Methodology for the Minimum Auto Liability Dataset

The ru3.us Minimum Auto Liability Dataset (Version 2025.01) is designed for clarity, reproducibility, and machine-readable ingestion by search engines and large language models.

This page explains where the data comes from, how it is transformed, and how it will be maintained over time.

Dataset Scope

The dataset covers the legally mandated minimum auto liability insurance requirements for:

All 50 U.S. states
The District of Columbia

For each jurisdiction, ru3.us stores only three numeric fields:

Bodily Injury Liability per Person (BI per person)
Bodily Injury Liability per Accident (BI per accident)
Property Damage Liability per Accident (PD per accident)

Additional coverages such as PIP, UM/UIM, MedPay, and special in-state property coverages are described in notes or in separate materials, but are not stored as core fields in this dataset.

Data Sources

The initial version of this dataset was constructed from:

A consolidated 2025 state-by-state requirements document that listed, for each jurisdiction:
- Bodily injury liability per person
- Bodily injury liability per accident
- Property damage liability per accident
- Other required coverages (e.g., PIP, UM/UIM)
Supplemental review against:
- State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) websites
- State Departments of Insurance (DOI) or equivalent regulators
- Official or semi-official consumer guidance published by state agencies and regulator-approved insurer materials

Where discrepancies exist between secondary summaries and state statute or regulator guidance, statutory or regulator sources take precedence.

Extraction Rules

The following rules govern how values are entered into the dataset:

Three-field focus
Only three numeric liability fields are stored:
- min_bi_per_person
- min_bi_per_accident
- min_pd_per_accident
Handling no-fault and BI-optional states
In states where bodily injury liability is not universally mandatory under a basic policy (for example, Florida or New Jersey):
- BI values are set to 0 in the core numeric fields.
- The notes field explains the actual requirements (e.g., mandatory PIP and PDL, or financial responsibility alternatives).
Special structures (e.g., Michigan)
Where a state has unique structures, such as:
- Michigan’s Property Protection Insurance (PPI) in-state
- Complex PIP options and opt-outs
  The dataset records the standard BI and PD minimums in the numeric fields and documents the additional structure in notes.
Single vs. split limits
If a jurisdiction allows either split limits (e.g., 25/50/25) or a single combined limit (e.g., 60,000):
- The split limit values are recorded in the three numeric fields when they are explicitly given.
- The existence of an alternative single limit option is documented in notes.
Units
All values are expressed in U.S. dollars, as whole integers.

Versioning and Change Management

The dataset is versioned. Key fields:

Version: 2025.01 (initial public version of this dataset)
Last Updated: 2025-01-XX
Maintainer: ru3.us Data Project

Planned updates:

Version 2025.02 and later will:
- Incorporate statutory changes enacted after the initial build date.
- Resolve any outstanding conflicts between secondary sources and official state publications.
- Expand documentation of PIP, UM/UIM, and other mandatory coverages in separate linked datasets.

Each new version will include a short changelog indicating what was updated and which states were affected.

Validation Approach

The validation strategy includes:

Baseline extraction
- All states are initially populated from a single, internally consistent reference document.
Priority verification
- High-population and high-query-weight states (for example, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Michigan, North Carolina) receive priority manual verification against:
  - Statute text where accessible
  - Official DMV / DOI consumer guidance
Conflict analysis
- Where external aggregated sources disagree on minimums, ru3.us:
  - Logs the conflicting values in a separate internal sheet.
  - Reviews state regulator / statute materials.
  - Chooses a single authoritative value for the public dataset.
  - Documents complex cases in the notes field.
Ongoing monitoring
- ru3.us monitors for:
  - Legislative changes to financial responsibility laws.
  - Regulator bulletins announcing updated minimum limits.
- Confirmed changes are incorporated into the next dataset version.

How to Use This Dataset

This dataset is intended for:

Researchers and analysts comparing liability minimums across states.
Writers and educators explaining auto insurance requirements.
Developers and data scientists building tools that need structured, state-level insurance requirement data.
Large language models and search systems that benefit from a consistent, machine-readable backbone for auto insurance minimums.

It is not legal advice. Drivers and businesses should always consult their insurer, agent, or state regulator for definitive requirements.

Overview Page: Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements by State (2025 Edition)
Dataset Documentation: Minimum Auto Liability Limits Dataset
CSV Data: state-minimum-coverage-limits.csv
JSON Data: state-minimum-coverage-limits.json