Combined single limit: one number for injury and damage on an auto policy
A combined single limit (CSL) is one dollar amount that caps what an auto liability policy pays for a single accident, bodily injury and property damage together, however the loss divides between people and property. Split limits set three separate caps instead: one per injured person, one for all injuries in the accident, and one for property damage. Commercial auto CSLs of $500,000 or $1,000,000 are common.
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CSL versus split limits
Split limits are written as three numbers, such as 100/300/100. The first caps what one injured person can collect ($100,000), the second caps all injury claims from the crash ($300,000), and the third caps property damage ($100,000). A CSL replaces all three with one figure. California’s insurance department notes that personal auto policies separate the limits this way, while business auto policies commonly use a CSL, often $500,000 or $1,000,000.
The difference shows up when one person is hurt badly. Take an example crash in which a rider’s injury claim reaches $250,000 and the other car needs $20,000 of repairs.
| Policy | Pays for the rider | Pays for the car | Left for your company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100/300/100 split limits | $100,000 (per-person cap) | $20,000 | $150,000 |
| $300,000 CSL | $250,000 | $20,000 | $0 |
The CSL also applies per accident. Under the standard business auto coverage form, the most the insurer pays for one accident is the declared limit, no matter how many vans, drivers, or claimants are involved. A crash with several injured riders shares that one number.
How brokers and buyers write minimums
The requirements below are mostly written as a CSL, and Louisiana accepts either form. Current examples:
| Who | Auto liability minimum |
|---|---|
| MTM, Pennsylvania provider agreement (01.01.2023) | $500,000 CSL covering every vehicle used under the agreement |
| American Logistics | $500,000 CSL. The insurer must be rated B or better, and the policy cannot carry a livery exclusion |
| Louisiana Medicaid managed care (MCO manual, March 3, 2026) | 25/50/25 split limits or a $300,000 CSL |
| Portland, Oregon, NEMT company permits | $500,000 CSL or more per occurrence on scheduled, hired, and non-owned autos |
| Wyoming intrastate contract carrier authority | Form E showing a CSL of $750,000 or more |
| Paratransit Services, Washington | $1,000,000 per occurrence, CSL for bodily injury and property damage |
| Arizona Medicaid plan subcontracts (AHCCCS minimum provisions) | $1,000,000 CSL covering any owned, hired, or non-owned auto used in the work |
| Hamilton County, Ohio, transportation RFP (December 2025) | $1,000,000 per accident for vehicles holding six or fewer people with the operator, and $5,000,000 above that |
A split policy does not satisfy a CSL term just because its numbers add up to the required figure. Read the requirement, and when a contract names only a CSL, get written confirmation before offering anything else. Contracts that allow an umbrella to fill part of the limit say so in the insurance section.
Reading it on a certificate
The auto section of the ACORD 25 certificate of insurance has a line for a combined single limit per accident and three lines for split limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident. A CSL policy fills the first line, and the three split lines usually stay empty. Check the auto boxes beside the limits too, because a contract can require a vehicle category such as Any Auto that a scheduled auto policy does not meet.
For premiums and the other policies a fleet carries, see NEMT insurance cost and getting NEMT insurance.
Keeping limits and dates in view
HealthRide’s fleet registry stores each vehicle’s insurance with its expiration date. It reminds you ahead of renewal and flags a lapsed policy before that van is assigned a trip.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a $300,000 CSL the same as 100/300/100 split limits?
- No. The split policy adds up to more on paper, but no single injured person can collect more than $100,000 from it, and property damage stops at its own $100,000 cap. The $300,000 CSL can pay one badly injured rider the full $300,000. Louisiana's managed care manual, for example, accepts either 25/50/25 split limits or a $300,000 CSL from traditional NEMT providers.
- Does the limit apply to each van or to each accident?
- Each accident. The standard business auto coverage form says the most it pays for all damages from any one accident is the limit in the declarations, regardless of the number of covered autos, insureds, claims, or vehicles involved. Ten vans on a $1 million CSL policy do not create $10 million of coverage for one crash.
- Can an umbrella count toward a broker's auto CSL minimum?
- Only if the contract says so. Hamilton County, Ohio, lets providers under its December 2025 transportation solicitation meet its auto and liability limits with any combination of primary and umbrella limits, as long as the total and scope are not less than required. Other contracts name the auto limit alone. Have the broker or buyer confirm by email before an umbrella counts toward the number.
- What limit applies to interstate for-hire passenger vehicles?
- Federal rules set a single per-accident amount for public liability, based on seats. Vehicles with 16 or more seats counting the driver need $5 million, and smaller ones need $1.5 million. The insurer shows that coverage with the MCS-90B endorsement, which applies to bodily injury, property damage, and environmental restoration together.
