Colorado · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026

Hit by an uninsured driver in Colorado: coverage, penalties and what to do

Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.

Short answer

Driving without insurance is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 ($1,000 for a repeat within 5 years) (C.R.S. § 42-4-1409). Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is included in your policy unless you reject it in writing.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Included unless you reject it
Minimum liability
25/50/15
Insurance system
Fault (tort)

Uninsured motorist coverage in Colorado

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is included in your policy unless you reject it in writing. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage is optional. (C.R.S. § 10-4-609)
Liability minimum
25/50/15
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in Colorado

  • If the other driver has no insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage (if you did not reject it) pays for your injuries; uninsured motorist property damage or collision coverage pays for your car if you bought it.
  • You can also sue the driver.

Penalties for driving uninsured in Colorado

  • Driving without insurance is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 ($1,000 for a repeat within 5 years) (C.R.S. § 42-4-1409).

More facts for Colorado

  • Police may skip investigating a no-injury car crash with no one's damage over $1,000 unless a driver asks or someone can't show proof of insurance (C.R.S. § 42-4-1606(4)(b)).

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Colorado

  • No fixed claim deadlines: the Division of Insurance says Colorado laws set no timeframes for insurer responses.
  • The law bans failing to acknowledge and act reasonably promptly on claims and failing to affirm or deny coverage in a reasonable time (C.R.S. § 10-3-1104(1)(h)).
  • If your own insurer unreasonably delays or denies a covered benefit, you can sue for two times the covered benefit plus attorney fees (C.R.S. §§ 10-3-1115, 10-3-1116).

Claiming from the uninsured driver in Colorado

Small claims limit for car damage in Colorado: $7,500. Colorado small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Colorado

  1. Report the crash to the police. After you stop and exchange information, call the nearest police agency right away for any crash that hurts or kills someone or damages any property. Reporting a crash in Colorado and getting the police report
  2. Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
  3. Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Colorado it is included unless you reject it.
  4. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 3 years for both property damage and injury. Deadlines to sue in Colorado, with the calculator

Free help in Colorado

Questions about uninsured drivers in Colorado

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Colorado?

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is included in your policy unless you reject it in writing. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage is optional. (C.R.S. § 10-4-609)

What happens if you drive without insurance in Colorado?

Driving without insurance is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 ($1,000 for a repeat within 5 years) (C.R.S. § 42-4-1409).

What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Colorado?

If the other driver has no insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage (if you did not reject it) pays for your injuries; uninsured motorist property damage or collision coverage pays for your car if you bought it. You can also sue the driver.

What is the minimum car insurance in Colorado?

25/50/15

How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Colorado?

3 years for property damage and 3 years for injury.

How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Colorado?

No fixed claim deadlines: the Division of Insurance says Colorado laws set no timeframes for insurer responses. The law bans failing to acknowledge and act reasonably promptly on claims and failing to affirm or deny coverage in a reasonable time (C.R.S. § 10-3-1104(1)(h)).

More for Colorado drivers

Nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.