New York Car Insurance Requirements

New York car insurance requirements are strict and enforcement is some of the toughest in the entire United States. No motorist should find themselves in an accident or traffic stop in New York without the required coverage. Minimum coverage includes no-fault, liability, and uninsured motorist.

The point of no-fault auto insurance is to make sure that, no matter which driver or drivers was the cause of the accident, reasonable medical and wage-loss expenses get paid promptly. It does not pay for vehicle damage or replacement. When the injured driver or drivers have health insurance, the no-fault plan pays the expenses first.
Also referred to as personal injury protection, New York State’s minimum for this coverage is $50,000 for each person involved.



A basic no-fault plan, beyond medical expenses, also pays 80 percent of any earnings lost from being out of work during recovery from the accident, to a ceiling of $2000 every month as long as three years after the injury. It also pays the victim as much as $25 every day for a year from the accident date, for related costs such as transportation to the doctor or pharmacy, and any household help that has to be hired. Should anyone not survive the accident an additional $2000 death benefit for each deceased person is paid to his or her estate.

Despite the no-fault coverage required with New York car insurance, the plan will not pay out anything under some circumstances. If the driver were to be intoxicated or impaired because of drug use she or he and the passengers in the car would not benefit from the no-fault coverage. If the accident was intentionally caused by the driver, if the driver were committing a felony, or operating a stolen vehicle, no coverage would be activated either. Riders of all terrain vehicles (ATVs), or motorcycle drivers or passengers are not covered by no-fault insurance.