Oregon Requires Uninsured Motorist Coverage by Default
Oregon law mandates that every auto insurance carrier offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage with limits matching your liability coverage. The coverage is automatically included on your policy unless you explicitly reject it in writing. This applies to every vehicle you insure, whether you own one car or five on a multi-vehicle policy.
The requirement exists because 14.7% of Oregon drivers are uninsured. When an uninsured driver hits your car, UM coverage pays for injuries and property damage your liability coverage cannot collect from the at-fault driver. The state assumes you want this protection unless you sign a rejection form stating otherwise.
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Get Your Free QuoteOregon Uninsured Motorist Rate
14.7%
Nearly one in seven Oregon drivers operates without insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage protects your household when one of these drivers causes a collision involving any vehicle on your policy.
Oregon Insurance Division, 2023
How the Rejection Process Works
To decline UM coverage, you must sign a written rejection form provided by your carrier. The form acknowledges you understand the coverage protects you from uninsured drivers and that you are choosing to waive it. Verbal declination does not satisfy Oregon law.
The rejection applies to your entire policy, not individual vehicles. If you insure three cars under one policy and reject UM coverage, none of the three vehicles carry UM protection. You cannot selectively reject coverage on one vehicle while keeping it on another under the same policy.
Carriers must offer UM coverage limits equal to your bodily injury liability limits. You can select lower UM limits, but the carrier must present the matching-limit option first.
The rejection is policy-wide. Declining UM coverage removes protection from every vehicle and driver on your multi-car policy, not just one car.
Stacking Rules for Multiple Vehicles
Oregon allows stacking of UM coverage across vehicles on the same policy unless your policy contract explicitly prohibits it. Most carriers in Oregon write policies that permit stacking, but the policy language controls.
Non-stacking policies cap your UM recovery at the per-accident limit regardless of how many vehicles you insure. Read your declarations page and policy contract to confirm whether your UM coverage stacks. If stacking is not mentioned, Oregon law presumes it is allowed.
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UM Coverage Applies to All Household Drivers
Uninsured motorist coverage protects every driver listed on your policy and any household member driving a covered vehicle with permission. If your spouse, adult child, or other household member is injured by an uninsured driver while operating one of your insured vehicles, UM coverage responds.
The coverage also extends to you and your household members when you are pedestrians or passengers in another vehicle struck by an uninsured driver. This means UM protection follows your household, not just your cars. A multi-vehicle policy with UM coverage protects your entire household across a wider range of scenarios than liability-only coverage.
If a household member owns a vehicle titled in their name and insured on a separate policy, that vehicle's UM coverage applies to claims involving that car. UM coverage does not transfer across separately-titled policies, even within the same household. Combining vehicles onto one policy consolidates UM protection and often simplifies claims when multiple household members are involved in the same incident.
Oregon Minimum Liability Limits
$25,000 / $50,000
Oregon requires $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, plus $20,000 in property damage. UM coverage offers must match your liability limits, so higher liability coverage increases your UM protection floor.
Oregon Revised Code 806.070
Underinsured Motorist Coverage Pairs with UM
Oregon carriers also offer underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which pays when the at-fault driver carries liability insurance but their limits are too low to cover your damages. UIM coverage is separate from UM but typically offered together. If you reject UM coverage, you also lose access to UIM unless you specifically request UIM-only coverage, which few carriers write.
UIM coverage matters more on multi-vehicle policies because collision severity increases when larger vehicles or multiple household members are injured. A driver carrying Oregon's minimum $25,000 per person liability cannot cover serious injuries to two or three household members in one crash. UIM coverage fills that gap up to your policy limits.
Compare Carriers That Write Multi-Vehicle UM Policies
Oregon law requires every carrier writing auto insurance in the state to offer UM coverage, but policy terms vary. Some carriers write stacking-friendly policies; others include anti-stacking language that caps your recovery. Premium differences for UM coverage also vary by carrier, vehicle count, and your liability limits. Comparing quotes from carriers that write multi-vehicle policies in Oregon shows you the cost of UM coverage and whether stacking is permitted under each policy's terms. Use the comparison tool to request quotes that include UM coverage at limits matching your liability, then review each carrier's declarations page and policy contract for stacking language before you bind coverage.