Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Washington
Uninsured Motorist Coverage pays your medical bills and vehicle damage when you're hit by a driver with no insurance or a hit-and-run driver who flees the scene.
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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. Most suspended drivers reinstating after an uninsured driving violation need this coverage to satisfy DMV reinstatement requirements and avoid future violations.
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.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
- Your UM limits—Washington allows you to purchase UM up to your liability limits, so higher liability limits mean higher UM premiums.
- 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.
- 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.
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