Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Louisiana
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Louisiana Does Not Require Uninsured Motorist Coverage
You are structuring coverage for two or more vehicles in Louisiana and want to know whether uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory. It is not. Louisiana law requires only liability insurance: $15,000 per person for bodily injury, $30,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional.
That does not mean you should skip it. Louisiana has an 11.7% uninsured motorist rate — nearly 1 in 9 drivers carries no insurance. When you insure multiple vehicles, each car on the road increases your household's exposure to an at-fault uninsured driver. The decision to add UM coverage or decline it is yours, but the structural reality is that your liability policy pays nothing when the other driver has no insurance and cannot pay out of pocket.
“Your liability policy pays nothing for your own injuries or vehicle damage when someone else causes the crash and has no insurance.”
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Louisiana Uninsured Motorist Rate
Nearly 1 in 9 drivers in Louisiana carries no insurance. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, your liability coverage does not apply — you recover from the at-fault driver directly, or from your own uninsured motorist policy if you carry it.
Insurance Information Institute, 2023
What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays
Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and, depending on the policy, your vehicle damage when an at-fault driver has no insurance. UM bodily injury covers medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering up to your policy limit. UM property damage covers repair or replacement of your vehicle, minus your deductible if the policy includes one.
Louisiana allows carriers to offer UM coverage in two forms: bodily injury only, or bodily injury plus property damage. Not every carrier offers both. Some policies bundle UMPD automatically; others require you to add it as a separate line. When you request quotes for multiple vehicles, confirm which form each carrier includes and whether UMPD costs extra.
UM coverage does not apply when the at-fault driver carries liability insurance, even if their limits are too low to cover your loss. That scenario triggers underinsured motorist coverage, a separate optional product Louisiana also does not mandate. UM and UIM often appear together on a policy, but they are distinct coverages with distinct triggers.
Your liability policy pays the other driver's damages when you are at fault. It pays nothing for your own injuries or vehicle damage when someone else causes the crash and has no insurance.
When Declining UM Coverage Makes Sense
Declining UM coverage is a rational decision when your household has sufficient liquid assets to cover a total vehicle loss and medical expenses without insurance, and when you are willing to accept the risk that an at-fault uninsured driver will not pay you directly. Some households with older vehicles and strong emergency funds choose to carry only the state minimum liability and skip UM entirely.
Louisiana does not require UM coverage, so declining it does not affect your ability to register or legally drive your vehicles. The tradeoff is that you bear the full financial risk of a crash caused by an uninsured driver. If you decline UM coverage on a multi-car policy, every vehicle on that policy is unprotected in that scenario. You cannot decline UM on one vehicle and add it to another on the same policy — the coverage applies to the policy as a whole.
If you finance or lease any vehicle on the policy, your lender may require UM coverage as a condition of the loan. Check your financing agreement before declining. Lenders impose this requirement to protect their collateral, not to comply with state law. If the agreement mandates UM and you drop it, the lender can force-place coverage at a higher cost or declare the loan in default.
$15,000 / $30,000 / $25,000
Louisiana Minimum Liability Limits
Louisiana requires $15,000 per person for bodily injury, $30,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. These minimums apply only to liability coverage. UM coverage is optional and purchased separately.
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
How to Add UM Coverage to an Existing Multi-Car Policy
Contact your carrier or agent and request uninsured motorist coverage for the policy. The carrier will quote UM bodily injury and, if available, UM property damage. Confirm whether UMPD is included automatically or requires a separate election. The carrier will re-rate the entire policy to reflect the added coverage, not simply append a flat fee per vehicle.
UM coverage takes effect on the policy effective date or renewal date, depending on when you add it. If you add UM mid-term, the carrier prorates the premium for the remaining term and adjusts your next renewal. Some carriers allow you to add UM coverage online; others require a phone call or agent contact. State Farm, Geico, and Progressive all permit mid-term UM additions for Louisiana policies.
Compare Carriers That Write UM Coverage in Louisiana
Not every carrier that writes Louisiana auto insurance offers uninsured motorist coverage, and those that do price it differently. Carriers writing UM coverage in Louisiana include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and USAA. Request UM quotes from at least three carriers and compare the combined premium for all vehicles on your policy. The lowest liability-only premium does not always remain lowest after adding UM coverage — base rates and UM pricing vary independently across carriers.
How Multi-Vehicle Households Evaluate UM Coverage
Start by calculating your household's total exposure. If you own three vehicles and each is driven regularly, you have three separate opportunities per day to encounter an uninsured driver. Louisiana's 11.7% uninsured rate means that in any given crash where the other driver is at fault, the probability they carry no insurance is roughly 1 in 9. Over the life of a multi-year policy covering multiple vehicles, that probability compounds.
Compare the annual cost of UM coverage across all vehicles to the out-of-pocket cost of a total loss on one vehicle plus medical bills from a moderate-injury crash. UM coverage on a multi-car policy typically costs less per vehicle than on a single-car policy, because the same base premium spreads across more units. Carriers that write Louisiana auto insurance and offer UM coverage include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, and Farmers. Request UM quotes for every vehicle on the policy and compare the combined annual cost to your household's liquid savings.
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Get My Louisiana Car Insurance QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Louisiana require uninsured motorist coverage?
No. Louisiana requires only liability insurance: $15,000 per person for bodily injury, $30,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional.
What does uninsured motorist coverage pay for in Louisiana?
UM bodily injury pays for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an at-fault driver has no insurance. UM property damage pays for vehicle repair or replacement. Louisiana carriers offer UM in bodily-injury-only or bodily-injury-plus-property-damage forms.
Can I add uninsured motorist coverage to some vehicles on my policy but not others?
No. UM coverage applies to the policy as a whole, not to individual vehicles. If you add UM coverage, it protects every vehicle and driver listed on the policy. You cannot elect UM for one car and decline it for another on the same policy.
How much does uninsured motorist coverage cost for multiple vehicles in Louisiana?
UM coverage cost varies by carrier, vehicle, driver, and coverage limits. Multi-car policies typically cost less per vehicle than single-car policies because the base premium spreads across more units. Request UM quotes from at least three carriers to compare combined annual cost.
What happens if I decline uninsured motorist coverage and an uninsured driver hits me?
You recover damages directly from the at-fault driver out of pocket, or you absorb the loss yourself. Your liability policy does not pay for your own injuries or vehicle damage. Louisiana's 11.7% uninsured motorist rate means roughly 1 in 9 drivers carries no insurance.
Does my lender require uninsured motorist coverage in Louisiana?
Louisiana law does not require UM coverage, but your financing or lease agreement may. Check your loan contract. If the lender mandates UM and you drop it, the lender can force-place coverage at a higher cost or declare the loan in default.