Auto insurance requirements differ from state to state, and those residents who have just moved to Tennessee must not assume that the coverage they previously carried on their vehicle will be enough. Tennessee only requires that its drivers maintain a liability policy on their vehicles, in that way providing coverage for damages inflicted upon another driver and vehicle in the event that the insured causes an accident. Minimum levels of liability in Tennessee are $25,000 for medical expenses incurred by a single driver, $50,000 for the combined medical expenses of all individuals in the vehicle at the time of the accident and $10,000 for all property damage resulting from the accident, including that suffered by the vehicle of the victim. As medical expenses and repair costs can rapidly exceed these amounts and the insured will be held personally liable for these excesses it is highly recommended that drivers not simply buy the minimum level of insurance.

Not required for all drivers is comprehensive insurance and collision. Without collision insurance the driver of the car responsible for an accident will be exclusively responsible for paying for the repairs required by their own vehicle. Collision will help cover these costs up to the Kelley Blue Book value of the car, and if costs are found to be in excess of this amount the car will be acknowledged “totaled” and the owner awarded the cash value of the car. Gap coverage may also be accessible together with collision for those vehicles whose Blue Book value does not the same as the remaining balance on their lien.

Also not required but highly recommended is uninsured auto insurance, chiefly in consideration of the fact that Tennessee southeast neighbor, South Carolina, does not need its residents to buy a liability policy. Uninsured motorist insurance will help cover the costs repair costs and medical expenses resulting from an accident for which a motorist who does not possess insurance is accountable. This will also help provide for the victims of a hit and run.