Idaho · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026
Hit by an uninsured driver in Idaho: coverage, penalties and what to do
Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.
Short answer
If the at-fault driver has no insurance, you can claim for your injuries under your own uninsured motorist coverage (included in every Idaho policy unless you rejected it in writing). Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for injuries must be included in every policy at least at 25/50, unless you reject it in writing (or by electronic record).
- Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
- Included unless you reject it
- Minimum liability
- 25/50/15
- Insurance system
- Fault (tort)
Uninsured motorist coverage in Idaho
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for injuries must be included in every policy at least at 25/50, unless you reject it in writing (or by electronic record). It usually matches your bodily injury limits (Idaho Code § 41-2502; Idaho Department of Insurance).
- 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 Idaho
- If the at-fault driver has no insurance, you can claim for your injuries under your own uninsured motorist coverage (included in every Idaho policy unless you rejected it in writing).
- Idaho's required UM/UIM coverage is for bodily injury; damage to your car is paid by your own collision coverage if you have it.
Penalties for driving uninsured in Idaho
- Driving without insurance is an infraction with a $75 fine the first time; a second offense within 5 years is a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail (Idaho Code § 49-1229(5), § 49-1232(3)).
How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Idaho
- State law bans insurers, intentionally or as a general business practice, from failing to acknowledge and act reasonably promptly on claims and similar unfair claim practices (Idaho Code § 41-1329).
- The statute sets no fixed number of days.
Claiming from the uninsured driver in Idaho
Small claims limit for car damage in Idaho: $15,000 since July 1, 2026 (it was $5,000 before). Small claims can't award money for pain and suffering. Idaho small claims guide on Small Claims Map
Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Idaho
- Report the crash to the police. If anyone is hurt or killed, or damage to any one person's property is more than $1,500, you must tell the police right away by the fastest way you can. Reporting a crash in Idaho and getting the police report
- Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
- Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Idaho it is included unless you reject it.
- If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 3 years for property damage and 2 years for injury. Deadlines to sue in Idaho, with the calculator
Free help in Idaho
Questions about uninsured drivers in Idaho
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Idaho?
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for injuries must be included in every policy at least at 25/50, unless you reject it in writing (or by electronic record). It usually matches your bodily injury limits (Idaho Code § 41-2502; Idaho Department of Insurance).
What happens if you drive without insurance in Idaho?
Driving without insurance is an infraction with a $75 fine the first time; a second offense within 5 years is a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail (Idaho Code § 49-1229(5), § 49-1232(3)).
What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Idaho?
If the at-fault driver has no insurance, you can claim for your injuries under your own uninsured motorist coverage (included in every Idaho policy unless you rejected it in writing). Idaho's required UM/UIM coverage is for bodily injury; damage to your car is paid by your own collision coverage if you have it.
What is the minimum car insurance in Idaho?
25/50/15
How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Idaho?
3 years for property damage and 2 years for injury.
How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Idaho?
State law bans insurers, intentionally or as a general business practice, from failing to acknowledge and act reasonably promptly on claims and similar unfair claim practices (Idaho Code § 41-1329). The statute sets no fixed number of days.
More for Idaho drivers
- All car accident rules in Idaho
- Comparative fault
- Reporting a crash
- Deadline to sue
- Minimum car insurance in every state
- Guide: hit by an uninsured driver
- Fault and payout explainer
- Deadline calculator
- Insurance claim letter
- Police report request letter
Nearby states
- Idaho Department of Insurance: Required Auto Coverage
- Idaho Code § 49-1305 (immediate notice of accidents)
- Idaho Code § 49-1306 (officer written reports)
- Idaho Code § 6-801 (comparative negligence)
- Idaho Code § 5-218 (3-year limits)
- Idaho Code § 5-219 (2-year limits)
- Idaho Code § 49-117 (proof of financial responsibility, 25/50/15)
- Idaho Code § 49-1229 (required insurance)
- Idaho Code § 49-1232 (proof of insurance, penalties)
- Idaho Code § 41-2502 (UM/UIM coverage)
- Idaho Code § 41-1329 (unfair claim settlement practices)
- Idaho Code § 6-906 (claims against local government)
- Idaho Department of Insurance: Auto Claims
- Idaho Transportation Department: Crash Reports
- Idaho Code § 6-905 (claims against the state)
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.