Reviewed and updated October 14, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the Texas agency that publishes it, the Department of Public Safety for driver licenses and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for titles and registration, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
The liability insurance Texas requires of every registered vehicle: the 30/60/25 minimums, when proof is shown, the TexasSure verification database and its $1 fee, out-of-state policies, and the SR-22 after a suspension. Registration is on the registration guide.
In this guide: The minimums, When proof is shown, TexasSure, Out-of-state policies and new residents, The SR-22 after a suspension, Questions about Texas insurance requirements
The minimums
The TxDMV's For Our Troops page states the coverage every driver must show: $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one accident with a $30,000 limit per person, and $25,000 for injury to or destruction of the property of others in one accident. DPS prints the same three figures on its SR-22 page, under Transportation Code Chapter 601, and refers drivers to the Texas Department of Insurance for the law behind them.
When proof is shown
Proof of current liability insurance is required to register a vehicle or renew its registration (a copy goes with a mail renewal and a person renewing for the owner brings one), at the inspection station for an emissions or commercial inspection, at a title transfer at the county tax office, when buying any temporary permit except for a trailer or semitrailer, and at a DPS driving test for the vehicle used, where the applicant may not be listed as an excluded driver. A buyer without insurance may apply for title only. For a service member registering a vehicle the TxDMV asks for the policy's declarations page. The driving test guide and the temporary permits guide carry those rules.
TexasSure
The TxDMV's TexasSure page describes TexasSure as a program designed to reduce the number of uninsured drivers and cut costs for responsible Texans, who pay each year to protect themselves against those without coverage; it cites an estimated 11.87 percent of Texas drivers uninsured as of September 2025. The automated database is a joint project of the Texas departments of motor vehicles, insurance, public safety and information resources and quickly identifies vehicle owners without mandatory coverage. Every registration fee includes $1 for the maintenance and operation of the Insurance Verification Project, which is why the state line on a renewal notice reads $51.75 for a car. More is at texassure.com.
Out-of-state policies and new residents
Proof of financial responsibility from out of state or out of country is acceptable if the insurance company is licensed to do business in Texas and the policy reflects the Texas minimums; no-fault insurance is not valid proof in Texas, in the TxDMV's words. A new resident obtains Texas vehicle insurance as the first of the TxDMV's four steps, with the note that some out-of-state policies may be acceptable and that an insurance agent can confirm, as the new to Texas guide sets out.
The SR-22 after a suspension
DPS's SR-22 page explains that an insurer files the Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate with the department to certify the minimum coverage and notifies DPS automatically when it is cancelled, terminated or lapses. It is required after a suspension for a crash, a second or later conviction for no motor vehicle liability insurance, a civil judgment, a security deposit for a crash suspension, and convictions such as DWI, drug offenses and driving while license invalid, and is maintained for two years from the conviction or judgment. An insurance card or policy is not accepted in its place; a driver without a vehicle asks for a Texas non-owner SR-22 policy; a lapse can suspend the license and the vehicle registration, with a new certificate and a $100 reinstatement fee to clear it. A driver who had insurance at the time of a no-insurance citation has the SR-22 requirement waived when the insurer confirms the coverage in a letter to DPS.
Questions about Texas insurance requirements
What insurance does Texas require?
Liability coverage of $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in a crash, $60,000 for two or more people, and $25,000 for damage to the property of others, the 30/60/25 minimums the TxDMV and DPS both print.
When do I show proof?
At registration and renewal, at the emissions or commercial inspection, at a title transfer (or the buyer applies for title only), when buying a temporary permit, and at a DPS driving test for the test vehicle. Trailers and semitrailers need no insurance for a permit.
Is my out-of-state policy good enough?
Yes if the insurer is licensed to do business in Texas and the policy shows the Texas minimums; the TxDMV says no-fault insurance is not valid proof of financial responsibility in Texas and suggests asking your agent.
What is TexasSure?
The state's automated insurance verification database, a joint project of the departments of motor vehicles, insurance, public safety and information resources, which identifies vehicle owners without the mandatory coverage. Every registration carries a $1 fee for it. The TxDMV cites an estimated 11.87 percent of Texas drivers uninsured as of September 2025.
What is an SR-22?
A certificate an insurer files with DPS showing the minimum liability coverage, required for two years after a crash suspension, a second no-insurance conviction, a civil judgment or convictions such as DWI; an insurance card does not replace it, and a driver without a vehicle buys a non-owner SR-22 policy. The reinstatement guide explains it.
Can I register a vehicle I do not insure?
Registration takes proof of insurance; without it the TxDMV allows an application for title only.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the TxDMV's For Our Troops, TexasSure, New to Texas, registration, buying or selling and temporary registration pages, and the DPS SR-22 and driving test pages, read on October 14, 2026.