The Average Cost of Car Insurance in Virginia

The average cost of car insurance in Virginia is $928 per year or $77 per month. You’ll pay more or less, depending on your circumstances and chosen coverage levels. Below, we’ve broken down average costs by category.

By Age

The cost of auto insurance for teens is higher than for older drivers, due to their inexperience and higher likelihood of engaging in unsafe driving behaviors. On average, Virginians under the age of 20 pay $2,813 annually for auto insurance.

By Gender

Male drivers tend to pay more for auto insurance than female drivers, though the difference is most significant for drivers under age 25.

By Marital Status

Married drivers tend to pay slightly less for auto insurance. In Virginia, tying the knot will save you about $87 annually.

By Coverage Level

In Virginia, the cost of full coverage is about two-and-a-half times as much as minimum coverage. Keep in mind that minimum liability coverage only pays for the other party’s losses in the event you cause an accident.

Here are the cheapest car insurance companies in Virginia, regardless of your ZIP code.

Here are three strategies that can help you lower your car insurance bill in Virginia:

1. Compare quotes: Each insurance provider uses their own formula to determine premiums, meaning different companies will quote you different amounts. We recommend comparing at least three quotes to find the cheapest insurance. When getting a quote, make sure your limits and deductibles are the same; that way, you’re comparing apples to apples.
2. Take a defensive driver class: Some insurance companies offer a discount for taking an approved defensive driver or similar driver safety course. The discount often applies for several years after you take the course.
3. Increase your deductibles: A deductible is how much you pay toward repairs before your insurance coverage kicks in. Higher deductibles mean you pay less in monthly bills. Before changing your deductibles, consider whether you could afford the out-of-pocket expense in the event of an accident.

Virginia requires all drivers to carry the following minimum car insurance requirements or pay the $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee. The fee does not provide insurance but only allows you to drive an uninsured vehicle at your own risk. Additionally, the state’s minimum requirements will increase in 2025.¹

Virginia is an at-fault state, meaning that the at-fault driver’s insurance is responsible for paying for injuries and damages. However, Virginia is one of a few states that follows a pure contributory negligence doctrine. That means if an injured party is partially to blame for the accident — even 1 percent — they are not entitled to collect damages.

Virginia is the only other state besides Florida to use FR-44s in addition to SR-22s.

An SR-22 is a form stating you hold the minimum insurance liability requirements. You would need one in Virginia for offenses like falsifying insurance information or driving without insurance.

An FR-44 form certifies you hold double the minimum requirements. In Virginia, this would be $60,000/$120,000 of bodily injury liability per person/per accident and $40,000 of property damage liability per accident as of July 2023. Virginia requires FR-44s for more serious violations, like DUIs.

If you cannot find insurance on the open market due to low credit, a history of DUIs or other factors, you can seek coverage through the Virginia Automobile Insurance Plan. To do so, contact the National Specialty Insurance Company:

• Phone: (855) 224-2247
• Fax: (855) 224-7329
• Mailing Address:
  • National Specialty Insurance Company
    Serviced by AIPSO
  • PO Box 6200
  • Providence, RI  02940
• Email: CommercialAuto@aipso.com²

Technically, Virginia does not require drivers to have insurance as they can elect to pay a $500 fee instead of a traditional policy. However, in most cases, it costs less and is wiser financially to purchase auto insurance. On average, Virginians pay less than drivers in other states for insurance. USAA and Erie are two of the cheapest companies for auto insurance in the state.

Over the past two decades, AutoInsurance.com has gathered millions of data points that we use to match customers with the best policies for their needs. In addition to our database, we leverage knowledge of state-specific laws, coverage requirements, SR-22s/FR-22s and fault systems to give you an accurate sense of how much you’ll pay.