Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Texas
Free to compare
Texas Doesn't Require It, But 14.5% of Drivers Have No Insurance
You're adding a second or third vehicle to your Texas policy, and the carrier is offering uninsured motorist coverage as an optional add-on. You know Texas requires liability minimums of $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage — but you're not sure whether uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is something you must carry or something you can skip.
Texas does not mandate uninsured motorist coverage. It's optional. But 14.5% of Texas drivers are uninsured, which means roughly one in seven drivers on the road cannot pay for damage they cause. When you're managing multiple vehicles — a daily commuter, a spouse's car, a teenager's first vehicle — the question isn't whether UM is required. It's whether your household can absorb the cost of a crash caused by a driver with no insurance.
“One in seven Texas drivers carries no insurance — your UM coverage steps in when the at-fault driver can't pay.”
See What Texas Drivers Pay for the Coverage They Need
Get My Texas Car Insurance Quote14.5%
Texas Uninsured Motorist Rate
One in seven Texas drivers carries no insurance. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, their liability coverage doesn't exist — your uninsured motorist coverage steps in to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage.
Insurance Information Institute, 2023
What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays For
Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries and damage caused by a driver who has no insurance. It comes in two parts: uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) covers medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering for you and your passengers. Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) covers damage to your vehicle.
In Texas, carriers must offer you UM coverage when you buy a policy, but you can reject it in writing. If you don't explicitly reject it, the carrier includes it at limits equal to your liability limits. Most Texas households that carry UM choose limits that match their liability coverage — if you carry $30,000/$60,000 liability, you'd typically choose $30,000/$60,000 UM.
UM coverage also applies when the at-fault driver is underinsured — they have insurance, but their liability limits are too low to cover your damages. This is called underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, and in Texas it's bundled with UM.
If you reject UM coverage in writing and an uninsured driver totals your car, your only option is collision coverage or paying out of pocket.
Related Articles
How UM Coverage Works Across Multiple Vehicles on One Policy
When you add UM coverage to a multi-vehicle Texas policy, the coverage applies per person and per accident, not per vehicle. If you choose $30,000/$60,000 UMBI, that's $30,000 per injured person and $60,000 total per crash, regardless of which vehicle in your household was hit. You don't buy separate UM limits for each car — the limits you choose cover every vehicle on the policy.
This structure works in your favor when you're insuring multiple vehicles. A household with three cars pays for one set of UM limits that protects all three. The per-accident cap applies to the crash, not to the car. If two of your household's vehicles are hit in separate crashes by uninsured drivers, each crash triggers the full per-accident limit.
UMPD works differently. If your household carries collision on every vehicle, UMPD adds no value.
$30,000 / $60,000 / $25,000
Texas Minimum Liability Limits
Texas requires $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. These are the minimums the at-fault driver must carry — but when they carry nothing, your UM coverage replaces their missing liability.
Texas Department of Insurance
Rejecting UM Coverage: What You Give Up
Texas law requires carriers to offer you UM coverage, but you can reject it by signing a written rejection form. Once you reject it, the carrier removes UM from your policy, and you cannot add it back until the next renewal unless you experience a qualifying life event — marriage, adding a vehicle, moving to a new address.
Rejecting UM saves money. For a household insuring three cars, that's a noticeable reduction. But the tradeoff is permanent for the policy term: if an uninsured driver hits one of your vehicles two months after you reject UM, you have no coverage for injuries and no UMPD for vehicle damage unless you carry collision.
Compare Carriers That Write Multi-Vehicle Policies in Texas
Not every carrier prices UM coverage the same way, and not every carrier offers UMPD. When you're insuring multiple vehicles, the difference in how carriers structure UM can change your total premium by hundreds of dollars per year. Some carriers bundle UMBI and UMPD together; others offer UMBI only. Some apply the multi-car discount to the base premium before adding UM; others calculate UM separately.
Texas has 30 carriers writing multi-vehicle policies with varying UM options. State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, USAA, and Farmers all write UM coverage in Texas, but their pricing models differ. Compare quotes with UM included and with UM rejected to see the actual cost difference for your household's vehicles. The decision to carry UM should be based on the dollar amount you'd pay and the protection it buys, not on whether it's required.
When UM Coverage Matters Most for Multi-Vehicle Households
If you carry collision coverage on every vehicle in your household, collision pays for damage to your car regardless of who caused the crash. You file with your own carrier, pay your deductible, and your car is repaired. UM property damage becomes redundant — collision already covers the vehicle. But collision doesn't cover your medical bills or lost wages. UMBI still matters, because it pays for injuries collision doesn't touch.
If you don't carry collision on one or more vehicles — common for older cars where the vehicle's value is lower than the collision deductible — UM property damage is your only protection when an uninsured driver hits that car. Without UMPD, you pay to replace or repair the vehicle yourself. For a household managing three or four vehicles, losing one to an uninsured driver without coverage is a bigger financial hit than for a single-car household.
Get Your Free Quote
Get My Texas Car Insurance QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Texas?
No. Texas does not require uninsured motorist coverage. Carriers must offer it when you buy a policy, but you can reject it in writing. If you don't reject it, the carrier includes it at limits equal to your liability coverage.
What does uninsured motorist coverage pay for in Texas?
Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) pays for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an uninsured driver injures you or your passengers.
Do I need uninsured motorist coverage if I have collision coverage?
Collision covers vehicle damage regardless of who caused the crash, so UMPD becomes redundant. But collision doesn't cover injuries. UMBI still matters because it pays for medical expenses and lost wages that collision doesn't cover.
How does UM coverage work when I insure multiple vehicles in Texas?
UM limits apply per person and per accident, not per vehicle. If you choose $30,000/$60,000 UMBI, that's $30,000 per injured person and $60,000 total per crash, covering every vehicle on your policy. You don't buy separate UM limits for each car.
Can I add uninsured motorist coverage after I reject it?
Not until your next renewal, unless you experience a qualifying life event like marriage, adding a vehicle, or moving. Once you reject UM in writing, it stays off your policy for the full term.
What happens if an uninsured driver totals my car and I don't have UM coverage?
If you carry collision, collision pays for the damage minus your deductible. If you don't carry collision and you rejected UMPD, you pay to replace the vehicle yourself. You can sue the at-fault driver, but collecting from someone with no insurance is difficult.
How much does uninsured motorist coverage cost in Texas?
The exact cost varies by carrier, so compare quotes with UM included and with UM rejected to see the difference for your household.