The Decision Arkansas Puts on You
Arkansas does not require you to carry uninsured motorist coverage. The state mandates only liability: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage are optional. Your carrier must offer them, but you can reject them in writing.
That rejection waiver is the structural moment most households miss. When you decline UM coverage, you are explicitly choosing to absorb the full cost of an accident caused by an uninsured driver—out of pocket, with no insurance payout to cover your medical bills, lost wages, or vehicle damage. For a household insuring two, three, or four vehicles, that exposure multiplies across every car and every driver on your policy.
Compare car insurance rates in your state
Get quotes from licensed carriers — no obligation, no spam, results in minutes.
Get Your Free QuoteArkansas Uninsured Driver Rate
12.1%
One in eight Arkansas drivers operates without insurance. Your household's exposure to uninsured-motorist risk is not hypothetical—it is a structural feature of the state's driving population.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays
Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) covers medical expenses, lost income, and pain-and-suffering damages when an at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage (UIMBI) pays the gap when the at-fault driver's liability limit is too low to cover your damages. Both coverages protect you and your passengers—across every vehicle on your policy.
Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) covers vehicle repair or replacement when the at-fault driver has no insurance and you do not carry collision coverage. Arkansas allows UMPD as a standalone option. If you carry collision, UMPD is redundant—collision already covers the vehicle damage, minus your deductible, regardless of who caused the accident.
The coverage follows the policy, not the vehicle. A household policy covering three cars extends UM protection to all three, plus any driver listed on the policy. One UM limit applies per accident, not per vehicle. If two of your household's cars are hit by the same uninsured driver in separate incidents, each claim draws from the same per-accident limit.
How the Rejection Waiver Works
The rejection waiver is not a formality—it is a binding legal acknowledgment that you understand the coverage, you were offered it, and you declined it. Most carriers present the waiver as a checkbox or signature field during the quote or application process. If you do not explicitly reject UM coverage, the carrier must include it on your policy at the same limits as your liability coverage.
Once you reject UM coverage, that rejection stays in effect for the life of the policy unless you affirmatively request to add it back. Renewals do not automatically re-offer the coverage. If you change your mind after the policy is issued, contact your carrier or agent to add UM coverage mid-term. Most carriers allow mid-term additions; the premium adjusts pro-rata for the remaining term.
Related Articles
When UM Coverage Matters Most for Multi-Vehicle Households
A household insuring multiple vehicles faces higher statistical exposure to uninsured-driver accidents. More vehicles on the road, more drivers, more trips—each one a separate opportunity for an uninsured motorist to cause an accident. UM coverage does not scale per vehicle; it scales per accident. One accident involving two of your household's cars still draws from the same per-accident UM limit.
Households that carry only minimum liability on some vehicles—common for older cars or rarely-driven vehicles—often skip collision coverage on those cars to save premium. Without collision, UMPD becomes the only coverage that pays for vehicle damage caused by an uninsured driver. If you reject UM entirely, you pay out of pocket to repair or replace that vehicle.
Medical payments coverage (MedPay) is not a substitute for UMBI. MedPay covers medical expenses regardless of fault, but it does not cover lost wages, pain and suffering, or damages beyond the MedPay limit. UMBI covers the full scope of bodily injury damages, up to the UM limit you select. A household with multiple drivers—especially teen drivers or drivers with higher accident risk—benefits more from UMBI than from MedPay alone.
Arkansas Minimum Liability Limits
$25,000 / $50,000
These are the lowest liability limits an at-fault driver can carry and still comply with state law. UIMBI covers the $25,000 gap if you carry it.
Arkansas Code § 27-22-104
Selecting UM Limits That Match Your Household's Exposure
UM limits are sold in the same structure as liability limits: per-person and per-accident for bodily injury, and a single limit for property damage. Arkansas does not cap UM limits—you can purchase UM coverage at any limit your carrier offers, independent of your liability limits. Most carriers allow UM limits equal to or lower than your liability limits, but some allow higher UM limits if you request them.
A household insuring multiple vehicles should consider UM limits that reflect the household's total medical and income exposure, not just the cost of one accident. If two household members are injured in the same accident caused by an uninsured driver, the per-accident UM limit must cover both. Selecting UM limits equal to your liability limits ensures parity: the coverage you extend to others in an at-fault accident is the same coverage you carry for yourself when someone else is at fault and uninsured.
Compare Carriers That Write UM Coverage for Multi-Vehicle Policies
Not all carriers price UM coverage the same way. Some carriers charge a flat per-policy premium for UM coverage; others charge per vehicle. For a household insuring three or four vehicles, the pricing structure matters. Request quotes with and without UM coverage from multiple carriers to see how the premium scales across your household's vehicles. Arkansas law does not standardize UM pricing—carriers set their own rates, subject to state approval.
Carriers writing in Arkansas that offer UM and UIM coverage include State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, Nationwide, and others listed in the injected carrier roster. Not all carriers write multi-vehicle policies at the same tier. Compare carriers that specialize in multi-vehicle households and ask specifically how UM coverage is priced across the policy. The multi-car discount applies to the base premium, but UM coverage may be priced separately.