Virginia Car Insurance Requirements in 2024
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For the moment, Virginia and New Hampshire are the only two U.S. states that don’t technically require auto insurance. But in 2023, the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill repealing the option of legally driving uninsured. This means that as of July 1, 2024, all Virginia drivers will have to have state-minimum auto insurance coverage.
Since insurance laws vary by state and can change with the stroke of a pen, it’s important to understand the specific and current requirements where you live. Here’s what you need to know about Virginia car insurance requirements as of 2024.
Is Car Insurance Required in Virginia?
Technically, drivers in the Old Dominion State don’t currently have to have auto insurance to legally drive. For many years, Virginia has allowed drivers to legally drive uninsured by charging an annual uninsured motorist fee of $500.
Paying the uninsured motor vehicle fee to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t provide any kind of insurance coverage. That means if you don’t have auto insurance and cause an accident, you’ll have to cover any repair costs and medical bills out of your own pocket.
But that’s changing. As of July 1, 2024, every Virginia driver who registers a vehicle or renews their vehicle registration in the commonwealth must at least have the state-minimum required car insurance coverage. This legislative change is intended to help lower overall insurance costs in Virginia, improve the financial security of currently uninsured drivers, and potentially improve safety on the roads.
Drivers in Virginia need to understand the new minimum car insurance requirements before they go into effect this summer.
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What Are the Minimum Requirements for Auto Insurance in Virginia?
After July 1, 2024, all vehicles registered in Virginia must have two types of minimum auto insurance coverage: bodily injury liability and property damage liability. Let’s take a closer look at each.
Bodily injury liability
Bodily injury liability coverage pays for the injuries or death of another person in a car accident you cause. Each state requires a minimum per-person and a per-accident limit for bodily injury liability coverage.
In Virginia, you must have a minimum bodily injury liability policy limit of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident.
Property damage liability
Property damage liability coverage pays for damages to another person’s vehicle (or other property) if you’re the at-fault driver in an auto accident. Virginia requires a minimum property damage liability limit of $20,000.
Many within the industry often refer to these combined liability coverage requirements as 30/60/20, reflecting the limits required for each type of coverage.
It’s also important to remember that these state-mandated limits can and will change over time. Until Jan. 1, 2022, Virginia required minimum bodily injury limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident and minimum property damage limits of $50,000. And on Jan. 1, 2025, the limits will go up to $50,000/$100,000 for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage.
Penalties for Driving Without Car Insurance in Virginia
Driving an uninsured vehicle in Virginia can have serious consequences. The penalties depend in part on whether you had an auto insurance policy that was terminated or canceled during the registration period, or if you can’t provide any proof of insurance.
For uninsured motorists whose coverage was terminated or canceled, there are four potential penalties:
- Get a new insurance policy to cover the vehicle
- Pay the $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee (only available until July 1, 2024)
- Deactivate your license plates temporarily
- Surrender your license plates permanently to the DMV
The penalties (and options) are much more severe if you can’t provide any proof of insurance. Uninsured drivers (who haven’t paid the uninsured motor vehicle fee) will have their driving privileges and registration suspended by the state of Virginia.
In order to reinstate those privileges, you must pay a $600 fee, file an SR-22 financial responsibility insurance certificate with the DMV for three years, and pay any applicable reinstatement fees.
Virginia Car Insurance Laws You Should Know About
In addition to the minimum insurance requirements, there are other Virginia auto insurance laws that every resident should be aware of. Here are some of the unique state laws in Virginia.
SR-22 and FR-44 requirements
Virginia is one of several states that requires an SR-22 form, and the only state other than Florida that requires an FR-44.
Neither of these forms is a type of insurance, but instead a “certificate of financial responsibility.” The commonwealth only requires drivers whom insurers have deemed high-risk to file these forms with the DMV. Generally, the filing requirement lasts three years.
Virginia requires you to have an SR-22 certificate on file if your license has been suspended, you’ve been caught driving uninsured, you’ve shown fake proof of insurance, or you have an unsatisfied judgment.
On the other hand, the state requires you to file an FR-44 if you’ve committed serious traffic violations, such as a DUI, maiming someone while driving under the influence, or driving after forfeiting your driver’s license.
Radar detectors
Virginia and Mississippi are the only two states where it’s illegal to use a radar detector. If the police catch you with a radar detector, you may have to forfeit it to law enforcement and could face a fine of up to $200. But the state doesn’t assign any demerits or points to your license if you break this law.
Are Virginia Minimum Car Insurance Requirements Enough?
No. Virginia’s minimum car insurance requirements may not offer you enough protection if you cause an accident. For example, if you have only state-minimum coverage and cause an accident that injures others, the minimum personal injury liability coverage may not cover their medical bills. In that case, you may have to use your personal assets to pay for their medical costs out of pocket.
That’s why all drivers in Virginia should consider purchasing more than the minimum limits for liability auto insurance and think about adding the following optional coverages to their insurance policy.
Optional car insurance coverages in Virginia
A number of different coverage options can help financially protect you in the event of an accident. Check out the table below to see how each works and what it covers.
| Optional Coverage | What It Pays for |
|---|---|
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage | Medical bills or property damage if you’re hit by an uninsured driver |
| Collision coverage | Repair or replacement costs to your vehicle if you cause an accident |
| Comprehensive coverage | Repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged by something other than an accident, like weather, animals, vandalism, or theft |
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Your medical bills from an accident, no matter who’s at fault |
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Virginia?
How much you pay for car insurance in Virginia depends on a number of factors, including things like your ZIP code, your driving history, and the coverage level you choose.
Liability-only insurance includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. In Virginia, the average cost of liability-only coverage is $202 per month, according to Compare.com data. Full-coverage insurance — which includes collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability — costs an average of $410 per month in Virginia.
But savvy shoppers can find insurance that costs far less than these averages. The table below features the seven cheapest companies for Virginia drivers and their average rates for common coverage types.
| Company | Liability Only | Full Coverage | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Farm Bureau | $40 | $65 | $52 |
| GEICO | $39 | $73 | $56 |
| Erie | $37 | $76 | $57 |
| Utica National | $38 | $80 | $59 |
| USAA | $42 | $81 | $62 |
| State Farm | $43 | $82 | $63 |
| Auto-Owners | $43 | $86 | $64 |
Virginia Farm Bureau has the overall cheapest average rates for Virginians, but several companies — including Erie, Utica National, and GEICO — offer cheaper policies if you’re looking for a bare-bones liability policy.
Still, Virginia Farm Bureau has average full-coverage rates that are more than 10% cheaper than the next closest insurer.
But the only way to find out which company has the cheapest coverage for your unique profile is to compare quotes from multiple companies side by side.
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Virginia Auto Insurance FAQs
Considering the changes in Virginia’s auto insurance laws, many drivers may have questions about car insurance. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about getting insured in the Old Dominion.
What types of car insurance does Virginia law require?
Virginia requires you to have bodily injury liability and property damage liability insurance to legally drive. The law mandates that each driver has a minimum of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury liability insurance and $20,000 in property damage liability insurance.
What’s the new law in Virginia about car insurance?
Virginia has repealed the uninsured motor vehicle fee, which allowed drivers to pay an annual $500 fee instead of purchasing auto insurance. But as of July 1, 2024, Virginians will no longer have the option of paying this fee and will have to purchase minimum liability insurance instead.
Do you have to have auto insurance on a vehicle you’re driving in Virginia?
Currently, Virginia drivers don’t have to have auto insurance if they’ve paid the $500 annual uninsured motor vehicle fee. But as of July 1, 2024, the commonwealth will require all drivers to have auto insurance.
Why does Virginia allow driving without liability insurance?
The option of paying an uninsured motor vehicle fee rather than purchasing liability insurance has been part of Virginia’s insurance laws since 1958, when the fee was originally $15. But that’s changing as of July 1, 2024, when the state will require all drivers to have minimum levels of liability insurance.
Is Virginia a no-fault auto insurance state?
No. Virginia is an “at-fault,” or “tort,” auto insurance state. This means that the police or insurance companies can hold one or more drivers at fault after an accident.
Methodology
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance rates from more than 75 partner insurance providers in order to compile the quotes and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information. All the quotes listed in this article have been gathered from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide drivers with insight into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
Sources
- Virginia’s Legislative Information System, “SB 951 Uninsured motorist fee,” accessed February 27, 2024.
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Uninsured Motor Vehicle Fee,” accessed February 27, 2024.
- Virginia Mercury, “Bill proposes requiring all Virginia motorists to have insurance,” accessed February 27, 2024.
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Vehicle Insurance Coverage Requirements Change January 1,” accessed February 27, 2024.
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Insurance Requirements,” accessed February 27, 2024.
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Financial Responsibility Certifications,” accessed February 27, 2024.
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