Different companies use different labels for this form, and the title printed at the top matters less than what the form says and who signed it. This guide explains what Indiana law requires, what a valid rejection looks like, and how to check your own policy. For the wider claim picture, see our uninsured and underinsured accident practice page and our explainer on when a vehicle counts as underinsured in Indiana.
Key takeaways
- For ordinary Indiana auto policies covered by IC 27-7-5-2[2], insurers must provide UM/UIM unless rejected in writing; statutory exceptions apply to certain commercial, umbrella, and excess coverage.
- A valid rejection must be written, must come from a named insured, and must state which coverage is rejected and its effective date.
- One named insured's written rejection of coverage binds all other insureds under the policy.
- After a rejection, the same insurer need not offer the coverage again at renewal unless it is later requested in writing.
- For a policy subject to the statutory requirement, the absence of a valid written rejection can mean the required coverage must be included. Whether a particular loss is covered still requires a separate analysis.
What does Indiana law require insurers to offer?
Under IC 27-7-5-2(a)[1], an insurer must make uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage available in each automobile liability policy delivered or issued for delivery in Indiana with respect to a motor vehicle registered or principally garaged in this state. The coverages must be provided in limits at least equal to the limits in the policy's bodily injury liability provisions, unless the coverages have been rejected in writing by the insured. Underinsured motorist coverage must be made available in limits of not less than $50,000, and insurers may not sell underinsured motorist coverage in a lower amount. The statute carves out exceptions in subsections (d), (f), and (h) for certain commercial policies and for umbrella and excess liability policies.
When the coverage is included, the statute sets its floor by reference to IC 9-25-4-5[3]: $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage in one accident. The Indiana Department of Insurance consumer page[4] lists the same figures and notes that each newly written Indiana auto liability policy must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage unless you reject it in writing.
| Protection | What it addresses | Required floor when included |
|---|---|---|
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury | Injury claims against a driver with no liability insurance or a vehicle out of compliance with IC 9-25[5] | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | Damage to the insured vehicle and to the insured's personal property inside it | $25,000 per accident. Insurers must also offer a no-deductible option; a permitted collision deductible cannot exceed $300, and the statute waives it for a qualifying legally parked, unoccupied vehicle. |
| Underinsured motorist bodily injury | Injury claims when the liability limits available from those responsible are less than your underinsured motorist limits | $50,000. Insurers may not sell underinsured motorist coverage below that amount. |
What do "uninsured" and "underinsured" mean here?
Under IC 27-7-5-4[6], an uninsured motor vehicle is one without liability insurance or one otherwise out of compliance with Indiana's financial responsibility requirements, and it includes an insured vehicle whose liability insurer cannot pay within the IC 9-25-4-5[7] limits because of insolvency. An underinsured motor vehicle is an insured vehicle where the bodily injury liability limits available for payment are less than the limits of the injured person's underinsured motorist coverage at the time of the accident. The two definitions do not overlap, so a vehicle is analyzed as one or the other, not both.
What makes a UM/UIM rejection valid?
Indiana spells out the form a rejection must take. Under IC 27-7-5-2(b)[8], a named insured has the right, in writing, to reject both coverages, or to reject either one alone if the insurer provides the coverage not rejected separately from the coverage rejected. Under subsection (c), the rejection must specify which coverage is being rejected — uninsured, underinsured, or both — and the date on which the rejection is effective. The chapter's application note states that the current rejection requirements apply to rejections made after December 31, 2009, for claims arising after that date.
A conversation with an agent does not satisfy the statute, because the rejection right runs to a named insured acting in writing. The statute also provides that no insured may have uninsured motorist property damage coverage without also having uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage. If you signed a stack of paperwork when the policy started, the rejection form may be somewhere in that stack. Ask the company for a copy of any written rejection in your file, and keep whatever it sends you.
Who does a named insured's rejection bind?
Under IC 27-7-5-2(b)[8], a rejection of coverage by a named insured is a rejection on behalf of all other named insureds, all other insureds, and all other persons entitled to coverage under the policy. That reach matters in households where several family members drive the same vehicles. A spouse or an adult child can be affected by a form they never saw, signed years before they joined the policy. Our guide to household and resident-relative rules in Indiana UM/UIM claims looks at the related question of who counts as an insured in the first place.
Does a rejection carry forward to renewal policies?
Usually, yes. Under IC 27-7-5-2(b)[8], following a rejection, the insurer need not offer uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in a renewal or replacement policy issued to the same insured by the same insurer, or by a subsidiary or an affiliate of the originally issuing insurer, unless the coverage is later requested in writing. Renewals that have undergone interim policy endorsements or amendments do not constitute newly issued or delivered policies under the statute. In practice, a form signed once can quietly follow a household from one renewal to the next for years.
The renewal rule also shows the way back in. If you want the coverage restored, the statute makes a later written request the step that matters, so put the request in writing, ask for written confirmation, and confirm the effective date and revised declarations before relying on the added coverage. A request does not establish retroactive protection for a crash that already happened.
What if no valid written rejection exists?
For a policy subject to subsection (a), the statutory default controls: under IC 27-7-5-2[8], the coverages must be provided by insurers unless they have been rejected in writing by the insured. In a dispute, the practical question is whether the company can produce a written rejection attributable to the named insured that satisfies subsections (b) and (c) for the policy at issue. A form that does not identify the rejected coverage, or that lacks an effective date, does not match what subsection (c) requires. Whether a particular document is a valid rejection can depend on when it was signed and which version of the statute applied at the time, so it is a question worth reviewing with an attorney rather than assuming.
A short checklist if this issue comes up:
- Request the complete policy, including the declarations page and any written selection or rejection records.
- Compare the date on any rejection form with the policy periods it supposedly governs.
- Keep every page the company sends, along with the letters that came with it.
- Bring the packet to a lawyer before accepting the company's summary of what the policy includes.
How do you check your declarations page for UM/UIM?
The declarations page is the summary sheet at the front of the policy that lists each vehicle, each type of protection, and the dollar limits. Look for lines labeled uninsured motorist bodily injury, underinsured motorist bodily injury, and uninsured motorist property damage. If those lines show premiums and limits, the protection is part of the policy for the vehicles listed. That per-vehicle detail matters: under IC 27-7-5-5(b)[9], when the coverage is written under a single policy for more than one motor vehicle, it applies only to the operation of vehicles for which a specific uninsured or underinsured motorist premium charge has been made.
Why check at all? The financial responsibility floor for bodily injury is $25,000 for one injured person under IC 9-25-4-5[7]. Your own policy review matters because the other driver’s liability limits may not cover all of a serious crash loss. For more on those figures, see our overview of Indiana auto insurance requirements. After a crash on I-69, US 30, or a neighborhood street in Fort Wayne or Allen County, the declarations page is one of the first documents we ask to see.
Mistakes to avoid:
- Assuming the label on the form settles the question of what the policy includes.
- Tossing renewal packets without reading the new declarations page.
- Accepting a phone summary instead of asking for the written rejection record itself.
- Waiting until after a crash to find out what protection the household carries.
Frequently asked questions
Is a verbal UM/UIM waiver valid in Indiana?
The statute describes a rejection made in writing by a named insured, specifying the rejected coverage and its effective date. An oral conversation alone is not a written rejection. If the transaction was electronic, request the complete selection record and evidence attributing it to the named insured; a summary screen alone may not resolve what was agreed to. Do not assume that the lack of a paper signature decides validity.
Can my spouse's signature reject coverage for me?
Under IC 27-7-5-2(b)[8], a named insured's rejection of coverage operates on behalf of all other named insureds, all other insureds, and all other persons entitled to coverage under the policy. So a spouse who is a named insured can sign a form that reaches the rest of the household.
Do I have to reject UM/UIM to lower my premium?
No — the choice belongs to the named insured. Indiana requires the offer, not the purchase: the coverage must be provided unless it is rejected in writing. Before signing anything, weigh the premium difference against what the protection would do after a crash with a driver who carries little or nothing.
How do I add UM/UIM back after a rejection?
After a rejection, the statute turns on a written request: unless the coverage is later requested in writing, the insurer need not offer it in a renewal or replacement policy. Send the request in writing, keep a copy, and obtain confirmation of the effective date and revised declarations before relying on it for future driving.
What are the minimum UM/UIM limits in Indiana?
When uninsured motorist coverage is included, its limits may not be less than the amounts set forth in IC 9-25-4-5[7]. Those amounts are $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Underinsured motorist coverage may not be sold in an amount below $50,000.
Talk through your policy with a lawyer
If a company tells you this protection was rejected years ago, ask to see the written rejection attributable to the named insured before you accept that answer. Attorney Chad Delventhal can review the policy, the rejection paperwork, and the crash facts with you, and explain how they fit together. Our car-accident practice serves Fort Wayne, Allen County, and northeast Indiana. A free case evaluation costs nothing and can help you decide the next step.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Under the Scope section of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct[10], the duties flowing from an attorney-client relationship generally attach only after a person requests legal services and the lawyer agrees to provide them, so reading this article or contacting Delventhal Law Office does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship. Policy language, signature dates, and individual facts change the analysis, so discuss your specific situation privately with an attorney.
The linked legal and official sources were checked on September 14, 2026. References appear below.
Sources
- IC 27-7-5-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 9-25-4-5 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- Indiana Department of Insurance consumer page (in.gov) ↩
- IC 9-25 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-4 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 9-25-4-5 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-2(b) (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-5(b) (iga.in.gov) ↩
- Scope section of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct (rules.incourts.gov) ↩
