Updated June 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) pays for your injuries and property damage when the at-fault driver has no insurance, insufficient insurance to cover your losses, or flees the scene. Washington law requires carriers to offer UM coverage matching your liability limits—minimum $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury—and you must sign a rejection form if you don't want it. Most suspended drivers reinstating after an uninsured driving violation need this coverage to satisfy DMV reinstatement requirements and avoid future violations.
- You're rear-ended on I-5 in Seattle and the other driver speeds off without stopping. You suffer whiplash requiring $8,000 in medical treatment and your vehicle has $3,500 in damage. Your UM bodily injury coverage pays the $8,000 medical bill up to your policy limit. If you have UMPD, it covers the vehicle damage minus your deductible. Without UM, you pay all costs out of pocket unless the police locate the driver.
- An uninsured driver runs a red light in Spokane and T-bones your car, causing $15,000 in medical bills and totaling your vehicle. Your UM bodily injury coverage pays the medical bills up to your limit—if you carry $25,000 per person, the full $15,000 is covered. The vehicle loss is not covered under standard UM. You would need collision coverage or UMPD to recover vehicle damage, and collision would apply here since the loss exceeds most UMPD limits.
- A driver with Washington's minimum $25,000 liability limit hits you, causing $40,000 in injuries. Their liability pays the first $25,000. If you carry Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage at $50,000, your UIM pays the remaining $15,000. Without UIM, you absorb the $15,000 gap. UIM and UM are sold together in Washington—you cannot buy one without the other.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Suspended drivers reinstating after an uninsured driving violation should carry UM coverage because Washington DMV tracks coverage lapses and rejecting UM after a suspension can flag your file for closer monitoring. Drivers using non-owner SR-22 policies to satisfy reinstatement requirements without owning a vehicle still need UM—it protects you as a pedestrian or passenger, and Washington requires it on non-owner policies unless explicitly waived. Anyone living in high-uninsured-driver areas like Yakima County or driving frequently on I-5 corridors with heavy hit-and-run rates should carry UM at or above state minimums.
If your license was suspended for driving uninsured, keep UM coverage—rejecting it after reinstatement creates a compliance optics problem with the state. If you carry liability-only and have no health insurance, UM is non-negotiable because it's your only protection against uninsured drivers. If you have collision, comprehensive, and health coverage, calculate whether the $10–$18/month UM premium is worth avoiding out-of-pocket costs in a hit-and-run scenario where the other driver is never found.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
UM coverage typically adds $8–$18 per month to a Washington liability policy, or $96–$216 annually, depending on your limits and whether you add UMPD.
- Your UM limits—Washington allows you to purchase UM up to your liability limits, so higher liability limits mean higher UM premiums.
- Whether you add Underinsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD)—this endorsement covers vehicle damage when the at-fault driver has no or low property damage coverage and typically adds $3–$8/month.
- Your ZIP code—areas with higher uninsured driver rates, such as Yakima and parts of Spokane County, see higher UM premiums because the risk of a UM claim is statistically higher.
- Your driving record—carriers price UM lower for drivers with clean records, but suspended drivers reinstating often see 15–30% higher UM premiums due to elevated risk classification.
- Stacking availability—if you insure multiple vehicles on one policy, you can elect to stack UM limits across vehicles, which increases your total available coverage but also raises your premium proportionally.