Virginia car insurance requirements
Today, Virginia only requires liability insurance; however, that liability requirement will change at the end of 2024.
Liability insurance is broken into two parts: bodily injury and property damage. Here are Virginia’s required minimums and when they take effect:
Policies effective through Dec. 31, 2024: Liability limits of 30/60/20
Policies effective on or after Jan. 1, 2025: Liability limits of 50/100/25[1]
Liability coverage comes with limits. These limits represent the maximum amount the policy will pay toward a claim. Bodily injury has two limits, the first is a per-person limit, and the second is a per-accident limit.
In Virginia, you must carry bodily injury coverage of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident and property damage coverage of $20,000. These requirements go through the end of 2024. After that, the limits will increase to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury and $25,000 in property damage.
A per-person limit is the maximum amount your policy will pay for each person involved in an accident. The per-accident limit reflects the total amount that your insurer will pay out in liability coverage per accident.
This means that if you’re carrying the state-minimum coverage levels and cause a car accident that injures two people, the total amount your insurance company will pay for their medical expenses is $60,000. Each person is also limited to the per-person limit, and the total per-person amount can’t exceed the per-accident amount.
Property damage is the final aspect of liability coverage, and in Virgina, the required minimum is currently $20,000. This will go up to $25,000 in 2025.
Bodily injury liability
Liability coverage is broken into two coverage types. Bodily injury helps cover any medical bills related to another driver’s injuries that you’re responsible for after an accident with your vehicle.
Bodily injury will also step up to cover your legal bills if you’re sued as a result of the accident. Your insurer will cover the cost of a legal defense or pay any settlements or judgments, up to your coverage limits.
In many cases, state-mandated minimum coverage levels may not be enough coverage in the event of a serious accident. In these instances, once your coverage levels are exceeded, you’ll have to cover any additional expenses out of pocket.
Property damage liability
The other component of liability car insurance is property damage coverage.
This protection will pay to repair the other person’s vehicle if you’re at fault in an accident. It will also pay to repair damage to fences, mailboxes, garage doors, and any other property. Coverage limits apply to property damage as well.