Updated June 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage pays for your injuries and property damage when the at-fault driver has no insurance or their liability limits are too low to cover your losses. It covers medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and in some states vehicle damage. The coverage activates after the other driver's liability insurance is exhausted or confirmed absent. Florida offers it as optional coverage — carriers must offer it when you purchase a policy, but you can decline it in writing.
- You're rear-ended at a stoplight by a driver with no insurance. You have $15,000 in medical bills and miss three weeks of work. The other driver has no assets to sue for. Your Uninsured Motorist Coverage pays your medical bills and lost wages up to your policy limit. Without it, you sue the driver personally and likely collect nothing.
- A driver with minimum Florida liability limits ($10,000 property damage) causes a crash that totals your $18,000 vehicle. Their liability insurance pays the $10,000 maximum. If you carry Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage with a $25,000 limit, it pays the remaining $8,000. Without it, you absorb the shortfall or sue the driver for the difference.
- You're sideswiped by a vehicle that flees the scene. You sustain $22,000 in injuries. Your Uninsured Motorist Coverage treats the hit-and-run as an uninsured driver and pays your claim up to your limit. You file a police report to document the incident. Without this coverage, your only option is filing under your own PIP, which caps at $10,000 and doesn't cover pain and suffering.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
You need this coverage if you're reinstating after a suspension and your assets or income exceed what you could afford to lose in a crash caused by someone else. Florida's high uninsured driver rate makes this especially relevant if you commute in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Hillsborough County, where 1 in 4 drivers carries no insurance. It's critical if you're required to carry SR-22 but can only afford minimum liability limits — those limits protect the other driver, not you.
Compare the annual premium to your out-of-pocket health insurance maximum and three months of lost income. If the coverage costs less than 10% of that combined exposure, buy it. If you're in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Hillsborough County, treat the 20% uninsured rate as a baseline risk and add this coverage unless your health plan and disability coverage fully replace it.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage typically adds $8–$22/month to a Florida policy, or $96–$264/year, depending on your limit selection and whether you add property damage coverage.
- Your coverage limit — higher limits ($100,000/$300,000 bodily injury) cost more than minimum limits ($10,000/$20,000).
- Whether you add Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage as a separate endorsement.
- Your county's uninsured driver rate — Miami-Dade and Broward County drivers pay more due to regional risk.
- Whether you stack coverage across multiple vehicles on your policy, which doubles or triples the base premium but multiplies your available limit.
- Your own driving record and claim history — carriers price this coverage based on your likelihood of filing any injury claim.