10 worst and 10 best states for uninsured drivers

All but two states require that drivers have car insurance, yet a recent MarketWatch Guides study found that one in eight drivers (12.5%) were uninsured. It ranked the states with the highest percentages of uninsured drivers, and none of them included the two where insurance is optional.

Though not technically a state, the District of Columbia (D.C.) had the most uninsured drivers, with 25.2% lacking coverage. MarketWatch attributes some of that delinquency to the astronomical insurance costs in the region, which averages $644 for minimum-liability coverage.

The rankings are from 2022, the most recent year for which data was available.

The top 10 states with the most uninsured drivers:

1. District of Columbia: 25.2%

2. New Mexico: 24.9%

3. Mississippi: 22.2%

4. Tennessee: 20.9%

5. Michigan: 19.6%

6. Kentucky: 18.7%

7. Delaware: 18.1%

8. Georgia: 18.1%

9. Colorado: 17.5%

10. Ohio: 17.1%

Though it landed fifth on the list, Michigan had the highest average monthly and annual insurance costs, at $134 and $1,604, respectively. Delaware, at No. 7 on the list, had the largest fines for a first offense of driving without insurance, with drivers potentially receiving a six-month license suspension and a fine of up to $1,500.