Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage reimburses policyholders in an accident involving an uninsured, underinsured or hit-and-run driver. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have mandatory requirements for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. More than half of the states have passed laws and begun to develop and implement online auto insurance verification systems to identify uninsured motorists.
In 2015, 13.0 percent of motorists, or about one in eight drivers, was uninsured, according to a 2017 study (latest data available) by the Insurance Research Council (IRC). The percentage has been rising since it hit a record low of 12.3 in 2010. Florida had the highest percentage of uninsured motorists, 26.7 percent, and Maine had the lowest, 4.5 percent. IRC measures the number of uninsured motorists based on insurance claims, using a ratio of insurance claims made by people who were injured by uninsured drivers relative to the claims made by people who were injured by insured drivers.
Estimated Percentage Of Uninsured Motorists, 1992-2015 (1)
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(1) Percentage of uninsured drivers, as measured by the ratio of uninsured motorists (UM) claims to bodily injury (BI) claim frequencies.
Source: Insurance Research Council.
Top 10 Highest And Lowest States By Estimated Percentage Of Uninsured Motorists, 2015 (1)
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(1) Percentage of uninsured drivers, as measured by the ratio of uninsured motorists (UM) claims to bodily injury (BI) claim frequencies.
Source: Insurance Research Council.
Estimated Percentage Of Uninsured Motorists By State, 2015 (1)
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(1) Percentage of uninsured drivers, as measured by the ratio of uninsured motorists (UM) claims to bodily injury (BI) claim frequencies.
(2) Rank calculated from unrounded data.
(3) In Florida, compulsory auto laws apply to personal injury protection (PIP) and physical damage, but not to third-party bodily injury coverage.
(2) Rank calculated from unrounded data.
(3) In Florida, compulsory auto laws apply to personal injury protection (PIP) and physical damage, but not to third-party bodily injury coverage.
Source: Insurance Research Council.
Automobile Financial Responsibility Limits And Enforcement By State
(As of January 2018)
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(1) Compulsory Coverages:
BI Liab=Bodily injury liability
PD Liab=Property damage liability
UM=Uninsured motorist
PD=Physical damage
Med=First party (policyholder) medical expenses
UIM=Underinsured motorist
PIP=Personal Injury Protection. Mandatory in no-fault states. Includes medical, rehabilitation, loss of earnings and funeral expenses. In some states PIP includes essential services such as child care.
FR=Financial responsibility only. Insurance not compulsory.
(2) The first two numbers refer to bodily injury liability limits and the third number to property damage liability. For example, 20/40/10 means coverage up to $40,000 for all persons injured in an accident, subject to a limit of $20,000 for one individual, and $10,000 coverage for property damage.
(3) a. Insurer m ust notify Department of Motor Vehicles or other state agency of cancellation or nonrenewal.
b. Insurer must verify financial responsibility or insurance after an accident or arrest.
c.Insurer must verify randomly selected insurance policies upon request.
d. Includes states where law allows an online web-based verification system where administrators can verify insurance compliance in real time.
(4) Low-cost policy limits for low-income drivers in the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan are 10/20/3.
(5) Instead of policy limits, policyholders can satisfy the requirement with a combined single limit policy. Amounts vary by state.
(6) In addition, policyholders must also have coverage for medical payments. Amounts vary by state.
(7) Basic policy (optional) limits are 10/10/5. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage not available under the basic policy but uninsured motorist coverage is required under the standard policy. Special Automobile Insurance Policy available for certain drivers which only covers emergency treatment and a $10,000 death benefit.
(8) In addition, policyholders must have 50/100 for wrongful death coverage.
(9) UIM Mandatory in policies with UM limits exceeding certain limits. Amount vary by state.
(10) Compulsory to buy insurance or pay an Uninsured Motorists Vehicle (UMV) fee to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
BI Liab=Bodily injury liability
PD Liab=Property damage liability
UM=Uninsured motorist
PD=Physical damage
Med=First party (policyholder) medical expenses
UIM=Underinsured motorist
PIP=Personal Injury Protection. Mandatory in no-fault states. Includes medical, rehabilitation, loss of earnings and funeral expenses. In some states PIP includes essential services such as child care.
FR=Financial responsibility only. Insurance not compulsory.
(2) The first two numbers refer to bodily injury liability limits and the third number to property damage liability. For example, 20/40/10 means coverage up to $40,000 for all persons injured in an accident, subject to a limit of $20,000 for one individual, and $10,000 coverage for property damage.
(3) a. Insurer m ust notify Department of Motor Vehicles or other state agency of cancellation or nonrenewal.
b. Insurer must verify financial responsibility or insurance after an accident or arrest.
c.Insurer must verify randomly selected insurance policies upon request.
d. Includes states where law allows an online web-based verification system where administrators can verify insurance compliance in real time.
(4) Low-cost policy limits for low-income drivers in the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan are 10/20/3.
(5) Instead of policy limits, policyholders can satisfy the requirement with a combined single limit policy. Amounts vary by state.
(6) In addition, policyholders must also have coverage for medical payments. Amounts vary by state.
(7) Basic policy (optional) limits are 10/10/5. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage not available under the basic policy but uninsured motorist coverage is required under the standard policy. Special Automobile Insurance Policy available for certain drivers which only covers emergency treatment and a $10,000 death benefit.
(8) In addition, policyholders must have 50/100 for wrongful death coverage.
(9) UIM Mandatory in policies with UM limits exceeding certain limits. Amount vary by state.
(10) Compulsory to buy insurance or pay an Uninsured Motorists Vehicle (UMV) fee to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
