Name: Johnson Insurance Agency
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Colorado’s minimum auto insurance requirement is one of the lowest in the country, and it hasn’t changed in years. That keeps the price of a bare-bones policy down, but the minimum can leave you exposed after a serious crash on I-25, C-470, or Hampden Avenue.

What Colorado Requires

Every Colorado driver must carry liability insurance of at least:

$25,000 for bodily injury or death to one person
$50,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more people in one accident
$15,000 for property damage

This is often written as 25/50/15. Insurers must also offer Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage and $5,000 of Medical Payments coverage, and you have to turn them down in writing if you don’t want them.

Why the Minimum Often Falls Short

Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. It does not pay for your own car or your own injuries. One ambulance ride and a short hospital stay can pass $25,000, and $15,000 of property damage won’t replace most late-model SUVs or pickups on Denver-area roads. If damages exceed your limits, you can be personally responsible for the difference, including through wage garnishment.

Colorado Is an At-Fault State

Colorado uses a tort system with modified comparative negligence. The at-fault driver pays, and if you’re partly at fault, your own recovery is reduced by your share. If you’re 50% or more at fault, you can’t recover from the other driver at all. That makes your own coverages, such as Collision, Medical Payments, and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage, especially important.

What We Recommend Adding

Higher liability limits, such as 100/300/100 or more, especially if you own a home or have savings.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage at limits matching your liability coverage. Colorado has one of the higher uninsured driver rates in the country.
Medical Payments to help with medical bills regardless of fault.
Comprehensive and Collision to repair or replace your own vehicle, including after hail, theft, or a deer or elk strike.
A personal umbrella for an extra $1 million or more of liability protection.

The cost of moving above the minimum is often smaller than people expect. Ask us for a side-by-side comparison, or start an auto quote.

Have questions about your coverage? Call Johnson Insurance Agency at 303-768-8130 or stop by our office at 14 Inverness Dr. E, Suite G236, in Englewood. We compare coverage from multiple carriers for families and businesses across the Denver metro area and Colorado.