Uninsured Motorist Statistics and Facts (2026 Update)

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By Nathan Paulus
Edited by Venus Zoleta

Updated: May 13, 2026

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A woman stands by the side of the road, holding her neck in discomfort and looking at her phone, indicating a recent car accident.

More than one in seven U.S. drivers, or 15.4%, are uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council's 2025 study, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017–2023. Add the 18% of drivers who carry liability coverage too low to pay for the damage they cause, and the combined rate reaches 33.4%, or one in three drivers without adequate coverage in 2023. The combined rate had risen 10 percentage points since 2017.

For drivers who do carry coverage, the financial consequence is direct: if the at-fault driver can't pay, the victim's insurer pays, or the victim does. That gap is why uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage exist, and why 20 states plus Washington, D.C., require one or both.

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KEY FINDINGS
  • 15.4% of U.S. drivers were uninsured in 2023, the highest rate in the IRC's series and up from 12.4% in 2017.
  • 33.4% of drivers were uninsured or underinsured combined in 2023, a 10-point increase since 2017.
  • Mississippi had the highest uninsured rate at 28.2%. Maine had the lowest at 5.7%.
  • Colorado had the highest underinsured rate at 49.7%. Washington, D.C., had the lowest at 4.6%.
  • The largest UM rate increases from 2017 to 2023 were in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Missouri.
  • 20 states plus the district require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

How Uninsured Motorist Rates Changed From 2017 to 2023

The U.S. uninsured rate fell from 12.4% in 2017 to 11.6% in 2019, then climbed to 14.3% during the pandemic year of 2020 and has risen every year since. By 2023, the rate hit 15.4%, the highest figure on record in the IRC's 2017–2023 study series.

From 2017 to 2019, only 11 jurisdictions saw an increase in their UM rate; uninsured driving was declining across most of the country. The pandemic reversed that. Nearly every state recorded a UM rate increase in 2020, and the rate has not returned to pre-2020 levels in any year since. The IRC has linked the post-2020 trend to economic pressure during the pandemic and rising premiums in the years that followed, which together raised the cost of maintaining coverage for lower-income drivers.

The largest multi-year increases from 2017 to 2023 were in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Missouri. Michigan recorded the largest decline among states from 2020 to 2023, though it still ranked fourth-highest in 2023 at 22.3%.

States With the Highest and Lowest Uninsured Driver Rates

Mississippi had the country's highest uninsured rate at 28.2% in 2023, followed by New Mexico at 24.1% and Washington, D.C., at 23.1%. At the other end, Maine had the lowest rate at 5.7%, with Utah at 6.2% and Idaho at 6.4%.

Top 10 Uninsured States
1
Mississippi
28.2%
2
New Mexico
24.1%
3
Washington, D.C.
23.1%
4
Michigan
22.3%
5
Tennessee
21.3%
6
Missouri
20.7%
7
Florida
20.6%
8
California
20.4%
9
Colorado
19.7%
10
Washington
19.1%
Bottom 10 Uninsured States
1
Maine
5.7%
2
Utah
6.2%
3
Idaho
6.4%
4
Wyoming
6.7%
5
Montana
7.2%
6
West Virginia
7.8%
7
Massachusetts
7.9%
8
New York
8.6%
9
South Dakota
9.4%
10
Nebraska
9.5%

In 2023, 15 states plus Washington, D.C., had uninsured rates above the national 15.4% average. The remaining 35 states had rates below the average.

Uninsured Driver Rates by State

The full state list below combines the IRC's 2023 uninsured rate with each state's minimum liability limits, whether UM or UIM coverage is mandatory, and MoneyGeek's 2026 average annual full coverage premium for that state.

Maine
5.7%
51
50/100/25
UM and UIM
$923
Utah
6.2%
50
25/65/15
No
$1,611
Idaho
6.4%
49
25/50/15
No
$969
Wyoming
6.7%
48
25/50/20
No
$1,003
Montana
7.2%
47
25/50/20
No
$1,454
West Virginia
7.8%
46
25/50/25
UM
$1,406
Massachusetts
7.9%
45
20/40/5
UM
$1,182
New York
8.6%
44
25/50/10
UM and UIM
$1,482
South Dakota
9.4%
43
25/50/25
UM and UIM
$1,233
Nebraska
9.5%
42
25/50/25
UM and UIM
$1,293
Hawaii
9.6%
41
20/40/10
No
$1,034
New Hampshire
10%
40
25/50/25 (FR only)
No
$986
South Carolina
10.3%
39
25/50/25
UM
$1,602
Arizona
10.6%
37
25/50/15
No
$1,667
North Dakota
10.6%
37
25/50/25
UM and UIM
$1,057
Pennsylvania
11%
36
15/30/5
No
$1,470
Nevada
11.1%
35
25/50/20
No
$1,948
Minnesota
11.3%
34
30/60/10
UM and UIM
$1,247
Iowa
11.4%
33
20/40/15
No
$1,173
Louisiana
11.7%
32
15/30/25
No
$2,979
Connecticut
11.8%
29
25/50/25
UM and UIM
$1,789
North Carolina
11.8%
29
30/60/25
UM and UIM
$1,253
Vermont
11.8%
29
25/50/10
UM and UIM
$886
Kansas
12%
27
25/50/15
UM and UIM
$1,435
Oklahoma
12%
27
25/50/25
No
$1,632
Arkansas
12.1%
26
25/50/25
No
$1,480
Rhode Island
12.4%
25
25/50/25
No
$1,552
Alaska
12.5%
24
50/100/25
No
$1,350
Virginia
12.9%
23
30/60/20
UM and UIM
$1,154
Indiana
14%
22
25/50/25
No
$1,013
Kentucky
14.1%
20
25/50/25
No
$1,629
New Jersey
14.1%
20
25/50/25
UM and UIM
$2,039
Texas
14.5%
19
30/60/25
No
$1,886
Oregon
14.7%
18
25/50/20
UM and UIM
$1,360
Illinois
15.2%
17
25/50/20
UM and UIM
$1,238
Wisconsin
15.6%
16
25/50/10
UM
$1,057
Alabama
16.8%
15
25/50/25
No
$1,262
Maryland
16.9%
14
30/60/15
UM and UIM
$1,790
Delaware
17.6%
13
25/50/10
No
$2,192
Ohio
18.5%
12
25/50/25
No
$1,095
Georgia
19%
11
25/50/25
No
$1,657
Washington
19.1%
10
25/50/10
No
$1,358
Colorado
19.7%
9
25/50/15
No
$1,870
California
20.4%
8
15/30/5
No
$1,666
Florida
20.6%
7
10/20/10
No
$2,786
Missouri
20.7%
6
25/50/25
UM
$1,507
Tennessee
21.3%
5
25/50/25
No
$1,246
Michigan
22.3%
4
50/100/10 (a)
No
$1,604
District of Columbia
23.1%
3
25/50/10
UM
$2,261
New Mexico
24.1%
2
25/50/10
No
$1,456
Mississippi
28.2%
1
25/50/25
No
$1,475
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Source notes: UM rates from IRC, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017–2023. Minimum liability limits from Insurance Information Institute as of December 2023, sourced from APCIA's Automobile Financial Responsibility Laws and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist and Umbrella Coverage Requirements. Full coverage premium reflects MoneyGeek's 2026 state-level average for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record at 100/300/100 limits with $1,000 comp/coll deductibles, sourced from Quadrant Information Services state filings.

The first two minimum-limit numbers represent bodily injury coverage per person and per accident in thousands of dollars; the third is property damage in thousands. New Hampshire's "FR only" notation reflects the state's financial responsibility framework, which lets drivers prove they can cover damages instead of carrying insurance. New Jersey's basic-policy alternative drops liability to 10/10/5 and excludes UM/UIM, so the standard policy figures are listed. Several states (Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Utah) allow drivers to satisfy the requirement with a combined single-limit policy. (a) Michigan's 2020 no-fault reform set a statutory default of 250/500/10 for bodily injury liability; drivers may opt down to 50/100/10 by signed waiver. The 50/100/10 figure shown reflects the absolute minimum legally permitted.

Note on the premium column: This figure is full coverage total premium, not the cost of UM/UIM coverage on its own. MoneyGeek's public state rate tables don't isolate UM/UIM as a standalone line item. The full coverage average is the closest defensible proxy for the cost of broader auto insurance protection by state. A dedicated UM/UIM-only premium update is in development.

Underinsured Drivers: The Bigger Half of the Problem

Underinsured drivers carry liability coverage, but not enough to fully pay for the harm they cause. The IRC's 2025 study put the national UIM rate at 18% in 2023, higher than the 15.4% uninsured rate, and the gap between the two has widened almost every year since 2017. "The increase in UIM rates points to higher UIM premiums in the future, worsening affordability and potentially increasing the likelihood of more uninsured drivers," said IRC President Dale Porfilio. "This demonstrates the complex interconnectedness of these two coverages as insurers protect consumers from insufficient coverage by at-fault drivers."

Colorado had the country's highest UIM rate in 2023 at 49.7%. Roughly half of all Colorado drivers carried liability coverage too low to fully cover an injury accident. Washington, D.C., had the lowest at 4.6%. UIM rates rose in nearly every state from 2017 to 2023; New York and the district were the only exceptions. State UIM rates show wider variation than UM rates.

Many high-UM states also have high UIM rates, but the correlation isn't uniform. Nevada and Louisiana combine below-average UM rates with high UIM rates. Washington, D.C., shows the reverse: a high UM rate with the country's lowest UIM rate.

Combined, 33.4% of U.S. drivers were uninsured or underinsured in 2023. Roughly one in three. The 10-percentage-point increase in the combined rate since 2017 is the headline number from the 2025 IRC study, and the trend is the strongest argument for carrying UM/UIM coverage even in states that don't require it.

How UM and UIM Coverage Work

Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries (and in some states, vehicle damage) caused by a driver who has no liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage covers the same costs when the at-fault driver does have insurance, but the at-fault driver's limits aren't enough to pay the full claim. UM and UIM coverages apply only when the insured driver is not at fault, and both sit alongside liability, collision and comprehensive in a standard auto insurance coverage stack. UM limits, stacking and rejection rules are covered in MoneyGeek's full UM/UIM explainer.

Most states that mandate the coverage require uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI), which pays medical bills and related injury costs. Bodily-injury-specific limits and pricing are covered in MoneyGeek's UMBI guide. A smaller group of states also require uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD), which covers vehicle repairs. Washington, D.C., requires UMPD with a $5,000 limit and a $200 deductible, per the Washington, D.C. DMV. UMPD requirements in other states should be verified through each state's Department of Insurance, as requirement specifics shift.

Hit-and-run accidents qualify for UM coverage in most states if the at-fault driver can't be identified. UIM doesn't apply to hit-and-runs because UIM covers cases where the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough of it.

Nationally, UM coverage cost insured drivers about $78 per vehicle a year as of 2016, the most recent year the IRC has published a per-vehicle figure. The IRC's 2025 study didn't include an updated dollar figure. State-level pricing varies widely; the figures in the state table above show the full coverage premium total, which includes UM/UIM where required.

What It Costs to Be Hit by an Uninsured Driver

When the at-fault driver has no insurance, the victim has three options: pay out of pocket, file under UM coverage, or sue the driver and hope they have assets. Most uninsured drivers don't have collectible assets, which leaves the first two. The table below models out-of-pocket exposure for three crash scenarios when the at-fault driver is uninsured and the victim has no UM coverage.

Minor injury, drivable car
$5,000–7,000 repair
$2,000–4,000 ER and follow-up
$700–1,500 (3–5 days off work)
$7,700–12,500
Moderate injury, total loss
$15,000–20,000 replacement
$10,000–20,000 acute care plus PT
$4,000–8,000 (4–8 weeks off)
$29,000–48,000
Severe injury, hospitalization
$20,000–30,000 replacement
$50,000–150,000+ acute and long-term
$20,000–60,000+ (3–12 months off)
$90,000–240,000+
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Source notes: Illustrative scenario modeling. Vehicle damage figures based on industry averages from Insurance Information Institute collision and comprehensive claim severity data. Medical costs based on Kaiser Family Foundation reports on average emergency department and inpatient charges and Bureau of Labor Statistics data on out-of-pocket medical spending. Lost wages based on Bureau of Labor Statistics median weekly earnings for full-time workers. These figures don't include pain-and-suffering settlements or long-term disability impact and are not insurance quotes.

A few realities compound this exposure:

If the injured driver has health insurance, the plan pays first, but the driver is still responsible for the deductible, co-insurance and out-of-network charges. The KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey reports the average single-coverage deductible for an employer plan is now over $1,700, and family deductibles are higher. High-deductible health plans push that figure further. Auto medical bills that go straight to a hospital before insurance is sorted out can also hit collections fast.

Total losses without collision coverage fall entirely on the vehicle owner. The at-fault driver is liable on paper, but liability is only collectible if the driver has wages or assets. Suing an uninsured driver who has neither can cost more in legal fees than the judgment is worth.

If the injured driver can't work, wages stop. Workers' comp doesn't apply unless the crash happened on the job. Short-term disability through an employer may cover part of lost wages, but most plans cap out around 60% of base pay.

States with high uninsured rates show higher UM/UIM uptake among insured drivers because going without UM in a state where one in five drivers is uninsured carries real financial exposure.

How Much It Costs to Move From Minimum to Full Coverage

State-minimum liability insurance is the least expensive legally compliant option. It doesn't cover damage to the insured's own vehicle, and in most states, it doesn't include UM/UIM. Full coverage adds comprehensive, collision and (in most states) UM/UIM to a liability policy. That configuration covers costs from an uninsured at-fault driver.

MoneyGeek's 2026 state premium data breaks down the upgrade cost:

  • Most expensive states for full coverage: Louisiana ($2,979), Florida ($2,786) and Washington, D.C. ($2,261).
  • Least expensive states for full coverage: Vermont ($886), Maine ($923) and Idaho ($969).

Four states and Washington, D.C., have average full coverage premiums above $2,000 a year. Premiums in four other states fall under $1,000. The spread between the highest and lowest exceeds $2,000 a year for the same coverage profile. The difference reflects how much state-level loss costs, regulation and weather risk vary across states. The full state list is in the table above. MoneyGeek's cheapest full coverage carriers guide identifies the lowest-cost carriers in each state.

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Source notes: These figures represent total full coverage premiums, not the cost of UM/UIM coverage on its own. MoneyGeek's public state rate tables don't isolate UM/UIM as a standalone line item.

States That Require Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Twenty states plus Washington, D.C., require drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage, or both. State-mandated UM/UIM limits match the state's minimum bodily injury liability limits in most cases, though some states allow drivers to reject UM/UIM in writing.

Massachusetts
Yes
No
20/40/5
Connecticut
Yes
Yes
25/50/25
Washington, D.C.
Yes
No
25/50/10 (UMPD: $5,000 with $200 deductible)
Illinois
Yes
Yes
25/50/20
Kansas
Yes
Yes
25/50/15
Missouri
Yes
No
25/50/25
Nebraska
Yes
Yes
25/50/25
New Jersey
Yes
Yes
25/50/25
New York
Yes
Yes
25/50/10
North Dakota
Yes
Yes
25/50/25
Oregon
Yes
Yes
25/50/20
South Carolina
Yes
No
25/50/25
South Dakota
Yes
Yes
25/50/25
Vermont
Yes
Yes
25/50/10
West Virginia
Yes
No
25/50/25
Wisconsin
Yes
No
25/50/10
Maryland
Yes
Yes
30/60/15
Minnesota
Yes
Yes
30/60/10
North Carolina
Yes
Yes
30/60/25
Virginia
Yes
Yes
30/60/20
Maine
Yes
Yes
50/100/25

Even in states where UM/UIM isn't mandatory, insurers are required to offer it. Rejection must be in writing in most states, and the rejection applies only to the policy on which it's signed; if a driver switches carriers, the coverage applies by default unless rejected again.

How Drivers Can Limit Exposure to Uninsured Motorists

Drivers can't control whether others buy insurance, but several coverage choices limit financial exposure when an uninsured driver is at fault.

  1. 1
    Carrying UM and UIM coverage

    UM/UIM is available in all states, even those that don't require it. Most insurers price it as a small add-on relative to liability, and coverage extends to passengers in the vehicle and family members in the household. Going without UM in a state where one in five drivers is uninsured leaves the insured driver exposed to the full cost of a crash. MoneyGeek's state premium tables show full coverage costs by state.

  2. 2
    Matching UM/UIM limits to liability limits

    State minimums are often too low to cover costs from a serious crash. Carrying 100/300 UM and UIM alongside 100/300 liability provides consistent coverage across scenarios. The cost difference between state-minimum UM limits and higher limits is small relative to the added protection. Where state law permits stacking, drivers can combine UM/UIM limits across multiple vehicles.

  3. 3
    Adding an umbrella policy

    Personal umbrella coverage adds liability protection above the auto policy, in $1 million increments in most cases, and many umbrella policies extend UM/UIM coverage at the umbrella limit. Annual costs are often a few hundred dollars, and the coverage applies to serious-injury scenarios that exceed standard auto limits.

  4. 4
    Reviewing coverage annually

    Liability and UM/UIM limits appropriate at policy inception may need adjustment after income changes, a new vehicle, a newly licensed household driver, or a move to a state with a higher uninsured rate. The IRC's 2025 study data and each state's UM trend provide specific context for those limit reviews.

State Initiatives to Reduce Uninsured Driving

States have two main tools for reducing uninsured rates: laws that limit what uninsured drivers can recover after a crash, and verification systems that flag lapsed policies in real time.

"No Pay, No Play" Laws

"No Pay, No Play" laws prevent uninsured drivers from suing for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, even when the other driver is at fault. Uninsured drivers can still recover economic damages like medical bills and vehicle repair, but the cap on non-economic damages is the financial penalty for driving uninsured.

States with "No Pay, No Play" laws on the books include California, Louisiana, Michigan and New Jersey. The IRC has found these laws correlate with small reductions in uninsured rates and lower auto insurance costs in states that enforce them, though the effect varies by state and enforcement approach.

Online Insurance Verification Systems

More than half of U.S. states now use online insurance verification systems that let the state DMV check, in real time, whether a registered vehicle is insured. Insurers in these states report policy issuance, cancellation and reinstatement directly to the state, and the system flags vehicles whose insurance has lapsed. The DMV can then suspend the registration, fine the owner or both. Drivers who lose coverage may need an SR-22 filing from their insurer to reinstate registration.

Texas, Alabama and Mississippi operate among the most established systems. The IRC and state DOIs have found that verification systems reduce uninsured rates in states that pair them with active enforcement, though states with weak enforcement see smaller effects.

Low-Cost State Auto Programs

A handful of states run low-cost auto insurance programs aimed at lower-income drivers who would otherwise go uninsured. California, New Jersey and Hawaii have the largest programs. California's program offers liability-only coverage at limits below the state minimum (10/20/3 vs. the standard 15/30/5) at premiums well below market rates. Eligibility is means-tested and limited to drivers with clean records. The IRC's 2025 study identifies these programs as a policy lever for addressing affordability-driven uninsured driving.

FAQ About Uninsured Motorist Coverage

What's the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage?

What happens when an uninsured motorist hits a driver with no UM coverage?

Which states require uninsured motorist coverage?

Do rates increase after a UM claim?

How does UM coverage work in a hit-and-run?

How much does uninsured motorist coverage cost?

Does UM coverage extend to passengers?

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Methodology

Two data sources underpin this analysis: the Insurance Research Council's 2025 study, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017–2023, and MoneyGeek's 2026 state premium tables.

About Nathan Paulus

Nathan Paulus headshot

Nathan Paulus is Head of Content and SEO at MoneyGeek, where he leads content strategy and produces original data research across insurance, consumer costs, transportation safety, housing, public policy and personal finance. He also reviews published studies for methodology, source quality and factual accuracy before they reach readers.

Research and Analysis

In nearly six years at MoneyGeek, Paulus has published more than 100 original studies and explanatory guides. His insurance research includes 50-state comparisons of health care outcomes, costs and access; an analysis of how uninsured rates track with state Medicaid expansion decisions and electoral patterns; full coverage auto rate analyses across major insurers in all 50 states; and a study of how premium trends track with industry underwriting losses, with combined ratio data sourced from Fitch Ratings, AM Best and Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI figures. His research also covers vehicle pricing trends across the U.S. new car market, summer traffic fatality rates by state, homeowner underinsurance ratios using mortgage and policy data, and housing affordability across all 50 states.

His research has been cited by Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Fast Company, the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today and NBC Los Angeles. Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Yale have also referenced his work.

Career

Growing up, Paulus developed an early interest in personal finance through his grandmother, who emphasized saving over earning as the foundation of financial stability. Her framing still shows up in how he writes about money for people without a financial background.

Paulus joined MoneyGeek in July 2020 as Director of Content Marketing. In that role, he led the content team and directed data journalism production across insurance and personal finance verticals. He was promoted to Head of Marketing and Communications in December 2023, where he took on digital PR and communications strategy. He has held his current role as Head of Content and SEO since January 2025.

Before MoneyGeek, he served as Director of Content Marketing and SEO at Ventrix Advertising. There, he helped build two content sites from scratch, contributed to link-building programs that secured more than 1,500 unique referring domains within a year, and co-managed a marketing team of more than 20 people. Earlier, he spent two and a half years at ABUV Media, moving up from Marketing Research Analyst to Senior Marketing Tactics Analyst, where he built his grounding in audience research, content strategy and SEO.

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