Eight U.S. states plus Washington, D.C. now have uninsured motorist rates above 20%, according to the Insurance Research Council's 2025 study using 2023 claims data. That count doubled from just four jurisdictions in 2022. Nationally, 15.4% of drivers carry no insurance at all, and adding underinsured motorists pushes the total to 33.4%.
- Mississippi leads the nation at 28.2% uninsured, up from 22.2% in 2022 (a 6-percentage-point jump in one year)
- Four new states crossed 20% in 2023: California (20.4%), Florida (20.6%), Michigan (22.3%), and Missouri (20.7%)
- The national uninsured rate rose from 11.6% in 2019 to 15.4% in 2023, per the IRC
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage costs just $50 to $75 per year on average, yet remains the most effective protection against this growing risk
Which States Crossed the 20% Line?
The Insurance Research Council (IRC) released its 2025 study in late 2024, analyzing 2023 claims data from insurers nationwide. Four jurisdictions already exceeded 20% uninsured in 2022: Washington, D.C. (25.2%), New Mexico (24.9%), Mississippi (22.2%), and Tennessee (20.9%). By 2023, California, Florida, Michigan, and Missouri had joined them.
Mississippi's jump stands out. The state went from 22.2% in 2022 to 28.2% in 2023, meaning more than one in four drivers on Mississippi roads carries no insurance. That 6-point increase is the largest single-year rise among all 50 states and D.C., according to the IRC data cited by the Insurance Information Institute.
State-by-State Uninsured Rates: 2022 vs. 2023
The table below shows the 10 states with the highest uninsured motorist rates, plus year-over-year change. States that crossed the 20% threshold in 2023 are marked with an asterisk.
| Rank | State | 2023 Uninsured Rate | 2022 Uninsured Rate | Change | Avg. Annual Premium (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 28.2% | 22.2% | +6.0 pts | $1,505 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 24.1% | 24.9% | -0.8 pts | $1,530 |
| 3 | Washington, D.C. | 23.1% | 25.2% | -2.1 pts | $1,727 |
| 4 | Michigan* | 22.3% | 19.6% | +2.7 pts | $1,920 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 21.3% | 20.9% | +0.4 pts | $1,264 |
| 6 | Missouri* | 20.7% | 16.4% | +4.3 pts | $2,055 |
| 7 | Florida* | 20.6% | 17.2% | +3.4 pts | $2,551 |
| 8 | California* | 20.4% | 16.6% | +3.8 pts | $1,782 |
| 9 | Colorado | 19.7% | 17.5% | +2.2 pts | $1,663 |
| 10 | Washington | 19.1% | 15.8% | +3.3 pts | $1,285 |
Source: Insurance Research Council 2025 study (2023 data). Premium data from Quadrant Information Services, as reported by U.S. News. The IRC measures uninsured motorist rates using the ratio of UM claims to bodily injury (BI) claims frequencies. *Crossed 20% threshold in 2023.
Why Uninsured Rates Keep Climbing
Auto insurance premiums rose 39% from early 2020 to early 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for motor vehicle insurance. That increase is nearly triple the 27% rise the same index recorded over the entire five-year span from 2015 to 2020. Affordability pressure sits at the center of the uninsured driver crisis.
Mississippi offers the starkest example. The state's poverty rate exceeds 19%, well above the national average of 12.5% (per 2023 Census data), and even "average" premiums of $1,505/year become unmanageable for households earning below the poverty line. Florida faces a different version of the same problem: a below-average poverty rate paired with some of the nation's highest premiums at $2,551/year, pricing out middle-income drivers who might afford coverage in cheaper states.
Washington, D.C. illustrates how housing costs compound the problem. According to PayScale data cited by U.S. News, D.C. housing costs run 148% above the national average. Residents who spend 40% or more of income on rent have little margin for a $1,727/year insurance bill. Michigan's 22.3% rate persists despite the state's landmark 2019 no-fault reform, which was designed to lower premiums by letting drivers opt out of unlimited personal injury protection.
Rising premiums push more drivers to drop coverage. More uninsured drivers increase UM/UIM claim costs for insurers. Those higher costs get passed back to insured drivers through premium increases, which pushes even more drivers out of the market. Florida and California both appear on the top-10 most expensive states list AND the top-10 most uninsured states list.
The National Trend: 11.6% to 15.4% in Four Years
The IRC has tracked uninsured motorist rates annually since 2017. The trend shows a clear inflection point in 2020, when pandemic-era driving drops temporarily masked the affordability crisis before rates surged.
| Year | National Uninsured Rate | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 12.4% | Baseline |
| 2018 | 12.1% | -0.3 pts |
| 2019 | 11.6% | -0.5 pts |
| 2020 | 14.3% | +2.7 pts |
| 2021 | 14.6% | +0.3 pts |
| 2022 | 15.2% | +0.6 pts |
| 2023 | 15.4% | +0.2 pts |
Source: Insurance Research Council. Rates measured using ratio of UM claims to BI claims frequencies.
Combined uninsured and underinsured motorists now represent 33.4% of all U.S. drivers, up 10 percentage points since 2017, according to the IRC. That means roughly one in three vehicles on the road either has no insurance or carries limits too low to cover a serious crash.
What This Means for Insured Drivers
Carrying your own policy does not fully protect you from the financial fallout of an uninsured driver crash. If a driver with no insurance hits you and you carry only liability coverage, you pay your own medical bills and repair costs out of pocket. Liability insurance only covers damage you cause to others.
Average medical costs for a car accident injury range from $20,000 to $100,000+, according to the National Safety Council. Vehicle repair costs averaged $4,721 in 2023, per CCC Intelligent Solutions. A driver in Mississippi (28.2% uninsured) or Florida (20.6% uninsured) faces roughly a 1-in-5 chance that any given collision involves an uninsured motorist.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) and uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) coverage exist specifically for this scenario. These coverages pay your medical expenses and vehicle damage when an uninsured or hit-and-run driver is at fault. Twenty states and D.C. already require some form of UM coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in the Worst States
Every state on the 20%+ list imposes penalties for driving uninsured, yet compliance remains low. Fines, license suspensions, and even jail time have not closed the gap in these eight states.
- Mississippi: Fines start at $300 for a first offense, increasing to $500 for third and subsequent violations, per the Mississippi Department of Public Safety
- Michigan: Up to $500 in fines and up to one year in jail. Drivers who cause an accident while uninsured can be personally sued and forfeit PIP benefits, according to the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
- Florida: License and registration suspension, plus reinstatement fees up to $500, per the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- California: Driving privilege can be suspended for up to four years after an accident without insurance, regardless of fault, per the California DMV
- Missouri: Four points on your license and potential suspension for up to one year, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue
- Tennessee: Class C misdemeanor with fines up to $300, potential vehicle towing, and driver's license suspension
- Washington, D.C.: First offense carries a $500 civil fine and license suspension up to 30 days; subsequent offenses increase the fine by 50%
- New Mexico: Registration suspension within 30 days of failing to provide proof of insurance, plus a $30 reinstatement fee, possible fines, and jail time
What You Should Do Now
Check Your UM/UIM Coverage Limits
Log into your insurer's portal or call your agent. Many drivers carry state minimums (often $25,000/$50,000) that fall short of actual accident costs. Increasing UM/UIM limits to $100,000/$300,000 typically adds only $50 to $75 per year to your premium, according to WalletHub and industry estimates.
Add UMPD If Your State Allows It
Uninsured motorist property damage covers vehicle repairs when an uninsured driver hits you. Not all states offer it as a standalone coverage. Check with your agent to confirm availability and cost, which typically runs $3 to $6 per month.
Compare Quotes From at Least 3 Carriers
Premiums for the same UM/UIM limits vary by 30% to 50% between carriers in most states, per Insurify data. Comparing quotes takes 15 minutes and could save $300 to $700/year while maintaining better coverage.
Review Your Health and Auto Policies Together
If your health insurance has a high deductible ($3,000+), higher UM bodily injury limits become even more important. Medical bills from a crash with an uninsured driver can hit $50,000 before you exhaust a 25/50 UM policy.
On the Other End: States With the Fewest Uninsured Drivers
Maine holds the lowest uninsured rate at 5.7%, followed by Utah (6.2%), Idaho (6.4%), Wyoming (6.7%), and Montana (7.2%). Maine requires UM/UIM coverage at 50/100/25 limits, the highest mandatory UM minimums in the country. States that mandate UM/UIM coverage tend to cluster at the bottom of the uninsured rankings.
Massachusetts (7.9%) requires UM coverage and has the lowest-cost mandatory auto insurance structure in the Northeast at $1,399/year average. New York (8.6%) also mandates both UM and UIM coverage. The pattern holds: 20 states plus D.C. require UM coverage, and most of them report uninsured rates below the 15.4% national average, according to III data.
Looking Ahead
Insurify projects auto insurance rates will stabilize in 2026 after falling approximately 6% in 2025, per Insurance Journal reporting. If premiums genuinely plateau, the uninsured rate may begin to flatten. Colorado (19.7%) and Washington state (19.1%) are both within one percentage point of joining the 20% club, so the next IRC report will reveal whether the trend accelerated or stabilized.
Several states are also considering minimum liability limit increases. The American Association for Justice published a January 2026 report making the case for raising auto insurance minimums nationally. Low-income driver assistance programs in California, New Jersey, and Hawaii offer reduced-cost policies for qualifying residents, providing a potential model for other high-uninsured states to follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mississippi leads the nation at 28.2% uninsured in 2023, up from 22.2% in 2022, according to the Insurance Research Council's 2025 study. More than one in four Mississippi drivers carries no auto insurance.
UM/UIM coverage typically costs $50 to $75 per year, or roughly $3 to $6 per month, for 25/50 limits. Increasing to 100/300 limits usually adds only $20 to $40 more per year, depending on your state and insurer.
You pay your own medical bills and vehicle repair costs out of pocket. Liability insurance only covers damage you cause to others. Without UM/UIM coverage, your only option is suing the at-fault driver directly, which often yields nothing if they lack assets.
Twenty states and Washington, D.C. require some form of UM or UIM coverage, per the Insurance Information Institute. In states where it is not mandatory, insurers must typically offer it, and drivers must sign a written rejection to decline.
The national rate jumped from 11.6% in 2019 to 14.3% in 2020, per the IRC. Job losses during the pandemic forced many drivers to drop coverage. Auto insurance premiums then rose 39% from 2020 to 2024 (BLS data), keeping those drivers priced out even after the economy recovered.
- Insurance Research Council - 2025 Uninsured Motorists Study Summary
- Insurance Information Institute - Facts + Statistics: Uninsured Motorists
- U.S. News & World Report - 1 in 5 Drivers Uninsured: These States Hit a Dangerous Milestone
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - Consumer Price Index: Motor Vehicle Insurance
- U.S. Census Bureau - Poverty in the United States: 2023
- Insurance Journal - After Falling 6% in 2025, Average Auto Insurance Cost Will Stabilize in 2026, Says Insurify