²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½

Last Updated: 7/30/2025 

Issue: Auto liability insurance is compulsory in ; 49 states and the District of Columbia require drivers to have auto liability insurance before they can legally drive a motor vehicle, although the type of insurance and the amount of coverage required varies. New Hampshire is the only state that does not have a compulsory insurance liability law—auto insurance is not required if the driver complies with alternative financial responsibility requirements. However, a exists in New Hampshire that imposes insurance requirements on those drivers that have demonstrated a lack of fiscal responsibility for a past auto accident. 

Overview: Despite laws that compel the purchase of auto insurance, many people choose to drive without it. According to the (IRC), 15.4% of motorists, or about one in seven drivers, were uninsured in 2023. Uninsured motorist rates can vary widely by state, from 5.7% in Maine to 28.2% in Mississippi. There are people choose to drive without auto liability insurance, including economic factors, insurance costs, and state insurance laws and regulations. And since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the rate of uninsured motorists has continued to .  

Paying for uninsured motorists is an issue for drivers who abide by compulsory insurance laws. The costs are passed along to insured drivers in the form of , which integrates a portion of the costs for an uninsured motorist into their coverage if they or a passenger are injured or sustain vehicle damage in a collision. 

The ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½ Property and Casualty Insurance (C) Committee developed the white paper  , which discusses the issues associated with identifying uninsured motorists in the states and solving the problem of noncompliance with compulsory motor vehicle insurance laws. The white paper describes the pros and cons of several solutions to resolve the uninsured motorist problem and concludes that there is an obvious need in developing a uniform and cost-effective approach for reducing the number of uninsured motorists. 

The Auto Insurance (C/D) Study Group was previously charged with reviewing issues related to low-income households and the auto insurance marketplace. Some of this group's work involved studying uninsured motorists; additionally, they issued the in November 2014. The report consisted of summaries on uninsured motorists and the competitiveness of auto markets; studies examining the use of credit scoring, occupation or education in insurance; insurer initiatives related to availability and affordability issues; consumer groups’ perspectives; policy options, such as state laws related to auto insurance; and state programs and initiatives related to the availability and affordability of auto insurance. In June 2020, the Property and Casualty Insurance (C) Committee adopted the , which looks at state-by-state data and auto insurance affordability. 

Through the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½, state insurance regulators, as well as the insurance industry, continue to work on a solution to reduce the number of uninsured motorists on the nation's highways. For the most current data on uninsured motorists from the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½, the 2021/2022 Auto Insurance Database Report (January 2025) is now available.