What changed on January 1, 2026
New Jersey raised its minimum auto liability limits in two steps. The first step, on January 1, 2023, moved the Standard policy minimum from 15/30/5 to 25/50/25. The second step, on January 1, 2026, raised it again to 35/70/25:
- $35,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $70,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $25,000 property damage liability per accident
The rest of a Standard policy’s required coverages, including Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, still apply. The Basic policy is a separate, lower-cost option with its own, more limited coverage.
Who is affected
Anyone whose Standard policy carried less than 35/70/25 at their first renewal after January 1, 2026. Carriers were directed to bring those policies up to the new minimum at renewal, so most drivers did not need to call anyone. They simply saw the new limits, and a higher premium, on their renewal.
If your liability limits were already higher than 35/70/25, nothing about your limits changed.
Why the minimum still isn’t enough
The new minimum is better than the old one, but $35,000 does not go far after a serious injury. Hospital bills, lost wages and pain and suffering can exceed it quickly, and anything above your limit can be pursued from your savings, home equity or future wages.
That matters most for homeowners and families, who have the most to lose in a lawsuit.
What we recommend
As a starting point, we like to see 250/500/100: $250,000 per person, $500,000 per accident and $100,000 for property damage, with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to match.
Those are also the limits most umbrella policies require underneath them, so you can add $1 million or more of protection on top when your assets call for it.
A quick check for your policy
- Find your declarations page and look at the bodily injury and property damage limits.
- If they read 35/70/25, you are at the state minimum.
- Check that uninsured and underinsured motorist limits match your liability limits.
- Review your PIP amount and whether your health insurance is primary for PIP.
- Send it to us and we will compare options across our carriers.
For the full picture of New Jersey’s choices, including PIP, the lawsuit option and Standard vs. Basic, see our New Jersey auto insurance guide.