Compare Stacked vs. Non-Stacked Car Insurance: Rates, Discounts, & Requirements [2024]

When you have multiple vehicles with insurance coverage, your coverages may either be stacked or non-stacked. There are pros and cons to consider with each type of coverage. For example, your rate will typically be higher with stacked insurance, but your coverage limits are much better.

So, what does stacked mean in the context of insurance, and what is non-stacked car insurance? We’ll compare stacked vs. non-stacked auto insurance below to help you make an informed decision.

What does stacked insurance mean?

Stacked insurance coverage allows you to combine the policy limits of two vehicles, specifically uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If you were to get into an accident with someone who does not have car insurance — or whose insurance coverage is not enough to cover damages and medical bills — it falls under your uninsured motorist coverage. (For more information, read our “Combined Single-Limit Car Insurance: Explained Simply“).

So how does stacked coverage help in this situation? If you have two vehicles on your policy, each with a $100,000 of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, stacked insurance allows these to be combined to cover just one of your vehicles if there’s an accident. 

So instead of $100,000 for each vehicle, you get a total of $200,000 in coverage for either car should you get into an accident and the other driver doesn’t have insurance.

What is non-stacked insurance?

When you have multiple vehicles with non-stacked insurance, each car has its own uninsured motorist coverage limit, which cannot be combined. So, as in the previous scenario where you have two vehicles with $100,000 in coverage for each, that face value is the extent of your coverage.

This means if you were to get into an accident with an uninsured motorist with either of your vehicles, only a maximum of $100,000 would be covered by insurance. So, if the accident caused significant damage and medical bills resulting in $150,000, you’d still be left with $50,000 to pay out of pocket. 

If your coverage was stacked, the total amount would have been taken care of because your total coverage would have been $200,000.

Stacked vs. Non-Stacked Car Insurance Rates

Stacking insurance tends to come with a higher rate than an unstacked policy. That is because the maximum limit is doubled for your vehicles rather than each having its own lower total.

However, if you have a significant accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, stacked insurance can save you a substantial out-of-pocket expense. This expense has the potential to be far more than the rate difference between a stacked and unstacked policy. 

So, you’ll have to balance what you can afford to spend on insurance against the risk of a costly accident.

Getting Stacked Insurance

The way stacked insurance is handled varies from state to state. Some states allow stacking of multiple vehicles on a single policy, while other states will only let you stack across multiple insurance policies for each car. Other states don’t allow stacked insurance at all.

If you’re interested in stacked car insurance, you’ll have to check your state’s bureau of insurance or speak directly to your insurance provider to see if this is an option for you. It’s also worth noting that this could vary by the insurance company as well. 

Even if your state allows stacking, it’s possible that your insurance company does not offer stacked policies. If this is the case and you feel that you need stacked car insurance, then you may want to shop around for insurance companies that do allow this option.

Key Takeaway: Stacked Insurance Is More Expensive but Offers Far Greater Protection

If your state and insurance company allows for stacked insurance, you’ll have a decision to make. While it’s tempting to keep your insurance non-stacked to get a lower rate, you’ll have to consider the potential expense of an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured motorist. 

Stacked insurance can save you a lot of money in the event of a significant accident. This makes the stacked vs. non-stacked car insurance debate a personal decision that should be carefully weighed.