Updated June 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured motorist coverage pays when another driver causes an accident and has no insurance, carries limits below Utah's minimums, or leaves the scene without identification. It covers your medical expenses, lost wages, and in Utah's case, property damage to your vehicle. The coverage activates only after you establish the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, which means filing a police report and documenting the claim with your carrier.
- You're rear-ended at a stoplight during your restricted hardship license hours. The other driver flees. You have $4,200 in medical bills and $2,800 in vehicle damage. Your UM coverage pays both because Utah includes property damage UM as mandatory. Your SR-22 filing status does not affect the claim, but driving outside your hardship hours would complicate it.
- Another driver runs a red light and causes $18,000 in injuries and $9,500 in vehicle damage. The at-fault driver has no insurance. Your $25,000/$65,000 UM policy pays the full $18,000 in medical costs. Utah property damage UM pays the $9,500 vehicle repair separately, subject to your deductible if you elected one.
- You carry a non-owner SR-22 policy to satisfy reinstatement requirements and borrow a friend's car. An uninsured driver causes an accident that injures you. Your non-owner UM coverage pays your medical bills up to your policy limit. It does not cover the friend's vehicle damage because non-owner policies exclude physical damage to vehicles you drive.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Suspended drivers reinstating with SR-22 should carry UM at Utah minimums or higher because you cannot reject it without voiding your SR-22 filing in most cases. Non-owner SR-22 policies always include UM because the carrier assumes you will borrow vehicles and face higher uninsured driver exposure. If you drive during suspension on a hardship license, UM is the only coverage protecting you from uninsured drivers since the other driver's liability policy pays nothing if they have none.
If you are filing SR-22, assume you must carry UM at state minimums and focus on whether to increase limits above $25,000/$65,000. Increase UM limits if you have assets an injured party could pursue in a lawsuit, or if you regularly drive in areas with high uninsured driver rates like Salt Lake City or West Valley City. Keep minimums if you carry a non-owner policy with no vehicle and have health insurance covering your medical costs.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured motorist coverage adds $8 to $18 per month to a Utah liability policy at state minimums, or $96 to $216 annually. SR-22 filers with suspended license history typically see $12 to $22 per month because carriers price the coverage based on your overall risk profile, not just the UM exposure.
- Your driving record and suspension history directly affect UM cost even though UM covers others' actions, because carriers assume suspended drivers file more UM claims statistically.
- The limit you select above Utah's $25,000/$65,000 minimum increases cost proportionally; $50,000/$100,000 UM typically costs 40% to 60% more than minimum limits.
- Stacking UM coverage across multiple vehicles on one policy doubles or triples the cost but also doubles or triples the available payout per accident.
- Zip code matters because carriers price UM based on local uninsured driver rates; Salt Lake County has higher uninsured driver density than rural Utah counties, raising UM premiums 15% to 25%.
- Bundling UM with collision and comprehensive reduces per-coverage cost by 10% to 18% at most carriers because the combined risk pool spreads underwriting expense.