Tennessee car insurance rates

Tennessee's minimum liability limits are $25,000 for each injury or death, $50,000 for total injuries or deaths, and $25,000 for property damage per accident, the figures the Department of Safety and Homeland Security cites to Tenn. Code Ann. 55-12-102(12)(D). Instead of a policy, a driver may post a $65,000 bond or make a $65,000 cash deposit with the Department of Revenue.

Two agencies enforce the rule. The Department of Revenue runs electronic insurance verification against vehicle registrations, and the Department of Safety handles license suspensions and SR-22 filings. The Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) regulates insurers and takes complaints.

Drive Insured TN: what Revenue's verification letters cost

Since 2017, under the James Lee Atwood Jr. Law, a web-based system matches registration records against policy data that insurers report regularly. A vehicle the system cannot match is marked unconfirmed, and the owner receives a notice directing them to driveinsuredtn.com to show proof of coverage or an exemption. Revenue says a dropped policy or a coverage lapse can also trigger a notice.

Reinstating a suspended registration means buying a qualifying policy, paying the coverage failure fees ($25 after a first notice plus $100 after a final notice), and paying the county reinstatement fee, either at driveinsuredtn.com or at a county clerk. Owners can check a vehicle's status with its plate number and VIN through the Tennessee Insurance Verification application.

When the issue reaches a court: Tenn. Code Ann. 55-12-115

Separately from Revenue's letters, a conviction for failing to provide evidence of financial responsibility is a Class C misdemeanor punishable only by a fine of up to $300, and the vehicle may be towed. After a conviction is reported, the Department of Safety gives the driver 30 days to submit proof of liability insurance that was in effect on the violation date. If that proof arrives, the suspension is avoided. If not, or if there was no coverage that day, driving privileges stay suspended until the driver shows current insurance, surrenders the license and pays a $65 reinstatement fee, plus $75 if the license was not surrendered.

Leaving the scene of a property damage crash carries a harder line. Under Tenn. Code Ann. 55-10-102, a driver who cannot show insurance in effect at the time loses driving privileges for a full year from the date of the notice.

The 20-day Owner Operator Report

Any owner or driver in a Tennessee crash that causes death or injury, more than $1,500 of property damage, or more than $400 of damage to state or local government property must file an Owner Operator Report with the Department of Safety within 20 days, whoever was at fault. The report puts proof of insurance on file in case another party claims damages. It can be filed online through e-Services or by mail to P.O. Box 945, Nashville, TN 37202.

If a claim is filed against a driver who contributed to a crash causing $400 or more in damage and no proof of insurance is on file, the department sends a notice of proposed suspension. Within 20 days the driver must submit one of: an Owner Operator Report showing coverage on the crash date, a conditional or general release from the claimant, or a bond for the claim amount. A hearing can also be requested within those 20 days. Missing the window leads to revocation (Tenn. Code Ann. 55-12-104 and 55-12-105).

How SR-22 works in Tennessee

The Department of Safety lists SR-22 insurance among the reinstatement requirements for certain suspensions and revocations, including the uninsured-crash revocation and an unsatisfied judgment. Its page ties the filing to the action itself rather than to a set number of years: the SR-22 must be kept for the length of the suspension or revocation period, and a new action that also requires an SR-22 restarts the clock from its own date.

• The filing comes from a liability carrier licensed in Tennessee; a driver without a vehicle can use a non-owner policy.
• Out-of-state residents must have the SR-22 filed with Tennessee, or can ask for an out-of-state waiver by calling 866-903-7357.
• If the insurer reports a cancellation on form SR-26, the driver gets a notice of proposed suspension and has 20 days to file a new SR-22 dated after the notice, or to request a hearing (Tenn. Code Ann. 55-12-126).
• Typical fees on the department's schedule include a $65 reinstatement fee and a $50 SR-22 fee; an unsatisfied-judgment revocation carries a $100 reinstatement fee.

For an uninsured-crash revocation, the department notes an employer may provide SR-22 coverage so the driver can get a restricted license for work only. For general background, see SR-22 insurance explained.

Rate changes TDCI publishes each month

TDCI posts a monthly table of auto rate changes that insurers filed through SERFF, the national rate and form filing system. Each row lists the company, its NAIC code, the SERFF tracking number, coverage type, disposition date, and the overall, maximum and minimum rate impact, along with policies affected. The most recent table on the page was labeled as of September 2026. That table shows filed rate changes, not premiums. How to read such filings is covered in car insurance rate filings and SERFF.

Complaints to Commerce and Insurance

A consumer who believes a claim was wrongly denied, or has another problem with an agent or insurer, can file with TDCI's Consumer Insurance Services through the online complaint form, or print it and mail or fax it to 500 James Robertson Parkway, 10th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. The policy must have been written in Tennessee. Policy questions go to 615-741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029. A third-party claimant dealing with someone else's insurer should call those numbers for the options TDCI applies under Rule 0780-01-05-.12.

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