Does Kentucky Require Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

No — Kentucky does NOT require uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Kentucky is one of the states where UM/UIM is optional, but insurers must OFFER it and you must reject it in writing. Given roughly 1 in 8 Kentucky drivers is uninsured, and Kentucky’s minimum liability limits (25/50) are catastrophically low, Blake strongly recommends carrying UM/UIM.

What Kentucky Law Actually Says

Under Kentucky Revised Statutes 304.20-020, insurers offering auto insurance in Kentucky must offer uninsured motorist coverage in limits equal to the bodily injury liability limits on the policy. The customer can reject the coverage in writing, but the OFFER is required. Kentucky is not a state where UM is legally required to be carried.

Why It’s Still Essential

Kentucky has one of the higher uninsured driver rates in the country. Estimates put it near 12-15% of Kentucky drivers on the road without valid insurance. Additionally, many INSURED drivers carry only the state minimum 25/50 liability — nowhere near enough to cover a serious injury claim. UM/UIM steps in when:

• The at-fault driver has no insurance at all
• The at-fault driver has insurance but limits too low to cover your damages
• You’re the victim of a hit-and-run
• You’re injured as a pedestrian or cyclist by an uninsured driver

How Kentucky UM/UIM Coverage Works

Two related but distinct coverages:

• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI): pays your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance
• Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UIMBI): pays your injuries when the at-fault driver’s limits are exhausted
• Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD): pays for your vehicle damage from an uninsured at-fault driver (optional)

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Blake typically matches UM/UIM limits to your bodily injury liability limits — if you carry 100/300 liability, carry 100/300 UM/UIM. Stacking (across multiple vehicles) is available on some Kentucky policies and multiplies the coverage.

The Real Cost of Waiving UM/UIM

UM/UIM is one of the cheapest coverages on an auto policy — often adding $50-$150/year for meaningful limits. The cost of NOT having it after being T-boned by an uninsured driver can be six figures in medical bills. Blake rarely writes a Kentucky auto policy without UM/UIM.

Written by Blake Boswell, owner of the Boswell Insurance Agency, Murray, KY.