Insurance
Car Insurance in Virginia
Published September 24, 2026 · Last updated October 1, 2026
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Do you have to have car insurance in Virginia?
Yes. To buy license plates or decals, you have to certify that the car carries at least the minimum coverage. Your insurer must be authorized to do business in Virginia.
| Policies effective | Injury, one person | Injury, two or more people | Property damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2024 | $30,000 | $60,000 | $20,000 |
| On or after Jan. 1, 2025 | $50,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 |
Do you need insurance to register a car in Virginia? Yes. You certify coverage when you register, and the DMV checks it electronically with insurers. If it can't find a policy, it will ask you for your policy information.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage: equal to your liability
Virginia bundles protection against other drivers into every policy:
- Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage matches your liability limits. You can reject coverage above the state minimum, but that choice applies to everyone on the policy.
- Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage matches your UM limits.
- UM also covers property damage, at least $20,000. Some policies subtract the first $200 of a property claim.
UIM pays on top, unless you choose otherwise
This is a Virginia detail worth knowing. By default, underinsured coverage pays in addition to the at-fault driver's coverage. It isn't reduced by what their policy pays.
Example: you have $100,000 of UIM. The at-fault driver has $50,000 of liability, and your injuries total $150,000. The other driver's policy pays $50,000, and your UIM can pay up to $100,000 more.
A named insured can sign an election to have UIM reduced by the other driver's coverage. That can lower your price, but it can also leave you short after a serious crash. Read any form about "reducing" UIM before you sign it.
What happens if you drive without insurance in Virginia
If your insurance ends while the car is registered, you must do one of these right away:
- insure the car again,
- deactivate the plates, or
- turn the plates in to the DMV.
If you don't, the DMV suspends your driving and registration privileges. To get them back, you must:
- pay a $600 non-compliance fee,
- file an SR-22 with the DMV and keep it for three years, and
- pay any reinstatement fee that applies.
The DMV offers a payment plan for the fee if you qualify. See SR-22 insurance for how that filing works.
How much is car insurance in Virginia?
Your price depends on your city or county, your record, your car, and your limits. By one measure, Virginia is one of the more affordable states: in 2021, Virginia households spent about 1.08% of their income on car insurance, well under the U.S. average of 1.50%. That ranked 41st, among the most affordable in the country.
Two things that may push your price up:
- The 2025 minimums. Higher required limits mean the cheapest possible policy costs more than it used to.
- Your household. Virginia insurers may consider the driving record of anyone of driving age who lives with you. Ask your agent before a new teen driver gets licensed.
About 12.9% of Virginia drivers were uninsured in 2023. That's why the UM and UIM rules above matter.
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