Uninsured Drivers by State (2026): Most Minimums Fall Short of the Average Injury Claim

If another driver hits you, two numbers decide whether their insurance actually pays your bills: how likely that driver is to be uninsured, and how much coverage your state forces insured drivers to carry. We combined both for every state and D.C. The result shows where a crash is most likely to leave you covering the gap yourself.

Data sources: uninsured driver rates from the Insurance Research Council (2025 study, 2023 data). Minimum liability limits as of September 2026, cross-checked against state changes that took effect in 2025 and 2026. Average claim costs from Triple-I (ISO data, 2024). Full method at the bottom.

Key findings

Most state minimums do not cover an average injury claim

The average bodily injury liability claim reached $28,278 in 2024, up from $19,151 in 2019. Yet 34 states and D.C. still set the per-person injury minimum at $25,000, and a few set it lower: Louisiana and Pennsylvania at $15,000, Iowa at $20,000. Florida requires no injury liability at all, only $10,000 of property damage plus personal injury protection. Only 12 states require $30,000 or more per person.

Property damage minimums hold up better. Every state except Pennsylvania ($5,000) requires more than the average property damage claim of $6,770.

Uninsured drivers are more common than in 2019

The Insurance Research Council estimates 15.4% of drivers were uninsured in 2023, about one in seven. That is up from 11.6% in 2019. Fifteen states and D.C. sit above the national rate.

The 10 states with the most uninsured drivers

• Mississippi: 28.2%
• New Mexico: 24.1%
• District of Columbia: 23.1%
• Michigan: 22.3%
• Tennessee: 21.3%
• Missouri: 20.7%
• Florida: 20.6%
• California: 20.4%
• Colorado: 19.7%
• Washington: 19.1%

Eight of these ten also set a per-person injury minimum below the average claim. Michigan (50/100 lowest option) and California (30/60, raised in 2025) are the exceptions.

Where drivers face all three risks

These 10 states have an uninsured rate above the national 15.4%, a per-person injury minimum below the average claim, and no requirement to carry uninsured motorist coverage. Some of them require insurers to offer it, so it is usually one line on a quote to add.

State	Uninsured drivers	Injury minimum per person
Mississippi	28.2%	$25,000
New Mexico	24.1%	$25,000
Tennessee	21.3%	$25,000
Florida	20.6%	None required
Colorado	19.7%	$25,000
Washington	19.1%	$25,000
Georgia	19.0%	$25,000
Ohio	18.5%	$25,000
Delaware	17.6%	$25,000
Alabama	16.8%	$25,000

Uninsured drivers and minimum coverage, all 50 states and D.C.

Sorted by uninsured rate, highest first. Minimum liability is shown as injury per person / injury per accident / property damage, in thousands of dollars. “Gap” compares the per-person injury minimum to the $28,278 average injury claim.

Rank	State	Uninsured drivers (2023)	Minimum liability (2026)	Gap vs. average injury claim	Uninsured motorist coverage required?
1	Mississippi	28.2%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
2	New Mexico	24.1%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	No
3	District of Columbia	23.1%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	Yes
4	Michigan	22.3%	50/100/10 (lowest option)	Covers it	No
5	Tennessee	21.3%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
6	Missouri	20.7%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
7	Florida	20.6%	None (10K property only)	No injury liability	No
8	California	20.4%	30/60/15	Covers it	No
9	Colorado	19.7%	25/50/15	$3,278 short	No
10	Washington	19.1%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	No
11	Georgia	19.0%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
12	Ohio	18.5%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
13	Delaware	17.6%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	No
14	Maryland	16.9%	30/60/15	Covers it	Yes
15	Alabama	16.8%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
16	Wisconsin	15.6%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	Yes
17	Illinois	15.2%	25/50/20	$3,278 short	Yes
18	Oregon	14.7%	25/50/20	$3,278 short	Yes
19	Texas	14.5%	30/60/25	Covers it	No
20	Kentucky	14.1%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
20	New Jersey	14.1%	35/70/25	Covers it	Yes
22	Indiana	14.0%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
23	Virginia	12.9%	50/100/25	Covers it	Yes
24	Alaska	12.5%	50/100/25	Covers it	No
25	Rhode Island	12.4%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
26	Arkansas	12.1%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
27	Kansas	12.0%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
27	Oklahoma	12.0%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	No
29	Connecticut	11.8%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
29	North Carolina	11.8%	50/100/50	Covers it	Yes
29	Vermont	11.8%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	Yes
32	Louisiana	11.7%	15/30/25	$13,278 short	No
33	Iowa	11.4%	20/40/15	$8,278 short	No
34	Minnesota	11.3%	30/60/10	Covers it	Yes
35	Nevada	11.1%	25/50/20	$3,278 short	No
36	Pennsylvania	11.0%	15/30/5	$13,278 short	No
37	Arizona	10.6%	25/50/15	$3,278 short	No
37	North Dakota	10.6%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
39	South Carolina	10.3%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
40	New Hampshire	10.0%	25/50/25 (if insured)	$3,278 short	Yes
41	Hawaii	9.6%	40/80/20	Covers it	No
42	Nebraska	9.5%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
43	South Dakota	9.4%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
44	New York	8.6%	25/50/10	$3,278 short	Yes
45	Massachusetts	7.9%	25/50/30	$3,278 short	Yes
46	West Virginia	7.8%	25/50/25	$3,278 short	Yes
47	Montana	7.2%	25/50/20	$3,278 short	No
48	Wyoming	6.7%	25/50/20	$3,278 short	No
49	Idaho	6.4%	25/50/15	$3,278 short	No
50	Utah	6.2%	30/65/25	Covers it	Yes
51	Maine	5.7%	50/100/25	Covers it	Yes

Notes: Michigan drivers can choose 50/100/10, but the default is 250/500/10. New Hampshire does not require insurance, and the limits apply only if you buy a policy. New York also requires 50/100 for wrongful death. Rhode Island and Indiana include uninsured motorist coverage unless you reject it in writing, so they are marked No.

What this means when you shop for a policy

• Add uninsured motorist coverage at the same limits as your liability, even where it is optional. In the top 10 states, roughly 1 in 5 drivers who hit you will have no insurance to pay you.
• Buy more liability than the minimum. A common starting point for someone with a paycheck or a home is 100/300/100. See how much car insurance you need.
• Check your state’s current minimum. Seven states changed theirs since 2025. The full list with PIP rules is on our requirements by state page.
• Compare quotes on the same limits. Prices for identical coverage vary a lot between carriers. Compare car insurance quotes.

Methodology

• Uninsured driver rates: Insurance Research Council, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017 to 2023 (2025). The IRC estimates the share of uninsured drivers from the ratio of uninsured motorist claims to bodily injury claims. Ranks are the IRC’s, calculated from unrounded data.
• Minimum liability limits: state requirements in effect September 2026. We checked the 2025 and 2026 increases individually: California 30/60/15, North Carolina 50/100/50, Utah 30/65/25 and Virginia 50/100/25 (2025), Massachusetts 25/50/30 (July 2025), Hawaii 40/80/20 and New Jersey 35/70/25 (January 2026).
• Average claim costs: Triple-I, from ISO (Verisk) data. Average bodily injury liability claim $28,278 and property damage liability claim $6,770 in 2024.
• Uninsured motorist requirement: marked Yes where the state requires drivers to carry it. States that only require insurers to offer it, or include it unless rejected, are marked No.
• Limits of this analysis: the uninsured rates are 2023 estimates, the newest available. Claim averages are national and vary by state. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with your state insurance department.

Published September 30, 2026 by BestCarInsuranceQuotes.com, an independent quote comparison site. We do not sell insurance.

Use this data

Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to use these findings with a link to this page as the source.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the most uninsured drivers?

Mississippi, at 28.2% of drivers in 2023 according to the Insurance Research Council. New Mexico (24.1%) and the District of Columbia (23.1%) are next.

Which state has the fewest uninsured drivers?

Maine, at 5.7%, followed by Utah (6.2%) and Idaho (6.4%).

What percentage of drivers are uninsured in the U.S.?

About 15.4%, or roughly one in seven drivers, as of 2023. The rate was 11.6% in 2019.

Is my state minimum enough to cover an accident?

In most states, no. The average bodily injury claim was $28,278 in 2024, and 39 of 51 jurisdictions set the per-person injury minimum below that. Anything above your limit can come out of your own pocket.