What is non-stacked uninsured motorist coverage?

If you have non-stacked UM coverage and an uninsured driver hits your car, you might have to pay some of your medical costs yourself. For example, if you sustain $35,000 worth of injuries and your non-stacked UM coverage limit is $25,000, you will be forced to pay the remaining $10,000 out of pocket.

Stacking Example

There are two ways to stack uninsured motorist (UM) coverage: either on a single car insurance policy insuring two or more vehicles, or across two separate car insurance policies in your name.

For example, if you have two vehicles on the same policy and a $25,000 limit on each vehicle, you can stack those limits to obtain a $50,000 limit per accident. The same rule applies across policies: If you have two separate policies in your name, each with a limit of $25,000, you can combine them to raise your limit to $50,000.

Rules of Stacking

Stacking UM coverage may or may not be allowed, depending on the state where you live. For example, Florida and Pennsylvania allow stacking, while California and Illinois do not. In some states like New York and Georgia, you are allowed to stack across multiple policies but not on the same policy.

It is also important to note that while you can stack the bodily injury portion of UM in many states, you are never allowed to stack property damage coverage limits.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to stacked vs. unstacked auto insurance.