer more protection for you and your vehicle.
Underinsured motorist coverage is similar to uninsured motorist coverage, but instead helps pay for medical expenses caused by an at-fault driver that is underinsured. An underinsured driver has insurance, but not enough to pay for injuries they cause.
Medical payments coverage, known as MedPay, helps pay for medical expenses from an accident for you and your passengers. If you choose to buy MedPay, the minimum coverage limit is $5,000.
Car Insurance in MA Cost Details
The choice of coverages and their limits are one of the biggest factors in determining your policy’s cost. Carriers also price insurance based on a variety of considerations like location, driving experience, driving record and type of car insured. Here are just a few factors that affect the price of insurance in Massachusetts:
Coverage Limits
It goes without saying, but the more coverage you have, the higher your premiums will be. Saving with lesser coverage may mean paying more in the long run if you have a claim that exceeds your limits. Make sure you understand what your insurance covers so you can protect yourself, your family and your assets.
Type of Car
The kind of car you drive is a big factor when it comes to your insurance rates. Contrary to popular belief, the color of your car doesn’t actually matter for insurance purposes. What does matter, however, is the cost to repair the vehicle. Repair cost is one of the most important factors to consider when insuring a car.
For example, cars with large production runs are typically cheaper to repair because of better parts availability. These kinds of cars are, in general, cheaper to insure than low volume luxury or sports cars that may need specialized parts.
| Vehicle Rating Factors | |
| Repair cost | Make and model |
| Horsepower | Age of car |
| Where the car is parked | Safety features |
Driving Record
How you drive also makes a huge difference in how much your insurance will cost. Accidents and moving violations on your record indicate to an insurance company that you are riskier to insure. The best way to keep your insurance costs down is to drive safely and maintain a clean driving record.
The Right Coverage for You
The best coverage for you depends on your personal needs. Think about your ability to pay for medical expenses for yourself or another party if you are involved in an accident that causes injuries. Also consider the value of your car and the amount that you’re comfortable spending in the event of an accident or even a total loss.
Buying the minimum coverage may not be enough to cover your liability or losses in the event of an accident.
Having only the minimum coverage means paying more out of pocket in the event of an accident where the costs exceed the minimum limits. It may give you the cheapest premiums, but those savings might be negated if you’re liable for injury or damages.
Car Insurance Discounts in Massachusetts
If you’re looking to save money on car insurance, we offer Massachusetts drivers a variety of great discounts and benefits. Here are just a few of the ways you can save on car insurance with Plymouth Rock!
| eDocuments | Multi-Car |
| Student Away at School | Bundling |
| Advanced Shopper | Motor Club |
eDocuments
An easy way to save on insurance is to enroll in eDocuments. Plymouth Rock and other providers offer a discount if you choose to receive your policy documents electronically. You’ll get all of your insurance documents sent directly to your inbox.
Multi-Car
Save by having multiple cars listed on the same policy. Our Multi-Car discount ensures you get the best value and makes it easy to manage auto insurance for all your vehicles.
Student Away at School
You can take advantage of this discount if you have a student away at school who doesn’t have regular access to the vehicles on your policy.
Bundling
At Plymouth Rock, you can also save when you bundle your car insurance with other policies like homeowners, renters and even motorcycle insurance. The more companion policies you have, the more you save!
