Split Limits vs. Combined Single Limit: What's the Difference?

Split limits and combined single limits (CSL) are two ways of expressing how much liability coverage your auto insurance policy provides. Split limits set separate caps for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage. A combined single limit sets one total cap that applies to the entire accident regardless of how the damages are distributed. Both formats provide liability protection, but they work differently in practice, and your declarations page will show one or the other depending on your carrier and state.

How split limits work

Split limits are the most common format for personal auto insurance. They appear as three numbers separated by slashes. If your Dec page shows 100/300/100, that breaks down as:

First number: $100,000 per person for bodily injury. This is the most your insurance will pay for injuries to any single person you hurt in an accident.

Second number: $300,000 per accident for bodily injury. This is the total your insurance will pay for all injuries across all people in a single accident, combined.

Third number: $100,000 for property damage. This is the maximum your insurance will pay for damage to other people's property (their car, a fence, a building, a guardrail) in one accident.

Each bucket is separate. Money from the property damage limit can't be used to cover a bodily injury claim that exceeds the per-person cap, and vice versa. The limits are hard ceilings within their own categories.

Here's how that plays out. Say you cause an accident that injures two people. Person A has $90,000 in medical bills. Person B has $120,000 in medical bills. Your policy has 100/300/100 split limits.

Person A gets paid $90,000 (under the $100,000 per-person cap). Person B gets paid $100,000 (the per-person cap, even though their bills are $120,000). The per-accident cap of $300,000 isn't the limiting factor here; it's the per-person cap that cuts Person B's payout short by $20,000. You would be personally responsible for that $20,000 difference.

How a combined single limit works

A combined single limit puts all your liability coverage into one pool. If your Dec page shows $500,000 CSL, that $500,000 applies to the entire accident. It doesn't matter whether the damages are injuries, property damage, or a mix. The money goes where it's needed, up to the total limit.

Using the same example: Person A has $90,000 in medical bills. Person B has $120,000. Property damage is $35,000. Total: $245,000.

With a $500,000 CSL policy, the full $245,000 is covered because the total is under the single limit. There's no per-person cap blocking Person B's full payout. Everyone gets paid in full.

Progressive is one of the most well-known carriers that commonly offers CSL policies, particularly in certain states. If you're a Progressive customer and your Dec page shows a single dollar amount for liability instead of three numbers with slashes, you likely have a combined single limit.

Side-by-side comparison

Here's how the same accident plays out under each format:

The CSL policy paid out $20,000 more because it didn't have a per-person cap restricting the payout for Person B. The total claims were under $300,000 in both cases, but the split limit format created a gap that the CSL format didn't.

Which format is better?

CSL policies offer more flexibility. Because there's no internal per-person cap, the money flows to where the damages actually are. In accidents where one person is badly hurt, the CSL format prevents the per-person ceiling from creating a shortfall.

Split limit policies are more common and are what most carriers default to for personal auto insurance. They're also what most state minimum requirements are built around (which is why state minimums are shown as three numbers like 25/50/25).

The practical answer: if your total liability limit is high enough, the format matters less. A 250/500/250 split limit policy provides excellent coverage in nearly any scenario. A $300,000 CSL policy and a 100/300/100 split limit policy have roughly equivalent total protection, but the CSL version handles certain accident patterns more flexibly.

When comparing quotes between carriers, don't just compare the total dollar amount. A $300,000 CSL policy and a 100/300/100 split limit policy are not identical. The CSL policy gives you more flexibility per person. The split limit policy has a higher total if you add all three limits together ($500,000 in theoretical maximum payouts), but those limits can't cross over between categories.

How to tell which type you have

Open your declarations page and look at the liability section. If you see three numbers separated by slashes (like 100/300/100 or 50/100/50), you have split limits. If you see a single dollar amount (like $300,000 CSL or $500,000 CSL), you have a combined single limit. If you're not sure where to look, our walkthrough on how to read your declarations page covers every section.

Not sure what you're looking at? Upload your Dec page to the free PolicyLector analyzer. The tool identifies your liability format, explains your limits in plain English, and flags whether they look adequate for your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch from split limits to CSL, or vice versa?

It depends on your carrier and state. Some carriers only offer one format. Some offer both. If you want to switch, call your agent and ask. Switching formats doesn't inherently cost more or less. The premium depends on the total amount of coverage, not the format.

Are split limits always shown as three numbers?

Yes, for auto insurance liability. The format is always bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage. If you see only two numbers, you may be looking at uninsured motorist coverage, which typically only has bodily injury limits and doesn't include a separate property damage component on the Dec page.

Do split limits mean I have less coverage than CSL?

Not necessarily. A 250/500/100 split limit policy provides more total coverage than a $300,000 CSL policy. The question is how the money is distributed in an actual claim. CSL is more flexible; split limits have more total capacity at higher levels but are constrained by per-category caps.

Which format do most states require?

Most state minimum requirements are expressed as split limits (like 25/50/25). But carriers are allowed to sell CSL policies that meet or exceed the state minimum. A CSL policy that meets the total requirement is legal even in states where the minimum is specified as split limits.