Dividends

The following table presents shareholder dividends paid:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2018		2017		2016
	(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Total paid	$	138,478	$	137,886	$	137,201
Per share paid	$	2.5025	$	2.4925	$	2.4825

The Insurance Companies are subject to the financial capacity guidelines established by their domiciliary states. The payment of dividends from statutory unassigned surplus of the Insurance Companies is restricted, subject to certain statutory limitations. As of December 31, 2018, the insurance subsidiaries of the Company are permitted to pay approximately $145 million in dividends in 2019 to Mercury General without the prior approval of the DOI of domiciliary states. The above statutory regulations may have the effect of indirectly limiting the ability of the Company to pay shareholder dividends. During 2018, 2017, and 2016, the Insurance Companies paid Mercury General ordinary dividends of $135 million, $109 million, and $111 million, respectively.

On February 1, 2019, the Board of Directors declared a $0.6275 quarterly dividend payable on March 28, 2019 to shareholders of record on March 14, 2019.