Wyoming Does Not Require Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Wyoming does not mandate underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. The state requires only liability insurance: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage are optional. You decide whether to add them to each vehicle on your policy.
This creates a structural decision for households insuring multiple cars. You can carry the state minimum on every vehicle, add UM/UIM to all of them, or structure coverage differently across cars. The choice hinges on your household's exposure: how many drivers you have, where you drive, and what happens if someone with inadequate insurance hits one of your vehicles.
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Get Your Free QuoteWyoming Uninsured Motorist Rate
6.7%
Approximately 6.7% of Wyoming drivers carry no insurance, according to 2023 data. That rate is lower than the national average but still represents thousands of uninsured vehicles on state roads.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
What Underinsured Motorist Coverage Actually Does
Underinsured motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver's liability limits are too low to cover your medical bills, lost wages, or other injury costs. Wyoming's minimum bodily injury limit is $25,000 per person. If another driver carries only the minimum and causes a crash that injures you severely, their $25,000 policy may not cover your hospital stay, surgery, or months of lost income. UIM coverage fills the gap between their policy limit and your actual costs, up to the UIM limit you purchased.
Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) works similarly but applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all. Many carriers bundle UM and UIM as a single coverage, often labeled UM/UIM. That limit applies per vehicle on your policy unless the carrier structures it differently.
Property damage coverage under UM/UIM (UMPD) pays for vehicle damage when an uninsured or underinsured driver hits your car. Not all carriers offer UMPD in Wyoming, and some require you to carry collision coverage first. Check whether your carrier includes property damage in the UM/UIM package or sells it separately.
Wyoming's $25,000 per-person bodily injury minimum is the floor. A serious crash can generate medical costs far beyond that limit, leaving you to cover the difference without UIM.
How Multi-Vehicle Households Structure UM/UIM
Most carriers apply UM/UIM limits per vehicle. The other two cars' limits do not stack unless the carrier's policy language explicitly allows it. Read your declarations page to confirm how limits apply across your household's vehicles.
Some households add UM/UIM only to the vehicles driven most frequently or by the household members with the highest medical-cost risk. A car driven daily on Interstate 25 between Cheyenne and Casper faces higher crash exposure than a vehicle used only for weekend errands in a small town. A household with a driver who has a chronic health condition may prioritize UM/UIM on that driver's primary vehicle. Structuring coverage this way lowers the total premium but leaves gaps: if an uninsured driver hits the vehicle without UM/UIM, you pay out of pocket.
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Wyoming's Rural Roads and Crash Patterns
Wyoming recorded 1.51 traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2023, above the national average. Twenty-five percent of those fatalities involved alcohol impairment. The state's rural roads, long distances between towns, and weather conditions contribute to crash severity. When a crash occurs on a two-lane highway far from a hospital, injuries are often more serious and medical costs higher.
Rural crashes also increase the likelihood that the at-fault driver carries only minimum liability limits. Drivers in less-populated counties may choose the state minimum to lower premiums, leaving them underinsured relative to the costs a serious crash can generate. If you drive frequently on US 287, US 26, or other rural routes, the structural reality is that UM/UIM coverage protects you when the other driver's $25,000 policy does not.
Motor vehicle thefts in Wyoming were 111.6 per 100,000 population in 2024. Theft is not covered by UM/UIM; collision and comprehensive handle vehicle damage and theft. But the theft rate signals the broader risk environment: higher theft correlates with higher uninsured-driver rates in some regions. If you live in a county with elevated theft or uninsured-driver activity, UM/UIM becomes more relevant.
Wyoming Auto Insurance Carriers
16 carriers
Sixteen carriers write auto insurance in Wyoming, including Allstate, Geico, Progressive, State Farm, and USAA. Not all offer UM/UIM, and those that do price it differently. Compare quotes with and without UM/UIM to see the premium difference for your household's vehicles.
What Happens Without UM/UIM
If an uninsured or underinsured driver injures you and you carry no UM/UIM coverage, you pursue the at-fault driver directly. Wyoming is an at-fault state: the driver who causes the crash is liable for damages. But liability does not guarantee payment. If the at-fault driver has no insurance or only the $25,000 minimum, you file a lawsuit to recover costs. Winning a judgment does not mean you collect: many uninsured drivers lack assets to pay. You absorb the medical bills, lost wages, and other costs yourself.
Health insurance covers some medical expenses, but it does not replace lost income or pay for pain and suffering. If your health plan has a high deductible or does not cover all treatment, the gap widens. UM/UIM coverage steps in as your own insurance, paying the difference between the at-fault driver's inadequate policy and your actual costs. It is a hedge against the structural reality that Wyoming's minimum liability limits are low relative to serious-crash costs.
Compare Carriers and Structure Coverage Across Your Vehicles
Request quotes from multiple carriers with UM/UIM added to all vehicles on your policy, then request quotes with UM/UIM on only the vehicles you drive most or the drivers with the highest exposure. Compare the premium difference. Some carriers price UM/UIM as a small add-on; others charge more.
When you compare, confirm whether the carrier bundles uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage or sells them separately. Confirm whether property damage is included or requires a separate UMPD endorsement. Confirm whether the UM/UIM limit applies per vehicle or stacks across vehicles if multiple household members are injured in one crash. These details vary by carrier and by policy form. The declarations page and policy contract specify the structure; ask the agent or read the sample policy before you buy.
If you add UM/UIM, match the limit to your liability limit or higher. Many households choose UM/UIM limits equal to their liability limits to avoid that gap.