Updated June 2026
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Uninsured Motorist Coverage steps in when you're hit by a driver who carries no liability insurance or whose policy limits are too low to cover your damages. It pays for your medical expenses, lost wages, and in some states your vehicle repair costs when the at-fault driver cannot. Arizona law does not require this coverage, but carriers must offer it when you purchase a policy — you sign a written waiver if you decline it.
- A driver runs a red light, T-bones your sedan, and flees. You have $18,000 in medical bills and $9,000 in vehicle damage. The driver is never identified. Your uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays the $18,000 medical cost up to your policy limit. If you carry uninsured motorist property damage, it pays the $9,000 vehicle repair minus your deductible. Without this coverage, you absorb both costs yourself or file through your collision policy if you carry it.
- You're stopped at a traffic light when an unlicensed driver rear-ends you at 35 mph. You sustain $22,000 in medical expenses and $7,500 in vehicle damage. The driver has no insurance and no assets. Your uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays your medical bills up to your selected limit. If your limit is $25,000 per person, the full $22,000 is covered. Your vehicle damage may be covered under uninsured motorist property damage if you purchased it, or under collision coverage if you carry that instead.
Who Needs Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance?
Retirees who drive a paid-off vehicle and dropped collision coverage to lower their bill should strongly consider uninsured motorist coverage as a partial replacement. If you're hit by an uninsured driver and lack both collision and uninsured motorist property damage, you pay for your own vehicle repair out of pocket. Drivers on a fixed income cannot easily absorb a $12,000 repair bill when the at-fault driver disappears or carries no insurance.
Compare the annual cost of uninsured motorist coverage to one year of your out-of-pocket medical maximum under Medicare or your health plan. If this coverage costs $150 per year and your Medicare Advantage plan caps out-of-pocket costs at $3,500, the coverage pays for itself if you're hit once in 23 years by an uninsured driver. In Arizona, where roughly one in eight drivers is uninsured, that probability is material.
How Much Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Insurance Cost?
Uninsured motorist coverage typically adds $8–$18 per month to your premium in Arizona, or approximately $95–$215 annually.
- Your selected coverage limit — higher limits increase the premium.
- Whether you stack uninsured motorist coverage across multiple vehicles on your policy.
- Your ZIP code — areas with higher uninsured driver rates cost more to insure.
- Whether you add uninsured motorist property damage in addition to bodily injury coverage.
- Your carrier — some insurers price this coverage more aggressively for retirees with clean records.