Your insurer sent an uninsured motorist rejection form, and signing it would trim the bill. Here's what uninsured motorist coverage in Nevada pays and what rejecting it means.
Uninsured motorist coverage in Nevada, in 60 seconds
Uninsured motorist coverage in Nevada pays for injuries to you, your resident relatives and your passengers when an at-fault driver has no insurance, too little insurance, or flees a hit-and-run. Nevada law (NRS 690B.020) includes it in auto liability policies unless a named insured signs a written rejection, and insurers must offer it at your bodily injury limits (NRS 687B.145). About 11.1% of Nevada drivers were uninsured in 2023, an industry estimate. Our view: keep it, at limits that match your liability.
- A rejection carries to every renewal; adding UM back takes a written request.
- Hit-and-run claims need physical contact and a timely police report.
- Your car isn't covered by UM; collision usually repairs it.
What to do: find the UM/UIM line on your declarations page; if it's missing or below your liability limits, ask for it in writing.
Uninsured motorist coverage protects you from other drivers' choices: no insurance, a bare-minimum policy, or a hit-and-run. In our experience helping Nevada drivers since 2016, people rarely remember rejecting it until they need it.
What Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay For in Nevada?
The short answer: Uninsured motorist coverage in Nevada pays bodily-injury damages for you, your resident relatives and passengers in your car when an at-fault driver has no insurance, too little insurance, or is a hit-and-run driver who can't be found.
Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) is coverage on your own auto policy that pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or is an unfound hit-and-run driver. Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) pays when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough. Insurers usually present them together as UM/UIM.
The Nevada Division of Insurance's 2026 auto guide says it "covers you, your resident relatives, and occupants in your insured vehicle" when the at-fault driver "does not have insurance (not insured)" "or does not have enough insurance (underinsured) to pay all your loss."
| Situation | Does Nevada UM/UIM pay? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Your injuries from an uninsured or hit-and-run driver | Yes, up to your limits | NRS 690B.020 |
| Passengers' and resident relatives' injuries | Yes | NV DOI 2026 guide |
| Injury damages above the at-fault driver's limits | Yes, through UIM | NRS 687B.145(2) |
| Damage to your own car | No | NV DOI 2026 guide |
In plain terms, NRS 690B.020 counts a vehicle as uninsured when it has no proof of financial responsibility on file with the DMV, no liability insurance or less than the Nevada minimum, or an insurer that denies coverage or is insolvent, and it counts qualifying hit-and-run vehicles too.
Sources: NV DOI 2026 auto rate guide → · NRS 690B.020 → · NAIC consumer auto guide →
Nick Sakha
Nick founded Sakha Agencies in Las Vegas in 2016 after graduating from UNLV. His team helps valley families with auto, home, renters, condo and life insurance from the office at 4765 S Durango Dr, and reviews every guide on this blog for accuracy.
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Nevada?
The short answer: Nevada doesn't make you keep uninsured motorist coverage, but NRS 690B.020 includes it in auto liability policies unless a named insured rejects it in writing, and NRS 687B.145 makes insurers offer it at your bodily injury limits.
Two statutes, in plain English as of November 2026:
| Statute | What it says (paraphrase) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 690B.020 | Auto liability policies must include coverage for injuries from uninsured or hit-and-run drivers, at least at the injury minimum, unless a named insured rejects it in writing on the insurer's form. | It's in by default. Turning it down takes a signature. |
| NRS 687B.145(2) | For a passenger car or motorcycle policy, the insurer must offer UM and UIM, on a state-approved form, equal to your bodily injury limits. | Carry 100/300 liability and the offer is 100/300. |
The Division of Insurance's FAQ: "UM/UIM coverage is optional to purchase in Nevada, but per NRS 687B.145(2), your insurance company must offer this." Our reading of both statutes: the coverage is in unless a named insured signs it out. Liability can't be declined; our guide to Nevada's 25/50/20 minimum car insurance explains it.
Sources: NRS 690B.020 → · NRS 687B.145 → · NV DOI auto FAQs → · NV DOI 2026 auto rate guide →
Why Does Underinsured Motorist Coverage Matter if Nevada's Uninsured Rate Is Below Average?
The short answer: Underinsured motorist coverage matters because a Nevada driver can be fully legal with $25,000 of injury liability per person, which a serious injury can exceed, even though Nevada's uninsured share sits below the national figure.
Nevada's uninsured share isn't high; the Insurance Research Council, an industry group, ranked it 35th.
The bigger gap is the minimum. A driver carrying Nevada's 25/50/20 is legal, but their policy pays at most $25,000 for any one person they injure and $50,000 for everyone hurt in the crash. Underinsured coverage, in the words of NRS 687B.145(2), "enables the insured to recover up to the limits of the insured's own coverage any amount of damages for bodily injury" above the at-fault driver's limits.
In our team's experience, a hospital stay plus weeks of missed pay can outrun $25,000. That's the gap UIM fills.
Sources: III, uninsured motorists (IRC estimate) → · NRS 687B.145 → · NRS 485.185 → · NAIC consumer auto guide →
Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Cover a Hit-and-Run in Nevada?
The short answer: Yes, Nevada uninsured motorist coverage treats an unidentified hit-and-run driver as uninsured, but NRS 690B.020 requires physical contact with you or your vehicle and a police report within the deadlines in NRS 484E.
In plain terms, NRS 690B.020 sets four conditions for a hit-and-run UM claim:
- An unknown driver who can't be found after reasonable diligence.
- Physical contact: the injury must result from that vehicle touching you, someone claiming under your policy, or the vehicle you're in.
- A timely police report to city police, or outside cities the sheriff or Highway Patrol (now the Nevada State Police), within the time NRS 484E.030–.050 requires; those sections say "promptly" and "immediately."
- Your policy's notice rules. The statute sets no insurer deadline; your policy does.
Per LVMPD, freeway crashes go to the Nevada State Police. Our checklist for what to do after a car accident in Las Vegas covers the rest.
A driver who forces you into a barrier without touching your car doesn't meet the physical-contact test. Collision, if you carry it, still pays for your car "regardless of who is at fault" (Division of Insurance).
A Las Vegas driver carries 100/300 liability, 100/300 UM/UIM and collision with a $500 deductible. Amounts are made up; no premiums shown.
Had she signed the UM rejection, crash 1's $18,000 would fall to her health plan and savings, and crash 2's $45,000 gap would be hers to pursue from the other driver. Real payouts depend on fault and policy terms.
Sources: NRS 690B.020(3)(f) → · NRS 484E.030–.050 → · LVMPD, Filing a Report → · NV DOI 2026 auto rate guide →
Should You Keep Uninsured Motorist Coverage or Sign the Rejection?
The short answer: Most Nevada drivers should keep uninsured motorist coverage, in our team's view, because rejecting it leaves your own and your passengers' injuries riding on another driver's insurance or on your health plan and savings.
Questions to ask before you sign (our view marks our team's opinion):
- Who rides with you? UM/UIM covers "occupants in your insured vehicle" (Division of Insurance). Our view: kids and carpools are the strongest case for keeping it.
- How strong is your health insurance? UM pays bodily-injury damages you're "legally entitled to recover" from the at-fault driver (NRS 690B.020). Our view: health plans have deductibles and don't replace pay.
- Could you absorb lost income? The III (industry) says UM/UIM "typically" pays "medical treatment, lost wages." Our view: if a missed month of work would hurt, keep it.
- What liability limits do you carry? The offer equals them (NRS 687B.145(2)). The Division warns: "Saving money with low liability limits today could cost you more in the long run." Our view: raise both together; if price is the pressure, see our guide to paying less without getting underinsured.
- Do you ride a motorcycle? Motorcycle policies get the same offer. Our view: riders need UM more, not less.
- Do you carry medical payments coverage? MedPay pays "no matter who is responsible" (III), and insurers must offer at least $1,000 of it (NRS 687B.145(3)). Our view: it complements UM, not replaces it.
| If you reject UM/UIM and… | Who pays your injuries? | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| A hit-and-run driver injures you | Your health plan and savings | High |
| An uninsured driver injures your child passenger | Your health plan, or a claim against a driver with no insurance | High |
| A 25/50 driver causes $70,000 of injuries | Their $25,000, then you pursue the rest from them | Medium to high |
| An uninsured driver damages only your car | Collision either way; UM never paid for the car | No change |
Risk levels are our team's grouping, not a published rating.
Passengers
UM covers occupants of your car.
Health plan
Deductibles and who's on it.
Lost income
Weeks without a paycheck?
Your limits
The offer equals your injury liability.
Motorcycles
Same offer under NRS 687B.145.
Hit-and-run
No other policy to claim against.
Sources: NV DOI 2026 auto rate guide → · NV DOI, motorcycle insurance → · NRS 687B.145 → · III, motorcycle insurance (industry) → · III, basic auto policy (industry) →
Get A Quote for Auto Insurance in Nevada
Not sure whether you signed a UM rejection? Send us your declarations page; a licensed agent will check your UM/UIM and follow up the same business day.
How Much Uninsured Motorist Coverage Should You Carry in Nevada?
The short answer: Match your uninsured and underinsured motorist limits to your bodily injury liability limits, the amount NRS 687B.145(2) requires Nevada insurers to offer, and never below the 25/50 floor in NRS 690B.020.
The Division of Insurance's 2026 rate guide prices two sample packages, and both set UM at the same limits as bodily injury:
| DOI sample package | Bodily injury liability | Uninsured motorist | Medical payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | 25/50 | 25/50 | $1,000 |
| Option 2 | 100/300 | 100/300 | $5,000 |
The guide prices no package without UM, so no published figure shows UM's own cost; ask for a quote both ways.
We usually start at 100/300 liability with matching UM/UIM, then adjust for what you own. Our Las Vegas car insurance guide covers choosing limits, and our Las Vegas auto insurance team can price the options.
Can you stack UM coverage in Nevada?
Stacking means adding UM limits from more than one vehicle or policy together. NRS 687B.145(1) lets a policy limit that, so what you collect "may equal but not exceed the higher of the applicable limits." The limit must be clear and prominent, and it's void if the named insured bought separate coverage on the same risk and paid a premium for full reimbursement. Plainly: don't count on adding two cars' limits together.
Sources: NV DOI 2026 auto rate guide → · NV DOI, motorcycle insurance → · NRS 687B.145(1)–(2) → · NRS 690B.020 →
What Happens After You Sign a UM Rejection, and How Do You Add It Back?
The short answer: Under NRS 690B.020, a signed uninsured motorist rejection carries over to every renewal until a named insured asks for the coverage back in writing, and NRS 687B.145(2) lets you buy it again by written request.
A valid rejection, per NRS 690B.020, is made by a named insured, in writing, on an insurer form describing the coverage. After that, the insurer doesn't have to add UM at renewal "unless the coverage is then requested in writing by the named insured."
NRS 687B.145(2) adds that the insurer needn't re-offer UM/UIM on "any replacement, reinstatement, substitute or amended policy," but each renewal includes a copy of the offer form, and you "may purchase the coverage by requesting it in writing from the insurer." So a rejection from years ago, before a new car or a new baby, may still be in force.
How to add uninsured motorist coverage back
- Check your declarations page for a UM/UIM line and its limits.
- Request it in writing from your insurer or agent.
- Ask for limits equal to your bodily injury liability.
- Get the effective date on an updated declarations page; don't assume it reaches back to an earlier crash.
Step 2 is the statutes' rule; the others are our team's practice.
Sources: NRS 690B.020 → · NRS 687B.145(2) →
Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay to Fix Your Car in Nevada?
The short answer: No, Nevada uninsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injury, and the Division of Insurance's 2026 guide says it does not pay for damage to your vehicle, so collision coverage usually repairs your car after an uninsured or hit-and-run crash.
NRS 690B.020 frames UM around "bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death," and the Division's 2026 guide says: "This coverage does not pay for damage to your motor vehicle."
So your car usually falls to collision, which "protects against damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision, regardless of who is at fault" (same guide). With liability only, you'd pursue the other driver. Our guide to what full coverage includes in Las Vegas explains collision and comprehensive.
The III says UM/UIM nationally pays "in some cases, property damage," but no Nevada source we checked describes that here. Don't assume you have it.
Sources: NRS 690B.020 → · NV DOI 2026 auto rate guide → · III (industry) →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a signed UM rejection stay on my Nevada policy at every renewal?
Yes, until you ask for the coverage back in writing. Under NRS 690B.020, once a named insured rejects uninsured motorist coverage in writing on the insurer's form, the insurer doesn't have to add it at renewal unless the named insured requests it in writing. NRS 687B.145(2) also says insurers needn't re-offer UM/UIM on a replacement, reinstatement or amended policy, though each renewal includes a copy of the offer form. So a rejection signed years ago can still be in force. Check your declarations page for a UM/UIM line.
Will uninsured motorist coverage pay if a hit-and-run driver never touched my car?
Probably not under Nevada's statutory definition. NRS 690B.020 counts a hit-and-run vehicle as uninsured only when the injury results from physical contact between that vehicle and you, someone claiming under you, or the vehicle you're in, and the crash was reported to police within the time NRS 484E requires. A driver who forces you off the road without touching you doesn't meet that test. Ask how your policy reads; collision, if you carry it, still pays for your car regardless of fault.
Should my UM/UIM limits match my bodily injury liability limits?
In our team's view, yes. NRS 687B.145(2) requires Nevada insurers to offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage equal to your bodily injury limits, and the Nevada Division of Insurance's 2026 sample policies pair them the same way: 25/50 liability with 25/50 UM, and 100/300 with 100/300. Your liability protects people you injure; matching UM/UIM gives you and your passengers the same protection when the other driver can't pay. Raise liability, and ask for the UM offer at the new limits.
Is uninsured motorist coverage worth keeping if I already have good health insurance?
For most drivers, we think so. Health insurance helps with treatment, but it has deductibles and out-of-pocket costs and doesn't replace lost income. Uninsured motorist coverage pays bodily-injury damages you're legally entitled to recover from the at-fault driver (NRS 690B.020), and the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group, says UM/UIM typically pays medical treatment and lost wages. It also covers passengers who may not be on your health plan. That's our team's opinion, not a legal rule; we're glad to walk through both policies with you.
Can I add the UM limits from two cars together in Nevada?
Usually not, if your policy says so clearly. Combining limits is called stacking. NRS 687B.145(1) lets a policy limit what you collect across more than one policy or coverage so the total may equal, but not exceed, the higher of the applicable limits. The limiting language must be clear and prominent, and it's void if the named insured bought separate coverage on the same risk and paid a premium for full reimbursement. Read your policy's wording, and ask a Nevada attorney after a serious crash.
Related Questions
The Bottom Line on Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Nevada
The short answer: Keep uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at limits that match your liability, because it's the coverage that protects you and your passengers from other drivers' choices.
Nevada puts UM in your policy unless you sign it out. A rejection leaves injuries from a hit-and-run or bare-minimum driver to your health plan and savings. If UM/UIM is missing or low on your declarations page, ask in writing. One team, more than one option: we match you to the right market for your situation. Call (702) 726-3110 or start below.
Keep reading
More from our Las Vegas team.
Nevada's 25/50/20 Minimum
What the required liability limits pay for.
Read the requirements → 🚨After a Car Accident
Scene steps and the SR-1.
Read the checklist → 🛡️Full Coverage in Las Vegas
Collision and comprehensive, explained.
Read the guide → ✅Free Coverage Review
A licensed Las Vegas agent checks your UM/UIM with you.
Start my free quote →About this guide. Written by the Sakha Agencies team and reviewed by Nick Sakha, a licensed Nevada insurance agent (NV Lic. #4371904). Sakha Agencies (Nicholas K Sakha Agency Inc, NV Lic. #6013538) serves Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and all of Nevada from its office at 4765 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas. This guide is educational, not legal advice or a quote; statute summaries are plain-English paraphrases, and your policy's terms govern any claim. Facts come from the named sources linked above, including the Nevada Revised Statutes →, the Nevada Division of Insurance → (where you can also look up any insurer's or agent's license) and, where labeled, industry sources. Figures are reviewed quarterly.
Last reviewed by Nick Sakha on November 6, 2026.