Car Insurance in Virginia

State minimum coverage requirements

Under Code of Virginia Section 46.2-472, all Virginia drivers must maintain the following minimum coverage:

• $30,000 bodily injury per person
• $60,000 bodily injury per accident
• $20,000 property damage per accident

Virginia eliminated its Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee option effective 2024, meaning all vehicles registered in Virginia must now carry the minimum required insurance. Driving without insurance results in license suspension and registration revocation. Reinstating driving privileges requires proof of current coverage, payment of reinstatement fees, and potentially SR-22 filing for three years. Virginia's mandatory insurance requirement is enforced through an electronic verification system linked to vehicle registrations.

Is Virginia a no-fault state?

No. Virginia is an at-fault state.

Virginia is an at-fault state but applies a contributory negligence rule, which is one of the strictest fault standards in the country and is used in only a handful of jurisdictions, Alabama, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and North Carolina. Under contributory negligence, if you are found even one percent at fault for an accident, you are completely barred from recovering any compensation from the other driver regardless of how much more at fault they were. There is no proportional reduction or sliding scale as there would be under comparative negligence. You are either contributorily negligent or you are not, and if you are found to be even minimally at fault, your claim for the other driver's liability is extinguished entirely. The practical consequence of this rule is significant. Consider a scenario where another driver runs a red light and strikes you broadside, but a witness testifies that you were traveling slightly above the posted speed limit. Under Virginia's contributory negligence rule, the court could find that your excess speed contributed to the accident even minimally, and that finding would bar your entire recovery against the other driver regardless of the fact that they ran the red light. Defense attorneys in contributory negligence jurisdictions routinely argue contributory fault specifically because it is such a powerful defense. This makes thorough accident documentation especially critical in Virginia. Dashcam footage, witness contact information, photographs of the scene, road conditions, and traffic control devices, and a careful police report that accurately reflects what happened all become important evidence in any subsequent claim. Because the tort system can bar recovery even in accidents where you were minimally responsible, your own uninsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage function as the most reliable first-party protections available to Virginia drivers, independent of any fault determination.

What the state minimum covers and does not cover

Virginia's 30/60/20 liability minimum covers only injuries and property damage you cause to other people. It does not cover:

• Damage to your own vehicle from a collision
• Your own medical expenses after an accident
• Losses caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver
• Theft, weather events, or vandalism to your vehicle

Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory

Virginia requires all auto insurance policies to include uninsured motorist coverage at limits matching the policyholder's liability coverage. This mandatory inclusion is especially significant in a contributory negligence state where the tort system can bar your recovery entirely if you had any share of fault. UM coverage pays your medical expenses and vehicle damage when an at-fault uninsured driver causes an accident, regardless of the fault question for your own recovery. UIM coverage fills the gap when an at-fault driver's policy is insufficient to cover your actual losses.

How credit affects your rate in Virginia

Virginia permits insurers to use a credit-based insurance score as one factor when pricing auto policies. The check is a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit report or credit score. Virginia law requires insurers to notify you if credit information results in an adverse action on your policy, giving you the opportunity to review your credit report for inaccuracies. If your credit has improved since your last renewal, shopping new quotes across multiple carriers is worthwhile because carriers weight credit differently and improvements in your score can reduce your premium even without any change in your driving record.

Recommended coverage levels

Most advisors recommend carrying at least 100/300/100 liability in Virginia. Because mandatory UM must match your liability limits, increasing your liability to 100/300 automatically brings your UM coverage to the same level, a single coverage decision that simultaneously improves both your liability protection and your first-party UM recovery rights. Medical payments coverage provides an important additional safety net for your own injuries regardless of fault. Under Virginia's contributory negligence rule, the tort system can bar your recovery entirely if you had any share of fault, making first-party medical payments coverage particularly valuable, it pays your medical bills without requiring any fault determination or legal proceeding. Virginia's dense Northern Virginia suburbs and the Richmond and Hampton Roads corridors are high-accident areas where collision coverage is especially relevant. If your vehicle is financed or leased, collision and comprehensive are required by your lender. For vehicles you own outright, carry collision and comprehensive on any vehicle with meaningful value. Virginia's proximity to the Atlantic Coast gives it exposure to hurricane and tropical storm weather that can produce flooding and hail damage, comprehensive coverage addresses these weather-related losses.

How insurers determine your rate in Virginia

Virginia insurers use your driving record, zip code, vehicle type, age, annual mileage, and credit-based insurance score to calculate your premium. Northern Virginia and the Washington DC suburbs consistently produce some of the highest premiums in the state due to traffic density, accident frequency, and vehicle repair costs. Richmond and Hampton Roads produce moderate premiums, while rural western Virginia is priced considerably lower. At-fault accidents and moving violations typically affect your rate for three to five years. Because each insurer weights these factors differently, comparing quotes from multiple carriers at renewal is the most reliable way to find the most competitive rate for your specific profile.

SR-22 requirements in Virginia

An SR-22 in Virginia is a certificate filed by your insurer with the Department of Motor Vehicles confirming you carry at least the state minimum liability coverage. You may be required to maintain an SR-22 after a DUI conviction, after driving without insurance, or after certain serious traffic violations. The requirement typically lasts three years from the triggering event, and your license remains suspended until the SR-22 is on file. If your policy lapses during the SR-22 period, your insurer must notify the Department of Motor Vehicles immediately, which reinstates your suspension. Not all insurers handle SR-22 filings, so drivers who need one should specifically look for carriers that serve the non-standard auto insurance market in Virginia.