Iowa · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026

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

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

Short answer

Your uninsured or hit-and-run motorist coverage pays for your injuries caused by an uninsured driver, unless you rejected it in writing. Every auto liability policy must include uninsured, hit-and-run and underinsured motorist coverage, at least at the minimum limits, unless you reject it in writing on a separate sheet.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Included unless you reject it
Minimum liability
20/40/15
Insurance system
Fault (tort)

Uninsured motorist coverage in Iowa

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
Every auto liability policy must include uninsured, hit-and-run and underinsured motorist coverage, at least at the minimum limits, unless you reject it in writing on a separate sheet.
Liability minimum
20/40/15
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in Iowa

  • Your uninsured or hit-and-run motorist coverage pays for your injuries caused by an uninsured driver, unless you rejected it in writing.
  • The Iowa DOT can tell people in the crash the other drivers' names and addresses, and may also give their insurers' names.

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Iowa

  • Iowa insurance rules set these deadlines for property and casualty insurers.
  • They must acknowledge your claim within 15 days, unless they pay within that time, and reply within 15 days to your claim letters that call for an answer (Iowa Admin. Code 191—15.42).
  • On a claim under your own policy, they must accept or deny it within 30 days after getting your proof of loss, or tell you within 30 days why they need more time, then write every 45 days.
  • Once they accept liability and the amount isn't disputed, they must pay within 30 days (191—15.41).
  • Iowa Code § 507B.4(3)(j) also bans repeated failure to act reasonably promptly on claims.

Claiming from the uninsured driver in Iowa

Small claims limit for car damage in Iowa: $6,500 (not counting interest and court costs). Iowa small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Iowa

  1. Report the crash to the police. If anyone is hurt or killed, tell the sheriff, the nearest State Patrol office or another nearby peace officer right away, by the quickest means. Reporting a crash in Iowa 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 Iowa it is included unless you reject it.
  4. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 5 years for property damage and 2 years for injury. Deadlines to sue in Iowa, with the calculator

Free help in Iowa

Questions about uninsured drivers in Iowa

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Iowa?

Every auto liability policy must include uninsured, hit-and-run and underinsured motorist coverage, at least at the minimum limits, unless you reject it in writing on a separate sheet.

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

Your uninsured or hit-and-run motorist coverage pays for your injuries caused by an uninsured driver, unless you rejected it in writing. The Iowa DOT can tell people in the crash the other drivers' names and addresses, and may also give their insurers' names.

What is the minimum car insurance in Iowa?

20/40/15

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

5 years for property damage and 2 years for injury.

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

Iowa insurance rules set these deadlines for property and casualty insurers. They must acknowledge your claim within 15 days, unless they pay within that time, and reply within 15 days to your claim letters that call for an answer (Iowa Admin. Code 191—15.42).

More for Iowa drivers

Nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.