Car insurance in Kentucky (25/50/25)
- Minimum car insuranceKentucky requires at least $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 property damage, or a $60,000 single limit. It also requires $10,000 per person in basic reparation benefits (PIP). Uninsured motorist coverage must be included unless a named insured rejects it in writing. Source
- Fault systemKentucky is a choice no-fault state: drivers are under no-fault rules unless they file a written rejection with the Department of Insurance before an accident. Under no-fault, a pain-and-suffering suit requires more than $1,000 in medical expenses or a serious injury such as a fracture, permanent injury or death. Source
Business insurance rules in Kentucky
- Workers’ compensationAny employer with one or more employees in Kentucky must carry workers' compensation, except employers engaged solely in agriculture. Exemptions also include small domestic employers and short home-repair jobs, and an individual employee can elect not to be covered. Kentucky is not monopolistic and does not let employers opt out. Source
- Contractor licensingKentucky's Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction licenses specific trades (plumbers, electricians, boiler, and sprinkler and fire alarm contractors) rather than general contractors. Electrical contractors must show workers' compensation and unemployment insurance compliance and carry at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance. Source
Home insurance in Kentucky
- Home insurer of last resortState law requires all licensed property and casualty insurers to maintain a FAIR plan and reinsurance association for owners who cannot get coverage elsewhere. Tornadoes, severe wind and hail, and flooding are the main catastrophe exposures for Kentucky homes. Source
Disasters, floods, hail, tornadoes and earthquakes in Kentucky
| Measure | Kentucky | Rank among the states | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal major disaster declarations since 2000 | 49 | #4 of 51 | Most often for severe storm (34), flood (7), severe ice storm (2). Owsley County has been in 28 of them. |
| National Flood Insurance Program claims, 2005–2025 | 11,784 | #18 of 51 | $349.4 million paid; 21% of claims with a known flood zone were outside FEMA’s high-risk zones. |
| Homes in high-risk flood zones with a federal flood policy | 19% | #32 of 50 | 11,364 policies for 60,218 homes in the counties FEMA can measure; US: 40%. |
| Hail reports, 2016–2025 | 1,315 | #22 of 51 | 86 of them 2 inches or larger. Largest stone 4.5 inches, Ballard County, May 2025. |
| Tornadoes, 2016–2025 | 330 | #18 of 51 | 45 rated EF2 or stronger; 1,261 recorded since 1950. |
| Earthquakes of magnitude 4.0+, 2000–2025 | 2 | #22 of 51 | Largest: magnitude 4.2, 6 km W of Blackey, Kentucky, November 10, 2012. |
From the public FEMA, NOAA, Storm Prediction Center, USGS and FMCSA records behind each linked report; ranks count all 50 states and Washington, DC unless noted.
Look up the storm history of any county in Kentucky.
Worth knowing in Kentucky
Kentucky is one of three choice no-fault states: drivers can keep the full right to sue by filing a tort rejection with the Department of Insurance. Kentucky cities and counties may also levy their own local premium tax on insurance policies covering risks within their limits.
Kentucky’s insurance regulator
Insurance in Kentucky is regulated by the Kentucky Department of Insurance, which handles consumer complaints and licenses insurers and agents.
Sam Alishahi holds a nonresident insurance producer license in Kentucky (NPN 21022298), so requests from Kentucky are handled by him directly.
Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires at least $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 property damage, or a $60,000 single limit. It also requires $10,000 per person in basic reparation benefits (PIP). Uninsured motorist coverage must be included unless a named insured rejects it in writing.
Is Kentucky a no-fault state?
Kentucky is a choice no-fault state: drivers are under no-fault rules unless they file a written rejection with the Department of Insurance before an accident. Under no-fault, a pain-and-suffering suit requires more than $1,000 in medical expenses or a serious injury such as a fracture, permanent injury or death.
Do employers in Kentucky need workers’ comp?
Any employer with one or more employees in Kentucky must carry workers' compensation, except employers engaged solely in agriculture. Exemptions also include small domestic employers and short home-repair jobs, and an individual employee can elect not to be covered. Kentucky is not monopolistic and does not let employers opt out.
What can a Kentucky homeowner do if no insurer will write the house?
State law requires all licensed property and casualty insurers to maintain a FAIR plan and reinsurance association for owners who cannot get coverage elsewhere. Tornadoes, severe wind and hail, and flooding are the main catastrophe exposures for Kentucky homes.
Sources
- Kentucky: Minimum car insurance
- Kentucky: Fault system
- Kentucky: Workers’ compensation
- Kentucky: Home insurer of last resort
- Kentucky: Contractor licensing
- Kentucky: insurance regulator
General information as of October 2026, not legal advice; confirm current rules with the agency.