Virginia Car Insurance Laws (2026)
All Virginia drivers must carry at least 50/100/25 in car insurance, but you may need more coverage.
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Virginia used to be one of two states that allowed drivers to opt out of carrying car insurance, but that changed as of Jan. 1, 2025. Today, Virginia has higher minimum car insurance requirements than most states. Plus, Virginia’s strict contributory negligence law can affect your car insurance payout if an adjuster or a court finds you contributed to an accident.[1]
Auto insurance requirements in Virginia
Before legally driving in Virginia, all drivers must meet the state’s minimum auto insurance requirements.
Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
As of Jan. 1, 2025, insurers must include uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage with limits that match your liability coverage. But you have the right to request lower UM/UIM limits in writing.[2]
Virginia’s minimum 50/100/25 coverage limits are higher than about 90% of other states. Most states set liability minimums at 25/50/25. If your liability coverage lapses, you must reinsure your vehicle and either deactivate your license plates or surrender them to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.[3]
Virginia is also a contributory negligence state. While you can file a lawsuit after an accident, you may not be able to recover damages if you share fault in any way. And the opposite is also true. So if you strike a pedestrian who failed to follow a “Don’t Walk” sign, they may not be able to collect damages because they played a role in the crash.
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Is state-minimum car insurance in Virginia enough coverage?
State-minimum liability coverage is almost never enough to fully protect you financially, which is why many drivers opt for full-coverage car insurance. Here are some car insurance coverage options you may want to consider in Virginia:
Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive insurance protects you from non-collision incidents, like damage caused by vandalism, fire, severe weather, and falling objects. Virginia regularly experiences severe storms that bring hail and damaging winds, and comprehensive coverage ensures your vehicle has protection against these risks.[4]
Collision coverage: Collision insurance pays for damages to your vehicle caused by a collision with another driver or object, regardless of fault. If you have liability-only insurance, it’ll only pay to repair or replace the other driver’s car.
Medical payments (MedPay) coverage: MedPay pays for any reasonable medical expenses incurred by you or others who sustain an injury in a car accident. It’ll also cover funeral expenses if someone dies in the crash.
Loss of income benefits coverage: This add-on coverage helps pay for loss of income up to $100 per week after a crash. It covers you, your passengers, and family for up to one year.
Roadside assistance: Roadside assistance provides 24/7 support if your vehicle suddenly breaks down and you find yourself stranded. A report from TRIP, a transportation research nonprofit, found that 13% of Virginia’s roads are in poor condition and 23% are in mediocre condition.
Penalties for driving without insurance in Virginia
Driving without car insurance in Virginia will result in an immediate license suspension. To restore your driving privileges, you’ll have to pay a $600 non-compliance fee, a $145 reinstatement fee, and carry SR-22 insurance for three years. Plus, driving without insurance can lead to higher car insurance rates since insurers will consider you a high-risk driver.
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Virginia now requires every registered vehicle to carry insurance
Virginia used to be one of only two states that didn’t require drivers to carry car insurance if you paid a $500 uninsured motorist fee. And nearly 6,100 drivers took advantage of that policy in 2024, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
But as of Jan. 1, 2025, the state requires all drivers to show proof of insurance when registering their vehicle or renewing their license. If you don’t comply within 30 days, the DMV can charge you a $600 fee, suspend your license, and charge you a reinstatement fee.
Virginia’s minimum car insurance requirements have also steadily increased over the years. Policies issued between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 1, 2024, came with minimum liability requirements of 30/60/20. But requirements increased to 50/100/25 as of Jan. 1, 2025.
Virginia insurance laws FAQs
Here’s some additional information about Virginia’s car insurance laws.
Is Virginia a no-fault state?
No. Virginia is an at-fault state for car insurance. This means the driver who causes the accident is responsible for paying for the other driver’s property damage and injuries.
How does Virginia’s pay-to-play insurance law work?
Virginia previously allowed drivers to opt out of car insurance by paying a $500 annual uninsured motorist vehicle fee to the DMV. But as of Jan. 1, 2025, Virginia law now requires all Virginia drivers to carry the state’s minimum 50/100/25 liability requirements.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Virginia?
Insurers must include UM/UIM with all liability policies with coverage limits that match your liability coverage. You can request lower UM/UIM coverage limits, but you must submit it in writing, and coverage can’t be lower than the state minimum. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you if an uninsured driver hits you or you’re the victim of a hit-and-run.
How do Virginia car insurance laws handle at-fault accidents?
Virginia’s contributory negligence law means that if an insurer or a court finds you to be responsible for the accident in any way, you may not be eligible to receive any financial compensation from the other driver.
Sources
- Virginia State Corporation Commission. "Virginia Consumer's Guide for Auto Insurance."
- Virginia Law. "Required notice of optional coverage available."
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. "Insurance Requirements."
- Virginia Department of Emergency Management. "Disaster Threats."
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 250 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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Jamie JohnsonInsurance and Personal Finance Writer
6 years experience in personal finance writing
Featured on Credit Karma and Insider
Featured in
MacKenzie KorrisLicensed P&C Agent, Insurance Copy Editor
Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
10+ years editing experience
NPN: 21630969
John LeachLicensed P&C Agent, Chief Copy Editor
Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
10+ years editing experience
NPN: 20461358
Featured in