Uninsured vs. Underinsured Motorist Coverage in Idaho

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Idaho requires both uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in a covered liability policy, in limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, unless a named insured rejects either or both in writing.

One statute for both

Idaho Code 41-2502 covers UM and UIM together. The coverage is for people legally entitled to recover damages from owners or operators of uninsured and underinsured motor vehicles because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death. It does not apply to policies on all-terrain vehicles, utility type vehicles, specialty off-highway vehicles or motorbikes.

Minimum limits

The limits are those of the financial responsibility law: $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage (49-117(20)).

Rejection and the standard statement

A named insured may reject UM, UIM or both in writing or in an electronic record, and the rejection binds all other insureds. The insurer must give a standard statement explaining both coverages and the forms of UIM that may be available.

What the statute does not say

It does not define "underinsured," does not say whether the other driver's payment reduces your UIM limit, and does not address stacking. A law-firm summary of Idaho UIM law mentions an Idaho decision holding UIM sold at the minimum liability amount to be illusory, and another where a clear policy offset was enforced. We did not read them. The calculator shows both readings of the other driver's coverage.

Deadlines and next steps

An action to recover damages for an injury to the person must be commenced within 2 years (Idaho Code 5-219(4)). Stacking is a separate question; see our statute post and the explainer, then use the Idaho UM/UIM stacking calculator.

This is general information, not legal advice, and the state comparisons above are illustrative, not an exhaustive survey. Confirm how Idaho's rules apply to your specific case with a licensed Idaho attorney.