Guide to Car Insurance in Virginia

Virginia doesn’t require car insurance unless you are ordered to get an SR-22 or FR-44, which we will detail below. Everyone else can skip purchasing car insurance and pay the DMV a $500 uninsured motorist fee instead.

However, if you opt to get insurance, you must get at least the state’s minimum requirements.

• Bodily injury liability: $30,00 per person, $60,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $20,000

These limits apply to policies effective from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024. In 2025, the limits will be as follows:

• Bodily injury liability: $50,00 per person, $100,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $25,000

Liability coverage covers the other person’s injuries and damages in an accident you caused. It does not cover your car’s damages in at-fault accidents.

Now, let’s get back to those SR-22s and FR-44s. These are the only instances where you’re required to get car insurance in Virginia:

• SR-22s: An SR-22 is a form that proves you have minimum car insurance coverage. You’ll only need an SR-22 if you’ve been convicted of an uninsured motor vehicle suspension, falsifying an insurance certification, not providing proof of insurance under insurance monitoring, or an unsatisfied judgment. An SR-22 is also required if your driver’s license has been suspended for voluntary/involuntary vehicular manslaughter, car-related perjury, any motor vehicle felony, a hit-and-run involving death or injury, or a second conviction of driving for commercial purposes without a license.
• FR-44s: In contrast, an FR-44 is a form that proves you have double the minimum coverage. FR-44s are required for more serious convictions, like driving under the influence, maiming under the influence, driving with a license forfeited for a conviction, or a juvenile found not innocent, or for violating any similar federal, state, or local laws.

In our experience, coverage limits of $75,000 for bodily injury liability and $20,000 for property damage liability are too low. Injuries and property damage can cost much more than that, so buy as much coverage as you can afford.

Aside from these minimum coverages, we recommend a few supplemental coverages to protect yourself financially.

• Uninsured motorist coverage: If someone who hits you is driving without insurance, they may not have enough funds to cover your property damages and bodily injuries. If that’s the case, uninsured motorist coverage can kick in. Set the limits equal to your liability limits.
• Medical payments coverage: Of course, liability coverage applies only to the other party’s losses in accidents you cause, but what about your losses? Medical payments coverage will pay for your injuries in accidents you cause, in addition to your regular health insurance.
• Collision coverage: Collision coverage pays for damages to your property in accidents you cause.
• Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage also pays for your property damages, but the damage must be from events other than collisions, such as vandalism, car theft, and natural disasters. For collision and comprehensive coverage, the limits are your car’s actual market value (AMV) or what you would get if you sold your car tomorrow.

The good news for Virginia drivers? Car insurance costs are low in the Old Dominion state — 19 percent lower than the national average, to be exact. Here are the average annual costs, according to 2020 National Association of Insurance Commissioners data.

• Total: $846
• Liability coverage: $481
• Collision coverage: $316
• Comprehensive coverage: $149

Of course, the cost of auto insurance varies widely based on many factors, including your driving history, credit score, gender, and ZIP code. We’ve seen annual costs ranging from $327 to $4,185.27, with the highest auto insurance costs for teens. Average rates are lower for those with a clean driving record and higher for drivers under the age of 25. Learn more about the factors that affect car insurance rates.

• Allstate
• Erie
• Farm Bureau
• GEICO
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm
• Travelers
• USAA

• Bundle. If you pay for another type of insurance, whether life or home or pet, bundle it under the same provider to get lower premiums.
• Use discounts. Every car insurance company offers some discounts. Ask your agent which ones apply to you.
• Lower limits. If you’re okay with having less coverage, lower your liability limits; minimum coverage will be significantly cheaper than full coverage car insurance.
• Get rid of supplemental coverages. You can also drop coverages that the state doesn’t require (i.e., everything except liability coverage).
• Raise your deductibles. Raise your collision and comprehensive deductibles to lower your premiums.

Since Virginia doesn’t require car insurance, you don’t need to carry proof of insurance while driving. However, if you’re found not to have paid the uninsured motorist fee or obtained minimum coverage, you’ll have to surrender your plates immediately.

Otherwise, you’ll be charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor and forced to pay a $500 fine. Until you pay this fine, your license and registration will be suspended. Even after your license is reinstated, you’ll be required to maintain an SR-22 for three years following your reinstatement date.

If you go the insurance route, make sure to carry proof of insurance with you whenever you’re driving, in either paper or electronic form.

Now that you’ve gotten your car insurance sorted out, it’s time to drive. But wait: To avoid tickets and license suspensions, first brush up on Virginia’s rules of the road.

Fault System

Virginia has an at-fault insurance system, meaning that in a car accident, the party at fault is financially responsible for the other party’s property damage and bodily injury. And since the state has contributory negligence law, if a plaintiff acted negligently in any way, they can’t receive compensation, regardless of whether the defendant was more at fault.

Drivers Without Insurance

Despite the lack of car insurance requirements, only 11 percent of drivers in Virginia don’t have insurance, which is actually 19 percent lower than the national average, according to estimates from the Insurance Research Council.

While the state doesn’t require uninsured motorist coverage (just the fee), if you have it, it will include hit and runs, and you can stack coverage. Stacking means you can multiply your uninsured motorist limit by the number of cars you insure.

DUIs Laws in Virginia

Seat Belt Laws in Virginia

Primary enforcement means police can ticket a person for a violation on its own, while secondary enforcement means the violation must be accompanied by a violation that’s under primary enforcement. In other words, if you are over 18 and not wearing a seat belt in the back seat, the police can ticket you only if you’re also committing another traffic violation.

Distracted Driving

Virginia has a ban on operating handheld devices for all drivers. If you’re caught using a phone while driving, you’ll incur a fine and points on your driving record.

• First offense: Three points, $125 fine
• Second offense: Three points, $250 fine

Teen Drivers

Teen drivers are more prone to crashes than any other age group due to their lack of experience behind the wheel. That’s why Virginia, like most states, has a graduated driver’s license system for young drivers. If you have a learner’s permit, you’ll face the following driving restrictions.

Statute of Limitations

Wait no more than five years following a car accident to file property damage claims and no more than two years to file personal injury claims. If you wait beyond Virginia’s statutes of limitations, your claim won’t be covered.

Notification Laws: Cancellations and Non-Renewals

After the first 60 days, car insurance companies can cancel your insurance midterm if your license has been suspended or revoked, you committed fraud or misrepresentation, or you haven’t paid your premiums. In the case of nonpayment, the company has 15 days to notify you before your policy’s expiration date so you can find new coverage. In all other cases, the notification window is 45 days.

Companies can also choose not to renew your policy at the end of its term, but they must give you 45 days’ notice. Learn more about cancellations and non-renewals.

Self-Insurance

Although Virginia is one of two states that doesn’t require auto insurance (the other is New Hampshire), those with more than 21 vehicles can opt to self-insure. However, they’ll need to have $95,000 worth of collateral and proof that they have net working capital equal to the minimum liability limits. Follow these steps to self-insure if you meet the requirements:

1. Fill out the form — https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/fr302.pdf.
2. Gather the necessary documents.
   • Current list of the cars you own
   • Latest consolidated financial report, including profit and loss statement, certified by a reputable accounting firm
   • Financial statement from the end of the fiscal year
   • Crash involvement report (FR-521) — https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/fr521.pdf
3. Send the form and documents to this address:
   • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
     P.O. Box 27412
     Richmond, VA 23269

Inspection Requirements

In Virginia, you’ll need to get your car inspected for safety once a year. Here’s how to do it:

1. 1. Find an inspection station. While the state doesn’t maintain a list of all 4,200 inspection stations, you can try auto dealerships and car repair facilities (look for a white-and-blue sign that says the location is an official inspection station). If you can’t find a station, contact a Safety Division Area Office via https://vsp.virginia.gov/find-a-safety-office/.
   2. Bring your payment. Here are the fees for a car inspection:

Out-of-state vehicles must also undergo emissions testing in these counties:

• Arlington
• Fairfax
• Loudoun
• Prince William
• Strafford

Emissions testing is required in these cities as well:

• Alexandria
• Fairfax
• Falls Church
• Manassas
• Manassas Park

Emissions inspections are also required every two years for vehicles matching these criteria:

This testing is not required for the following vehicles:

• Fire and rescue equipment
• Motorcycles
• Qualified hybrid vehicles (achieving at least 50 city mpg, or at least 48 for model years 2008 and 2009)
• Registered antique vehicles
• Registered military surplus motor vehicles
• Tactical military vehicles
• Vehicles powered by clean fuels exclusively, including these types:
  • Compressed natural gas
  • Electricity
  • Hydrogen
  • Hythane
  • Liquefied natural gas
  • Liquefied petroleum gas

Follow these steps to get your vehicle emissions test:

1. Go to an emissions testing location. You can find an inspection location near you at https://www.virginiavip.org/PublicSite/Pages/InspectionStations.aspx.⁴
2. Pay the fee. The emissions testing fee is $28.

Defensive Driving Programs

There are a couple of reasons why a Virginian would take a defensive driving course: The court may have ordered them to, or, if they’re at least 55, they might want an auto insurance discount. Either way, here’s how to take a defensive driving course and take five points off your license every two years:

1. Find a course at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#clinics.asp.
2. Pay for the class, which can cost up to $100.
3. Take the course, which will be eight hours long in total.

Thresholds for Suing

Virginia’s state driving laws don’t indicate any monetary or serious injury threshold for suing following a car accident. If someone doesn’t agree with a payout following an accident, they’re free to seek economic damages for these claims:

• Anxiety
• Lost wages
• Medical expenses
• Pain
• Suffering

When to Report an Accident

Virginia requires people to immediately report an accident that results in injury or death, or face a fine of up to $250.

Credit Scores and Gender

Some states ban insurance companies from determining prices on the basis of credit scores and gender, protecting people with bad credit and men from higher rates. However, Virginia isn’t one of those states, so people with good credit and women will pay less.

Total Loss

Let’s say you have a car that is worth $30,000 and you get into a bad car accident, causing $24,000 in damages. In that case, because the repairs will cost 80 percent of your car’s AMV, your car would be declared a total loss, and you’d be reimbursed $30,000, provided you had collision coverage.

In Virginia, the total loss threshold is 75 percent, so any car with damages that cost 75 percent or more of its AMV would be declared a total loss.

Now that you’re familiar with Virginia’s laws surrounding car insurance and driving, it’s finally time to get on the roads.

Registration Information

Follow these steps to register your car:

1. Gather the information you need.
   • Virginia car title
   • Completed Application for Registration VSA 14 — https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/vsa14.pdf
   • Emissions inspection information (if testing is required)
   • Proof of minimum insurance or uninsured motorist fee
2. Get your payment. The fee will depend on your type of vehicle and its weight.

3. Register online. You can complete the entire registration process at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/apps/webtrans/Vehicle_Registration/intro.aspx.
4. Or register by mail. Mail the necessary documents and fee to this address:
   • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
     Attn: Renewal Center
     P.O. Box 27412
     Richmond, VA 23269-0001
5. Or register in person. Find a mobile office via https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#csc/mcscalendar.asp or a DMV Select (https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/DMVLocator/DMV.aspx?LocationType=S).

How to Get a Duplicate Car Title in Virginia

• Apply online at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/apps/webtrans/pin_maint/pin_logon.aspx and pay the $15 fee.
• If you want to apply by mail, fill out the form at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/vsa67.pdf. You won’t need to get the form notarized. Send the form and fee to this address:
  • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
    P.O. Box 27412
    Richmond, VA 23269

State Insurance Department Contact Information

• Email: bureauofinsurance@scc.virginia.gov
• Phone: 804-371-9741
• Mail:
  • 1300 E. Main St.
    Tyler Building
    Richmond, VA 23219

Car repairs in Virginia cost $403.19, which is 5 percent higher than the national average. That breaks down to $148.50 for labor and $254.69 for parts, according to a 2020 CarMD report.

While Virginia has a relatively low rate of car theft, its traffic fatality rate is high.

Car Theft

In 2019, the last time the FBI published national data, Virginia had only 126 car thefts for every 100,000 residents, a rate 95 percent lower than the national average.

However, some of the state’s cities had higher rates, which is normal, as cities often have higher rates than suburban or rural areas. See below for the 2020 data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.