Delaware Does Not Require Uninsured Motorist Coverage
You are insuring two or more vehicles in Delaware and confirming what coverage the state requires. Delaware does not mandate uninsured motorist coverage. The state requires only liability insurance: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $10,000 property damage, and personal injury protection. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional.
This matters because 17.6% of Delaware drivers carry no insurance. When an uninsured driver hits one of your household vehicles, your liability policy pays nothing for your own injuries or vehicle damage. Uninsured motorist coverage fills that gap, but you must add it deliberately — it does not come with the state minimum package.
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Get Your Free QuoteDelaware Uninsured Driver Rate
17.6%
Nearly one in six Delaware drivers carries no insurance. This is among the highest uninsured rates in the nation, creating significant exposure for households that rely on state-minimum liability alone.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering damages when an uninsured driver injures you or a household member. The coverage applies to all drivers listed on your policy and passengers in your vehicles.
Uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays for vehicle repairs when an uninsured driver damages one of your cars. Some carriers offer this as a standalone endorsement; others bundle it with collision coverage. Delaware does not mandate either form, so both must be added explicitly when you structure your multi-vehicle policy.
Underinsured motorist coverage extends the same protection when the at-fault driver carries liability limits lower than your damages. This coverage is also optional in Delaware and typically sold alongside uninsured motorist bodily injury.
Delaware liability insurance pays nothing for your own injuries or vehicle damage when an uninsured driver hits you. UM coverage is the only product that closes this gap.
How UM Coverage Works Across Multiple Vehicles
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage follows the person, not the car. The coverage does not multiply by the number of cars on your policy.
Uninsured motorist property damage coverage, when purchased separately, typically applies per accident with a deductible. If an uninsured driver totals one of your vehicles, the coverage pays up to your selected limit minus the deductible. Some carriers require you to carry collision coverage before they will sell standalone UM property damage; others offer it as a collision alternative. When structuring coverage for multiple vehicles, confirm whether each car needs collision or whether UM property damage alone meets your household's exposure.
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Structuring UM Coverage for a Multi-Vehicle Household
Most Delaware carriers writing multi-vehicle policies offer uninsured motorist coverage as an add-on at the time you bind the policy or during renewal. The coverage is priced per vehicle when it includes property damage, and per policy when it covers bodily injury only. Adding UM bodily injury to a three-car household policy typically costs less than adding it to three separate single-car policies, because the per-policy structure eliminates redundant charges.
Households that carry collision coverage on every vehicle sometimes skip uninsured motorist property damage, reasoning that collision already covers vehicle damage regardless of fault. This works when every car has collision. If you drop collision on an older vehicle to save premium, that car loses protection against uninsured drivers unless you add UM property damage. The gap appears only at claim time, when the carrier denies the uninsured-driver claim because neither collision nor UM property damage was in force on that vehicle.
Delaware permits stacking of uninsured motorist coverage when you insure multiple vehicles. Stacking allows you to combine the UM limits from each car on your policy, multiplying your per-person coverage. Stacking increases premium, but it is the only way to raise your UM limits above your liability limits without restructuring your entire policy. Not all carriers offer stacking in Delaware; confirm availability when comparing quotes.
Delaware Minimum Liability Limits
$25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000
Delaware requires $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage. These minimums do not include uninsured motorist coverage, leaving households exposed when hit by the 17.6% of drivers who carry no insurance.
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles
Carriers Writing UM Coverage in Delaware
Fourteen carriers in the injected roster write policies in Delaware, and most offer uninsured motorist coverage as an optional endorsement. State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, and Nationwide all write UM bodily injury and UM property damage for multi-vehicle households. USAA offers UM coverage to eligible military-affiliated households. Travelers and Liberty Mutual write UM endorsements but structure them differently: Travelers bundles UM property damage with collision, while Liberty Mutual offers it as a standalone option.
Dairyland, The General, Direct Auto, and National General write non-standard policies in Delaware and include uninsured motorist coverage in their quote process, often at higher premiums than standard carriers due to the risk profile they insure. If your household includes a driver with a violation or a suspended license, these carriers may be the only ones willing to write a multi-vehicle policy, and UM coverage becomes especially important because the uninsured-driver rate in non-standard markets exceeds the statewide average.
Compare Carriers and Add UM Coverage
Delaware does not require uninsured motorist coverage, but the state's 17.6% uninsured rate creates real exposure for households insuring multiple vehicles. Liability insurance pays nothing when an uninsured driver hits you. UM coverage is the only product that closes the gap, and it must be added deliberately when you structure your policy. Compare carriers writing UM coverage in Delaware, confirm whether stacking is available, and decide whether each vehicle needs UM property damage or whether collision alone meets your household's risk. The decision is yours, but the exposure is measurable.