By the Lapera Insurance Team · Reviewed by Joe Lapera, Licensed Illinois Insurance Agent (IL Lic #100722394)
Yes, uninsured motorist coverage is required in Illinois, and the minimum is one line on your auto policy you cannot waive. Maybe someone suggested trimming it to save a few dollars. Here is what Illinois law actually requires, what the coverage pays, how the underinsured rules really work, and what to check on your declarations page.
Yes. Illinois requires uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage on every auto policy, at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and you cannot waive that minimum (215 ILCS 5/143a; Illinois Department of Insurance). Your insurer must also include UM equal to your own liability limits unless you choose lower limits in writing, and underinsured motorist coverage becomes required once your UM is above the 25/50 minimum.
Your liability coverage protects other people from you. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage protects you and your family from everyone else: the driver with no insurance, the driver who hits you and keeps going, and the driver whose minimum policy runs out long before your medical bills do. This guide walks through the statute in plain English, including the underinsured rules many explanations get wrong.
What Does Illinois Law Actually Require for Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
TL;DR: Every Illinois auto liability policy must include uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and by default that coverage must match your own bodily injury liability limits unless you choose lower limits in writing.
There are two layers to the rule. The first is the floor. 215 ILCS 5/143a (accessed September 2026) says no auto liability policy on a vehicle registered or principally garaged in Illinois can be issued or renewed without uninsured motorist coverage at the Illinois Vehicle Code minimum limits, protecting insured people who are legally entitled to recover damages from an uninsured or hit-and-run driver.
In plain numbers, that floor is 25/50: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury. The Illinois Department of Insurance auto shopping guide (accessed September 2026) lists uninsured motorist bodily injury under its "Required Auto Insurance Coverages," right alongside the 25/50/20 liability minimum. You can raise it. You cannot remove it.
The second layer is the one most people never hear about. Under 215 ILCS 5/143a-2 (accessed September 2026), your insurer must include uninsured motorist coverage in an amount equal to your bodily injury liability limits, unless you specifically reject that higher amount. So if you buy 100/300 liability, your policy starts life with 100/300 of uninsured motorist coverage. The insurer must also describe the coverage and tell you about your right to reject limits above the minimum.
Then comes underinsured motorist coverage, or UIM. Whenever your uninsured motorist limits are higher than the 25/50 minimum, the same section requires underinsured motorist coverage in the same total amount. Insurers may write the two as one combined UM/UIM coverage with identical limits, which is why many declarations pages show a single line.
You may read online that Illinois drivers can reject uninsured motorist coverage in writing. That is only half true. What you can reject is the amount above the 25/50 minimum. The minimum stays on every policy.
The Insurance Research Council publishes state estimates of uninsured driving a couple of years behind the calendar; the 2025 study covers 2023. You may see other Illinois figures quoted elsewhere because earlier studies cover earlier years. The bigger number comes from a related IRC release: it estimated that 33.4% of U.S. drivers in 2023 were either uninsured or underinsured, about one in three (Insurance Research Council, 2025). That second group is exactly who underinsured motorist coverage is for.
What Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pay For?
TL;DR: It pays for bodily injury to you and the people insured under your policy when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance, drives off after a hit-and-run, or has an insurer that becomes insolvent, up to your uninsured motorist limits.
The Department of Insurance's auto coverage definitions (accessed September 2026) put it simply: uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage "covers you for your bodily injury caused by a hit-and-run driver or an at-fault driver who has no auto liability insurance." The statute frames it as paying what you are legally entitled to recover from that driver. In practice, the coverage steps into the at-fault driver's shoes, up to your limits.
Medical bills
Emergency care, surgery and therapy for injuries the uninsured driver caused, up to your per-person limit.
Lost wages
Income you lose while you recover, which the at-fault driver would have owed.
Pain and suffering
Non-economic damages you are entitled to recover, not just the bills.
Your passengers and family
People insured under your policy, as it defines them, which is why the limit matters for a car full of kids.
Hit-and-run injuries
The statute requires coverage for injuries caused by hit-and-run vehicles too.
An insolvent insurer
If the at-fault driver's insurer is in rehabilitation or liquidation and cannot pay, the law treats that driver as uninsured.
Lapera Insurance Agency is a Farmers Insurance agency at 530 Barron Blvd in Grayslake, Illinois. Our team has been helping Illinois drivers choose auto coverage since 1993, with over 40 years of combined experience. We place most auto policies with Farmers and the Farmers family of carriers, and we have additional markets when a driver needs something different. Every guide on this site is reviewed by a licensed Illinois agent before it publishes.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage does not repair your car (that is a separate coverage below), and it never pays more than your limits, however serious the injury.
If you and your insurer disagree about coverage or the amount of damages, Section 143a provides for the dispute to be resolved by arbitration. If a UM or UIM claim is denied or stalls, our guide on what to do after an Illinois claim is denied walks through your options, and we stay with you through the process.
How Does Underinsured Motorist Coverage Work in Illinois?
TL;DR: Illinois UIM applies only when the at-fault driver's total liability limits are lower than your own UIM limits, and it pays up to your UIM limit minus whatever you actually recover from that driver's insurance.
This is the section most online explanations get wrong. Underinsured coverage is for the driver who does have insurance, just not enough, and three rules decide when it applies and what it pays.
- Rule 1: the trigger compares limits to limits. Under 143a-2(4), a vehicle is "underinsured" only when the total bodily injury limits of the at-fault driver's policies are less than your UIM limits at the time of the crash. Your damages do not decide it. If the other driver carries 50/100 and you carry 50/100 UIM, that driver is not underinsured, even if your injuries are worth far more.
- Rule 2: the payment is your limit minus what you recover. The same subsection says the insurer's limit for UIM is your UIM limit "less those amounts actually recovered" from the at-fault driver's bodily injury coverage. The Department of Insurance describes UIM the same way: it "pays the difference between your UIM limits and the liability limits of the at-fault driver, if lower than your UIM limits" (IDOI auto definitions, accessed September 2026).
- Rule 3: UIM is required only above the minimum. The law does not require UIM on a policy carrying only 25/50 uninsured motorist coverage, and because Illinois policies must carry at least 25/50 liability, a 25/50 UIM limit would rarely have a gap to fill.
Suppose a driver carrying the 25/50/20 minimum causes a crash, and your injuries are worth $120,000.
- You carry 50/100 UIM. Their insurer pays its $25,000 limit. Your $50,000 UIM limit minus $25,000 recovered leaves up to $25,000 more. Total: $50,000, and you are $70,000 short.
- You carry 250/500 UIM. Their insurer pays $25,000. Your $250,000 limit minus $25,000 leaves up to $225,000, enough for the remaining $95,000. Total: $120,000.
- You carry only 25/50 UM. Their insurer pays $25,000, you have no UIM, and you are $95,000 short.
Notice what does not happen in the first example: your UIM does not pay $50,000 on top of the other driver's $25,000. Illinois UIM fills the gap up to your own limit. That is the best argument for choosing your UIM limit deliberately.
If the at-fault driver's insurer offers to settle, talk to us first, and for a serious injury, an attorney. Under 143a-2(6), once you give your insurer written notice of a tentative settlement, it has 30 days to advance you that amount if it wants to keep its right to pursue the other driver. Section 143a-2(7) lets your policy hold UIM payment until the other driver's liability limits have been partially or fully exhausted by payment of a judgment or settlement, and says settling for less than those limits does not, by itself, bar a UIM claim. Do not sign a release until the notice is handled.
Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay to Fix Your Car in Illinois?
TL;DR: Only if you carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage, which Illinois insurers must offer but you are not required to buy, and it pays only when an identified uninsured driver physically hits your car.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage is about people. Damage to your vehicle is a separate coverage called uninsured motorist property damage, or UMPD. The Department of Insurance describes it as coverage for "damage to your vehicle caused by an identified, at-fault, uninsured driver" and lists it as optional, noting that Illinois law requires companies to offer it with a maximum $250 deductible (IDOI auto shopping guide, accessed September 2026).
The details come from 143a(2). On private passenger and recreational vehicles, insurers must make UMPD available up to your vehicle's actual cash value or the UMPD limit, whichever is less, with a deductible of no more than $250. The conditions:
- There has to be physical contact between the uninsured vehicle and your insured vehicle.
- The other driver has to be identified. A claim must include the owner's name and address, or the plate number and a vehicle description, or other information showing the vehicle is uninsured.
- Damage from an unidentified hit-and-run driver is not UMPD. The statute says there is no UMPD liability if the owner or driver of the at-fault uninsured or hit-and-run vehicle cannot be identified.
- It is capped at what the car is worth at the time of loss, not what a new one costs.
So where does UMPD fit? Collision coverage pays to repair your car no matter who caused the crash, including a hit-and-run, subject to your deductible. UMPD matters most on a paid-off car where you have dropped collision. For how a claim you did not cause is treated at renewal, see what happens to your rate after an Illinois accident.
What If It Was a Hit-and-Run, or a Driver Who Never Touched You?
TL;DR: Illinois requires uninsured motorist coverage to include injuries caused by hit-and-run vehicles, but the statute does not define a hit-and-run vehicle, so whether a driver who never touched you qualifies depends on your policy's wording.
A hit-and-run leaves you with no one to send the bill to, which is exactly where uninsured motorist coverage earns its keep. Section 143a requires UM to cover injuries caused by hit-and-run vehicles.
The harder case is the driver who forces you off the road and never touches your car. The statute does not define a hit-and-run vehicle or say whether contact is required for injury claims. Your policy supplies that definition, and some require physical contact. For property damage the statute is explicit: UMPD requires contact and an identified driver.
After a hit-and-run, the first hour shapes the claim: get medical care, call the police and get a report while details are fresh, photograph the scene and any partial plate, collect witness names, and notify us and your insurer promptly, because policies require prompt notice.
Can You Lower or Reject Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Illinois?
TL;DR: You can choose UM limits below your liability limits, or reject anything above the 25/50 minimum, only by a written request or written rejection, and that choice binds everyone on the policy and carries forward at renewal.
Section 143a-2(2) gives the named insured or applicant two ways to go below the default: a written request for uninsured motorist limits that are less than the bodily injury liability limits, or a written rejection of limits above what the law requires. Three follow-on rules matter:
- It binds everyone on the policy. The election or rejection binds all persons insured under the policy, including your spouse and teen drivers.
- It follows you at renewal. If you chose lower limits or rejected the higher amount, your insurer does not have to offer the higher coverage again on a renewal, reinstatement or replacement policy with the same insurer, unless you later ask for it in writing.
- The original form is the evidence. Subsection (3) says the original document showing your selection is sufficient evidence of the limits you chose.
In plain terms: a form you signed years ago can still be setting your limits today. In our experience, most people with mismatched limits never consciously chose them. They signed a form in a stack of forms.
If your UM or UIM limits are lower than your liability limits, ask for a copy of the selection or rejection form on file. If you want higher limits, the fix is a written request, and our Grayslake office can handle it with you.
How Much Uninsured and Underinsured Coverage Should You Carry?
TL;DR: For most households, match UM and UIM to your bodily injury liability limits, because Illinois law already starts you there and because your own injuries deserve at least the protection you give other drivers.
Here is the trap. If you carry 100/300 in liability but 25/50 in uninsured motorist, you have insured the stranger in the other car four times better than you have insured your own kids in the back seat. Matching them is a simple fix. For how we set liability limits in the first place, see everything Illinois requires on an auto policy, and why the minimums fall short.
| Your setup | How protected you are | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 25/50/20 liability, 25/50 UM | Legal minimum only | No UIM required, and $25,000 per person for your own injuries from an uninsured driver |
| 100/300 liability, 25/50 UM | Mismatched | Only possible with a written rejection or lower-limit request; your family has a quarter of the protection you give others |
| 100/300 liability, 100/300 UM/UIM | Matched | The statute's default: UIM fills the gap when an at-fault driver carries less than $100,000 per person |
| 250/500 liability, 250/500 UM/UIM | Matched, umbrella-ready | Strong protection for a household with home equity and income to protect |
| UM property damage | Must be offered | Worth a look if you have dropped collision; capped at the car's actual cash value, $250 maximum deductible |
| UM/UIM on an umbrella | Ask, not automatic | Umbrella carriers may offer it but are not required to |
A driver runs a red light and T-bones an Illinois family's SUV. The at-fault driver carries the 25/50/20 minimum. The parent driving has a fractured wrist, surgery and eight weeks off work; the injury claim is worth $90,000. The family's policy carries 100/300 liability. Version A: years ago they signed a form keeping UM at 25/50, so they have no UIM. The at-fault driver's insurer pays $25,000, and roughly $65,000 is left for health insurance, savings or a lawsuit against the other driver personally. Version B: UM/UIM is matched at 100/300. The at-fault insurer pays $25,000, and their UIM has up to $75,000 available ($100,000 minus the $25,000 recovered), enough to cover the remaining $65,000. These figures are illustrative, not a quote, a premium or a coverage determination; actual results depend on the policy language and the facts of the loss.
What does matching cost? It depends on your drivers, vehicles, ZIP code and driving record, so we will not put a number on it here. See what car insurance costs in Illinois by driver profile for published averages and what moves them, and why Illinois premiums climbed so fast for the pressure on prices. The honest way to decide is to price both, minimum UM and matched UM/UIM, side by side.
One more layer if you have real assets. Section 143a-2(5) says insurers writing liability on an excess or umbrella basis are neither required to provide UM/UIM nor prohibited from offering it on a supplemental basis. So a personal umbrella does not automatically cover your own injuries from an uninsured driver. Read how a personal umbrella sits on top of your auto and home limits and ask whether yours can include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Can You Stack Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Illinois?
TL;DR: Usually not, because Illinois law lets policies cap UM and UIM at a single limit no matter how many cars are insured, and at the highest single applicable limit when more than one policy applies.
"Stacking" means adding the UM limits for each car together, so three cars at 100/300 would become 300/900. Illinois lets insurers prevent that. Section 143a-2(5) permits policy terms saying limits "shall not be increased because of multiple motor vehicles covered under the same policy," and that with more than one policy, recovery may not exceed the higher of the applicable limits.
Whether your policy uses that language is a policy question, so read the "Limit of Liability" wording in its uninsured motorist section, or ask us to. Either way, the number of vehicles is no substitute for the limit you choose.
What Should You Check on Your Declarations Page?
TL;DR: Check that UM and UIM bodily injury limits match your liability limits, whether UM property damage is listed and at what deductible, and whether a lower-limit or rejection form is on file.
Your declarations page, the summary sheet at the front of your policy, answers most of this in two minutes. Look for these lines.
- Bodily injury liability. Written like 100/300. This is your baseline.
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury. Does it match your liability limit? If it reads 25/50 while liability reads 100/300 or higher, a lower-limit election is almost certainly on file.
- Underinsured motorist bodily injury. It may be a separate line or combined as "UM/UIM." If your UM is above 25/50 and you see no UIM at all, ask us why.
- Uninsured motorist property damage. Is it listed? What is the deductible? If you have dropped collision on an older car, this is the line that matters.
- Collision. Pays for your car regardless of fault, including hit-and-run damage.
- Drivers. Everyone in your household who drives should be listed correctly.
- An umbrella, if you have one. Check whether it includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, since it is not automatic.
Send a photo of your auto declarations page to our Grayslake office, or call (847) 223-4747, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Central. We will tell you in plain English whether your uninsured and underinsured limits match your liability, and how to fix them if they do not.
Ready to see your options? Start on our Illinois auto insurance page, or request an auto quote with your current declarations page and our team will show you minimum UM and matched UM/UIM side by side.
The Bottom Line
Yes, uninsured motorist coverage is required in Illinois. Every auto policy carries at least 25/50 of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, and by law your insurer starts you at UM equal to your liability limits unless you choose less in writing. Once your UM is above the minimum, underinsured coverage comes with it. With the Insurance Research Council estimating 15.2% of Illinois motorists uninsured in 2023, people really use it.
What decides how well it protects you is the limit. Illinois UIM only helps when the other driver's limits are lower than yours, and it pays your limit minus what you recover. Match UM and UIM to your liability, consider UM property damage if you have dropped collision, and check whether your umbrella extends to your own injuries. Send us your declarations page or call (847) 223-4747, and we will check it with you line by line.
Related Questions
Is underinsured motorist coverage required in Illinois?
Yes, once your uninsured motorist limits are above the 25/50 minimum. Under 215 ILCS 5/143a-2, a policy whose uninsured motorist coverage exceeds that minimum must also include underinsured motorist coverage in the same total amount. A policy carrying only the 25/50 minimum is not required to include underinsured coverage.
Can I choose uninsured motorist limits lower than my liability limits in Illinois?
Yes, but only in writing, and never below 25/50. Illinois requires insurers to include uninsured motorist coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits unless you make a written request for lower limits or a written rejection of limits above the minimum. That election binds everyone on the policy and carries forward at renewal until you ask for higher limits in writing.
Does Illinois underinsured motorist coverage pay on top of the other driver's insurance?
No. In Illinois, underinsured motorist coverage pays up to your UIM limit minus what you actually recover from the at-fault driver's bodily injury coverage. With a $100,000 UIM limit and an at-fault driver who pays $25,000, your UIM has up to $75,000 available. It applies only when the other driver's limits are lower than your UIM limits.
Does uninsured motorist coverage pay for damage to my car in Illinois?
Only if you have uninsured motorist property damage coverage, which Illinois insurers must offer but you do not have to buy. It pays for damage from physical contact with an identified, at-fault uninsured driver, up to your car's actual cash value or the policy limit, with a deductible no higher than $250.
Does uninsured motorist coverage apply if a driver ran me off the road without hitting me?
It depends on your policy. Illinois requires uninsured motorist coverage for injuries caused by hit-and-run vehicles, but the statute does not define a hit-and-run vehicle, so your policy's definition controls, and some require physical contact. Uninsured motorist property damage always requires physical contact and an identified driver. Report the crash to police and your insurer promptly.
Can I stack uninsured motorist coverage for multiple cars in Illinois?
Usually not. Illinois law allows policies to say that UM and UIM limits are not increased because several vehicles are insured on the same policy, and that when more than one policy applies, recovery cannot exceed the highest single applicable limit. Check the limit of liability wording in your policy.
Last reviewed September 2026 by Joe Lapera, Licensed Illinois Insurance Agent (IL Lic #100722394). Figures verified against the sources linked above on that date.