Car insurance in Philadelphia

Limited tort or full tort: the choice every Philadelphia driver makes

Pennsylvania is one of 3 choice no-fault states. When you buy a policy, you pick one of two options:

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department describes limited tort as offering significant premium savings in exchange for that limit on lawsuits. If you never elect limited tort, the law treats you as having chosen full tort. The choice matters most if you are hurt in a crash someone else caused, whether you were driving, riding or walking. Read the exceptions with your agent before you choose, and see our glossary entry on tort thresholds.

What Pennsylvania's minimums do and do not cover

Pennsylvania's required limits are modest:

• Bodily injury liability: $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
• Property damage liability: $5,000. A combined single limit of $35,000 is accepted instead.
• First-party medical benefits: $5,000, which pays your own medical bills regardless of fault. Higher limits are available.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: Must be offered; optional (can be rejected on a separate signed form).

A property damage limit of $5,000 can run out quickly if you damage a newer car. When the limit runs out, you can be personally responsible for the rest. Our Pennsylvania car insurance guide covers the full rules, and how much liability you need explains how to think about higher limits.

Car-free households, transit and commuting

27.9% of Philadelphia households have no vehicle, far above the national 8.4%. 16.7% of workers ride public transportation to work and 46.0% drive alone. The average trip to work takes 31.7 minutes, against 26.4 minutes nationally.

If you do not own a car but drive one now and then, check whose policy covers you. Drivers who borrow or rent often can look at a non-owner policy. If you own a car you rarely drive, ask about low-mileage pricing; mileage is a standard rating factor.

Theft and crash data for the Philadelphia area

NICB counted 19,117 vehicle thefts in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area in 2025, ranking it number 7 among US metro areas by total thefts. The metro area spans four states, so not all of those thefts were in the city. Only comprehensive coverage pays if your car is stolen or vandalized.

Crash figures are statewide. IIHS counted 1,127 crash deaths in Pennsylvania in 2024, and 39% of them involved speeding. The city's Vision Zero program aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

Why your Philadelphia neighborhood affects the price

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department lists where a vehicle is garaged among the factors insurers use, along with the car, its safety features, mileage, coverage choices and driving history. Insurers group addresses into territories with their own claim histories, so two neighborhoods can produce different quotes for the same driver. Our guide to ZIP codes and car insurance explains how territory rating works.

Two Pennsylvania rules are worth knowing. Insurers may consider credit history, but they cannot use it to raise your rate at renewal. And they may not set rates by race, religion, national origin or gender.

Ways to save in Philadelphia

1. Weigh limited tort. It lowers the premium, but only choose it after you understand what you give up.
2. Take a mature driver course if you qualify. Drivers 55 and older who complete a PennDOT-approved course get at least a 5% discount, renewed by retaking it every 3 years. See defensive driving courses.
3. Compare quotes at renewal with the same limits and tort option; see shopping at renewal.
4. Choose deductibles carefully on comprehensive and collision; see deductibles.
5. Ask about discounts for safer cars, multiple policies and good students; see discounts.