Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Worth It — and Is It Required in Your State?
Uninsured motorist coverage pays you from your own policy when the driver who hit you has no injury coverage or not enough. It is required in some states, must merely be offered in most of the rest, is usually one of the cheapest lines on a policy, and is the only coverage that pays when the person at fault cannot.
- In roughly half the states you must carry it. In most of the others your insurer must offer it, and you can only decline in writing.
- In at least one large state, the driver who hits you may not be required to carry any injury coverage at all — which changes the answer completely.
- Your limit is not always what you collect: in most states, a payment from the at-fault driver is credited against it.
- If you never signed a rejection form, check what you actually have. You may be carrying more than you think.
Jump to the state lookup to see what your state requires.
- Choosing coverage on a quote? See Is It Worth It.
- Renewing and wondering what this line is? See What This Coverage Is.
- Already hit by someone with no insurance? See Hit by an Uninsured Driver.
And here is the part almost nobody explains: what the number on your policy is actually worth after the offsets.
Tool: What Does Your State Require?
Choose a state to see its rules.
Every cell behind this tool comes from the matrix in Table 1 below, which is verified from state statutes and departments of insurance and carries a verification date. The tool and the table never disagree; where a cell is not verified, both say so in the same words. This tool states law, not advice: it does not recommend a limit, does not describe your own policy, and does not assess any claim. This describes state requirements as of the verification date; your own policy may provide more than the state minimum; requirements change; and this is not legal or insurance advice.
Without JavaScript, this remains a plain labeled set of fields, and Table 1 below carries the same information on its own.
1. What Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Actually Is
Uninsured motorist coverage pays you when the driver who caused your accident has no bodily injury liability insurance at all. Underinsured motorist coverage pays you when that driver has liability insurance, but not enough of it to cover your damages. Insurers frequently sell these as two separate coverages with two separate limits on the same policy, even though drivers usually think of them as one thing.
What it does not cover matters as much as what it does. This is bodily injury coverage first: medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering caused by an at-fault driver who cannot pay. Damage to your own vehicle is a different line — uninsured motorist property damage, where it exists at all — and it is often unavailable or capped separately from the injury coverage. Readers routinely assume this coverage repairs the car. In most policies, it does not.
The common structure extends this protection beyond the driver’s seat: it typically covers the policyholder and resident relatives as pedestrians, as passengers in someone else’s car, and as occupants of the insured vehicle. That is the usual pattern, not a guarantee — read your own policy for the exact list of who is covered.
Hit-and-run claims usually fall under this coverage as well, since an unidentified driver cannot be sued for their liability limits. But the conditions vary by state: some require the accident to be reported to police within a set number of hours or days, and some require independent evidence of what happened rather than just your own account. Those reporting and corroboration conditions are the reason hit-and-run uninsured-motorist claims are denied more often than claims against an identified driver.
| Situation | Which coverage applies | What it pays for | What it does not |
|---|---|---|---|
| The at-fault driver has no insurance at all | Uninsured motorist (UM) | Your bodily injury losses, up to your UM limit | Damage to your vehicle, unless you also carry UM property damage or collision |
| The at-fault driver has coverage below your damages | Underinsured motorist (UIM) | The gap between what their liability policy pays and your damages, up to your UIM limit | Any amount above your own UIM limit |
| Hit-and-run with no identified driver | Uninsured motorist (UM) | Your bodily injury losses, subject to reporting and corroboration rules that vary by state | Coverage where the reporting window or evidence requirement was not met |
| The at-fault driver’s insurer becomes insolvent | Often treated the same as uninsured, in many states | Bodily injury losses in many states; verify your own state’s insolvent-insurer rule | Automatic payment without a claim process |
| You were a pedestrian | Uninsured or underinsured motorist, in the common structure | Bodily injury losses from a vehicle that struck you | Coverage in every state without exception — verify your policy |
| You were a passenger in someone else’s car | Uninsured or underinsured motorist, in the common structure | Bodily injury losses, potentially from more than one policy | An automatic right to combine every available policy — rules on this vary |
| The damage is to your vehicle only, no injuries | Uninsured motorist property damage, collision, or neither, depending on the state and policy | Vehicle repair costs, only where this add-on exists and was purchased | Vehicle repairs under a basic bodily-injury-only UM/UIM policy |
- What this coverage pays for: your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering when the at-fault driver has no injury coverage or not enough; the same for resident relatives; and, in most states, you as a pedestrian or as a passenger in another vehicle.
- Hit-and-run injuries, subject to your state’s reporting and evidence rules.
- Underinsured claims, up to your separate UIM limit, once the at-fault driver’s liability payment is accounted for.
- What it does not pay for: damage to your own car, unless you separately carry UM property damage or collision coverage.
- Amounts above your own UM or UIM limit, however large your damages.
- Claims where you cannot show the other driver was at fault.
2. Is It Required Where You Live?
Every state’s answer resolves into one of three states: REQUIRED means you must carry it and cannot decline it. OFFERED means your insurer must include it or offer it, and you can only decline it in writing. NEITHER would mean the state neither mandates nor requires an offer — in practice, no state in this table currently falls there; every jurisdiction has landed on one of the first two. The table below is the traffic engine of this page: verify your own state, then read on for the states with the most search demand.
| State | Required, must be offered, or neither | Minimum limits if required | Underinsured (UIM) treated separately? | Written rejection required? | Stacking permitted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | OFFERED | State minimum liability limits (no requirement to match BI limits) | No distinction between UM and UIM | Yes (method not specified in statute) | Permitted, limited to two additional vehicles on the same policy |
| Alaska | OFFERED | State minimum; higher limits must be offered | No distinction (UIM triggered when at-fault limits are lower than UIM limits) | Yes, in writing | Prohibited |
| Arizona | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Permitted by default; insurers may add an anti-stacking clause |
| Arkansas | REQUIRED | State minimum; insurer must make higher limits available on written request | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Permitted by default; insurers may add an anti-stacking clause |
| California | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction; underinsured status is triggered by comparing limits | Yes, in writing, on a statutory form | Not permitted |
| Colorado | REQUIRED | State minimum liability limits | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Permitted |
| Connecticut | REQUIRED | Must equal BI limits; insurer must also offer double the BI limit | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Delaware | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | UIM applies only if UM is purchased above the state minimum | Yes, in writing | Permitted; insurers may add an anti-stacking provision |
| District of Columbia | REQUIRED | Insurer must provide at least $25,000/$50,000/$5,000; higher limits up to $100,000/$300,000/$25,000 may be requested | UIM is optional and must be offered separately; may be rejected in writing | Not applicable for UM itself; UIM may be rejected in writing | Permitted; insurers may add an anti-stacking provision |
| Florida | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits unless lower limits are elected | No distinction between UM and UIM | Yes, in writing, on a form in 12-point bold type prescribed by the Office of Insurance Regulation | Stacked is the default; non-stacked requires a separate signed election, priced at least 20% lower |
| Georgia | OFFERED | At least $25,000/$50,000, or equal to BI limits if the insured requests it in writing | No distinction between UM and UIM | Yes, in writing | Permitted; insureds may elect either “add-on” (stacked, paid on top of the at-fault driver's coverage) or “reduced-by” (offset against it) |
| Hawaii | OFFERED | State minimum liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Insurer must offer stackable coverage |
| Idaho | OFFERED | State minimum liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Not permitted under case law, though no statute addresses it directly |
| Illinois | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Indiana | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Permitted unless the insurer adds anti-stacking language |
| Iowa | OFFERED | State minimum; higher limits must be offered | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Not permitted by default; insurers may offer stacking provisions |
| Kansas | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits (higher limits may be rejected) | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Kentucky | OFFERED | State minimum liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Not permitted |
| Louisiana | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Yes, in writing, on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Insurance | Not permitted |
| Maine | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Maryland | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits (higher limits may be rejected) | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Massachusetts | REQUIRED | State minimum liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Michigan | OFFERED | State minimum; higher limits must be offered | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes (method not specified in statute) | Not permitted |
| Minnesota | REQUIRED | State minimum; higher limits may be requested | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Mississippi | OFFERED | State minimum; higher limits must be offered | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Permitted |
| Missouri | REQUIRED | State minimum liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted |
| Montana | OFFERED | Must equal the state's financial-responsibility minimum | Not verified | Yes, in writing | Permitted |
| Nebraska | REQUIRED | State minimum; higher limits may be offered up to $100,000/$300,000 | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Nevada | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Not permitted |
| New Hampshire | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted within one policy; stacking across separate policies is allowed |
| New Jersey | REQUIRED | State minimum; limits may be offered up to $250,000/$500,000/$100,000 | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| New Mexico | OFFERED | State minimum; coverage must be offered up to the insured's BI limits | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Permitted, based on the number of vehicles on one policy |
| New York | REQUIRED | State minimum; higher limits may be offered up to $250,000/$500,000 (or more with a qualifying umbrella) | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted only across multiple policies, not within one |
| North Carolina | REQUIRED | Must equal BI limits; higher limits available up to $1 million | UIM applies only if UM is written above the statutory minimum | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| North Dakota | REQUIRED | State minimum; higher limits may be offered up to $100,000/$300,000 | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Ohio | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Permitted unless the insurer adds anti-stacking language |
| Oklahoma | OFFERED | State minimum; higher limits must be offered | No distinction | Yes, in writing, on a statutory form with four coverage choices | Insurer must offer stackable limits, but policies issued after November 1, 2014 default to non-stacked unless the carrier expressly provides otherwise |
| Oregon | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | UIM is automatically included once UM is written above the statutory minimum | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted only across multiple policies, not within one |
| Pennsylvania | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | Yes, UIM has its own separate rejection form | Yes, in writing, on a statutory waiver form | Stacked is the default; the privilege of stacking may be waived in writing |
| Rhode Island | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted |
| South Carolina | REQUIRED | State minimum; higher limits must be offered | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted, but only for the named insured and household relatives (not other permitted drivers) |
| South Dakota | REQUIRED | Must equal BI limits, up to $100,000/$300,000 | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Not permitted |
| Tennessee | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Not permitted |
| Texas | OFFERED | Your own UM/UIM limit may not exceed your own bodily injury liability limit | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Not permitted |
| Utah | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes, in writing | Not permitted |
| Vermont | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted by default; insurers may add an anti-stacking provision |
| Virginia | REQUIRED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted |
| Washington | OFFERED | Must equal the insured's bodily injury liability limits | No distinction | Yes, in writing | Not permitted |
| West Virginia | OFFERED | State minimum liability limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Yes (method not specified in statute) | Generally permitted under case law; insurers may add anti-stacking language on multi-car discount policies |
| Wisconsin | REQUIRED | State minimum; insurer may offer higher limits | Yes, UIM is separate | Not applicable – rejection is not allowed | Permitted, but insurers may exclude it in the policy |
| Wyoming | OFFERED | State minimum liability limits | No distinction | Yes (method not specified in statute) | Not permitted within one policy by default, but courts apply stacking across separate policies absent a clear anti-stacking clause |
Florida
Florida is OFFERED, not required: your insurer must include uninsured motorist coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits unless you sign a written rejection form. Stacked coverage is the default; non-stacked coverage requires a separate signed election and must be priced at least 20% lower. Florida credits — rather than adds to — a payment from the at-fault driver against your own limit.
Florida accounts for roughly four times the search demand of any other state in this topic, and the structural reason is specific: Florida does not require most drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance at all. Its no-fault system requires only $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability under Florida Statute § 627.736. Where the driver who hits you is not required to carry the coverage that would otherwise pay you, your own uninsured motorist coverage stops being optional in any meaningful sense — it is often the only injury coverage in the transaction. A 2026 legislative effort to repeal Florida’s no-fault system and make bodily injury liability mandatory did not pass; the repeal bills died in committee on March 13, 2026, and Florida’s no-fault PIP requirement remains current law as of this page’s verification date. If that changes, this section will be updated with the new effective date.
California
California is OFFERED: insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at limits matching your bodily injury liability limits, and you must sign a written waiver to decline it or to accept lower limits. California does not permit stacking of UM/UIM limits across vehicles or policies. Underinsured claims are calculated on a “difference in limits” basis: your coverage pays only the gap above what the at-fault driver’s insurer pays, not an amount added on top.
Texas
Texas is OFFERED: insurers must offer this coverage, and you must reject it in writing if you do not want it. Your own UM/UIM limit cannot exceed your own bodily injury liability limit. Texas’s offset works differently from a simple policy-limit credit: under the Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Stracener v. United Services Automobile Association, 777 S.W.2d 378 (Tex. 1989), and Texas Insurance Code § 1952.106, what the at-fault driver’s insurer already paid is subtracted from your actual damages, not from your UIM policy limit, before your UIM payment is capped at that limit. For a single at-fault driver, this produces the same dollar total as the general credit calculation in Section 3 and Tool 2 — the distinction mainly matters for whether a claim is recognized as underinsured in the first place, not for the size of a single-party payout. Stacking is not permitted.
Georgia
Georgia is OFFERED: insurers must offer the coverage, and a written rejection is required to decline it. Georgia is also unusual: the insured can choose between “add-on” coverage, which pays on top of the at-fault driver’s liability payment, and “reduced-by” coverage, which offsets against it. That choice, not just the limit you buy, changes what your policy is actually worth.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is OFFERED, with a specific statutory rejection form that asks you to choose among four options, including matching your liability limits or rejecting the coverage outright. Insurers must offer stackable limits, but policies issued, renewed, or reinstated after November 1, 2014 default to non-stacked coverage unless the insurer expressly provides otherwise.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is REQUIRED: it cannot be declined. Underinsured motorist coverage is treated as its own separate coverage. Stacking is generally permitted, but insurers are allowed to exclude it by policy language, so check your declarations page rather than assuming.
Michigan
Michigan is OFFERED, not required: as a no-fault state, Michigan requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage with every policy, and you may decline it. Michigan does not permit stacking across vehicles on the same policy.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is OFFERED: coverage must be offered at limits equal to your bodily injury liability limits, and a specific statutory waiver form is required to reject it. Underinsured motorist coverage carries its own separate rejection form. Stacking is the default, though Pennsylvania law allows the privilege of stacking to be waived in writing.
3. How It Actually Pays (With a Worked Example)
In most states, what the at-fault driver’s insurer pays is credited against your own limit rather than added to it. A minority of states, and Georgia by election, add your coverage on top of the at-fault driver’s payment instead. Which treatment applies to you is set by state law and policy language, not by choice, except in the handful of states where the policy itself lets you elect it.
Other payments can also reduce what your own coverage ultimately pays out: medical payments coverage, personal injury protection, and workers’ compensation can sometimes be offset against a UM/UIM payment as well, depending on your state and policy. This varies enough that it is worth reading your own declarations page and asking your insurer directly rather than assuming either way.
- The at-fault driver’s insurer pays its full limit: $50,000.
- In a credit (reduced-by) state: your $100,000 limit is reduced by the $50,000 already paid, leaving $50,000 of your coverage available. You collect $50,000 more, for a total of $100,000 — and a $50,000 shortfall on your $150,000 in damages.
- In an add-on state, or where Georgia’s add-on election applies: your full $100,000 limit remains available on top of the $50,000 already paid. You collect $100,000 more, for a total of $150,000 — your damages, in full.
Same limit. Same damages. A $50,000 difference in what you actually collect, driven entirely by which treatment your state and policy use.
| Treatment | What it means | Worked example (round numbers) | What your limit is actually worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credited against your limit (the majority approach) | The at-fault driver’s payment is subtracted from your own UM/UIM limit before your coverage pays anything further. | $100,000 limit, $50,000 already paid by the at-fault driver → $50,000 of your coverage remains available. | Your stated limit is a ceiling on your total recovery from all sources combined, not an amount on top. |
| Your coverage sits on top (the minority approach, and Georgia’s add-on election) | Your full UM/UIM limit remains available regardless of what the at-fault driver’s insurer already paid. | $100,000 limit, $50,000 already paid by the at-fault driver → the full $100,000 remains available. | Your stated limit is added to whatever the at-fault driver’s insurer pays, up to your total damages. |
Tool: What Would You Actually Collect?
Enter your numbers to see both treatments side by side.
This tool performs arithmetic only. It does not value a claim, does not account for medical liens, comparative fault, policy exclusions, or per-accident limits, and does not tell you what you will receive. It stores nothing and sends nothing anywhere. Every figure is illustrative.
Without JavaScript, this remains a plain labeled set of fields, and Table 3 above carries the same arithmetic independently.
4. Stacking, and the Form You May Have Signed
What stacking is
Stacking means combining uninsured or underinsured motorist limits across more than one vehicle on your policy, or across more than one policy, so the coverage available in a single accident is a multiple of the per-vehicle limit. A driver with two cars insured at $50,000 each could have $100,000 available in a stacking state, and only $50,000 in a state or policy that prohibits it.
Permitted, prohibited, or elective
Some states permit stacking outright. Some prohibit it outright. Many leave it to the insurer or the policy, which means the default matters as much as the rule itself. Florida and Pennsylvania both default to stacked coverage, and require a separate signed form to move to the cheaper non-stacked version. Oklahoma flips that pattern for policies issued after November 1, 2014: non-stacked is the default unless the insurer expressly provides otherwise. Do not assume your state’s rule matches a neighboring state’s rule — check Table 1 or the lookup tool above.
What a written rejection does
In many states, insurers cannot leave uninsured motorist coverage off a policy unless the policyholder signs a written rejection, often on a form the state itself prescribes. What a missing or defective rejection form means for your coverage varies by state and by the specific facts of your policy — this is a category to be aware of, not a rule this page can state for your situation. If you are unsure whether you have a valid rejection on file, ask your insurer for a copy of the form you signed, rather than assuming either way.
| Approach | What it means for your available limits | What the default usually is | What to check on your policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stacking permitted | Limits across vehicles or policies may be combined for a single claim. | Stacked, unless the insurer’s policy language excludes it where the state allows that. | Whether your specific insurer’s policy language includes an anti-stacking clause even where the state permits stacking. |
| Stacking prohibited | Only the per-vehicle limit on the vehicle involved in the accident is available. | Non-stacked; there is no election to make. | The exact per-vehicle limit shown on your declarations page. |
| Elective, with a stacked default | Full stacked limits apply automatically. | Stacked, until a specific non-stacking election form is signed. | Whether you or a prior policyholder on this account ever signed a non-stacking election. |
| Elective, with a non-stacked default | Only the per-vehicle limit applies automatically. | Non-stacked, until you request stacked coverage in writing. | Whether stacked coverage is available on request and what it costs. |
5. Hit by an Uninsured Driver: What Happens Now
If the other driver has no insurance, or not enough, your claim moves to your own insurer. This is a first-party claim against your own policy, not a claim against a stranger, and that changes the relationship: you are asking the company you pay every month to pay you, which is a different dynamic than negotiating with someone else’s insurer. For what to do at the scene and in the first forty-eight hours, see What to Do After a Car Accident: 2026 Guide; this section begins at the moment you learn the other driver has no coverage or not enough.
Hit-and-run accidents usually fall under this same coverage, but the conditions vary by state: many require a police report within a set window, and many require evidence beyond your own account of what happened. Report the accident to police and to your own insurer promptly, and keep a copy of the report.
Deadlines for a claim against your own insurer can differ from the deadline for suing the at-fault driver directly, and both vary by state. Confirm your own deadlines rather than assuming they match; this page will not state a specific number because it varies too much to be reliable here. Disputes over the amount of a claim are typically resolved through negotiation, appraisal, or arbitration depending on your policy and state — as a category, not a procedure this page will walk you through.
| Factor | How it generally affects the payout | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The credit for the at-fault driver’s payment | In credit states, reduces the amount your own coverage adds on top. | Whether your state credits or adds on — see Table 1 and Table 3. |
| Your per-person versus per-accident limits | Multiple injured people in one accident can divide a single per-accident limit. | Both numbers on your declarations page, not just the larger one. |
| Other coverages that may be offset | Medical payments, personal injury protection, or workers’ compensation can sometimes be credited against a UM/UIM payment. | Whether your policy or state applies this to your situation. |
| Comparative fault | If you share some fault, your recovery may be reduced accordingly, under your state’s rule. | How your state allocates fault, and whether any fault was assigned to you. |
| Medical liens and subrogation | A health insurer or medical provider may have a right to be repaid from your recovery. | Any lien notices you have received. |
| Failing to give notice before settling | Can forfeit the claim entirely in some states and policies. | Your policy’s notice and consent-to-settle language, before you sign anything. |
If the accident also destroyed your vehicle, valuation and total-loss questions are a separate topic; see Totaled Car: Payout, State Thresholds & How to Dispute It. And if your first-party claim becomes adversarial — your own insurer disputes fault, disputes the amount, or delays — that is the point where getting advice on your options is worth considering; see Car Accident Lawyer: Fees, Claims & Settlements for what that involves.
6. So Is It Worth It?
The honest answer depends on five things, not one number. What your state requires: check Table 1 or the lookup tool above. Whether your state credits the at-fault driver’s payment against your limit or adds your coverage on top: this determines what your limit is actually worth, not just what it says. Whether your own health coverage would fill part of the gap, and what it would not touch, such as lost income and pain and suffering. What your existing liability limits already are, since insurance professionals commonly recommend matching your uninsured and underinsured motorist limits to your own bodily injury liability limits — a widely used practice, not a rule, and this page will not tell you what number to buy. And whether stacking is available to you, which can multiply what a modest per-vehicle limit is actually worth.
This section is short on purpose. Every competing page pads this question because every competing page is selling something. This one is not: there is no premium figure to quote, no recommended limit, and no case-worth number, because none of those would be reliable coming from a page that has never seen your policy or your state’s current law. See How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? (2026 Guide) for how this line fits alongside the other limits on your policy, and, if you are weighing whether to file a claim at all when the numbers are close, Insurance Claim or Pay Out of Pocket? Run the Break-Even Math.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
- What is uninsured motorist coverage?
- It is first-party coverage from your own insurer that pays your bodily injury losses when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance. It is required in some states and must be offered, with a written decline option, in most of the rest.
- What is the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage?
- Uninsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when they have insurance, but not enough to cover your damages. They are often sold as separate coverages with separate limits.
- Is uninsured motorist coverage required in my state?
- It depends on your state. Check Table 1 above or use the state lookup tool at the top of this page for your specific state’s answer.
- Is uninsured motorist coverage worth it?
- For most drivers, yes, because it is usually inexpensive relative to the protection it provides and it is often the only coverage that pays when the at-fault driver cannot. Whether a specific limit is worth it to you depends on your state’s offset rule, your existing liability limits, and your health coverage; see Section 6.
- Can I decline uninsured motorist coverage?
- In states where it is merely offered, yes, usually by signing a written rejection form. In states where it is required, no.
- What happens if I never signed a rejection form?
- If your state defaults to including this coverage and you never signed a valid written rejection, you likely still have it. Ask your insurer for a copy of your declarations page and any forms on file.
- What is stacked uninsured motorist coverage?
- Stacking combines your uninsured or underinsured motorist limits across multiple vehicles or policies, increasing the total available for a single accident beyond the per-vehicle limit.
- Is stacking worth the extra cost?
- It depends on how many vehicles you insure and how much protection you already carry. This page does not recommend a specific choice; check whether your state permits it and what your insurer charges for it.
- How does underinsured motorist coverage work?
- Your insurer pays some or all of the gap between what the at-fault driver’s liability insurer pays and your total damages, up to your own UIM limit. Whether that payment is added on top of the at-fault payment or reduced by it depends on your state; see Section 3.
- Why did I get less than my policy limit?
- In credit (reduced-by) states, your policy limit is a ceiling on your total recovery from all sources, not an amount added to what the at-fault driver’s insurer already paid. See the worked example in Section 3.
- Does my own coverage pay on top of the other driver’s?
- Only in add-on states, or where your state lets you elect that treatment, such as Georgia. In most states, the at-fault driver’s payment is credited against your limit instead.
- Does it cover hit and run?
- Usually, yes, under the uninsured motorist portion of the coverage, but reporting and evidence requirements vary by state and are the reason these claims are sometimes denied.
- What if there was no police report?
- Some states require a police report or other independent evidence for a hit-and-run claim. Check your state’s specific requirement, and file a report as soon as possible if you have not already.
- Does it repair my car?
- Not usually. This is bodily injury coverage. Vehicle damage is typically a separate uninsured motorist property damage coverage, where it exists, or your own collision coverage.
- Who pays if the other driver has no insurance?
- Your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it. Without it, in states where it is not required, you may have to pursue the at-fault driver directly for any recovery.
- Do I have to tell my insurer before settling with the other driver?
- In many states and policies, yes, and in some cases you need written consent. Failing to do so can forfeit your first-party claim. Read your policy and ask before you sign or accept anything.
- Does it cover me as a pedestrian or in someone else’s car?
- In the common policy structure, yes, for the policyholder and resident relatives. This varies by policy, so confirm on your own declarations page.
- How much uninsured motorist coverage should I carry?
- This page does not recommend a specific number. A widely used professional practice is to match this coverage to your own bodily injury liability limits; that is a common recommendation among insurance professionals, not a rule, and the right number for you depends on your own finances and risk tolerance.
This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not legal or insurance advice, and AdvoraHQ is not an insurer, an agency, a broker, or a law firm, and receives nothing from any of them for what appears on this page. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is governed by state law and by the specific language of your policy: whether it must be carried, whether it must be offered, whether a rejection must be in writing, whether limits may be stacked, whether a payment from the at-fault driver is credited against your limit or added to it, and what deadlines apply all vary by state and change over time. The state information on this page is stated as of the verification date shown in Table 1 and should be confirmed against your state’s current statutes or department of insurance. The tools on this page report state requirements and perform arithmetic on the figures you enter; they store nothing, send nothing anywhere, do not read or interpret your policy, do not value any claim, and do not tell you what you will receive. Every worked figure is illustrative. Consult your policy documents, your state’s insurance department, or a licensed professional in your state about your own situation.
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Daniel Hayes is the founder and sole researcher at AdvoraHQ. He covers U.S. personal finance, insurance, and consumer law — working directly from IRS publications, federal and state statutes, court opinions, and SEC filings rather than secondary summaries. His focus is the gap between what readers think they know and what the source documents actually say. Daniel is not a licensed attorney, CPA, or financial advisor; his articles are educational and not personalized advice. Reach him at Daniel.Hayes@advorahq.com.
