Virginia Auto Insurance Requirements

Yes. Virginia requires car insurance on every registered vehicle. You cannot register a car, keep plates, or legally keep a registered vehicle on the road without a liability policy that meets current minimums. For policies effective January 1, 2025 or later, that floor is 50/100/25, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at least at those statutory minimums. UM/UIM generally matches the policy's liability limits. A named insured may reduce the additional UM/UIM, but cannot drop it entirely. The former uninsured motor vehicle fee ended July 1, 2024.

This page is the legal checklist. For premiums, rating factors, and how to compare quotes, use Virginia car insurance cost. Requirements can change, so confirm current limits with the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, Virginia DMV, or a licensed insurance professional before you buy or renew.

For broader context, see Virginia auto insurance and the auto insurance category hub.

Do you have to have car insurance in Virginia?

Yes. Virginia requires all registered vehicles to carry liability insurance.

Until July 1, 2024, Virginia allowed drivers to register an uninsured vehicle by paying an uninsured motor vehicle (UMV) fee to DMV. That fee did not provide insurance. It only allowed you to drive at your own financial risk. Under Senate Bill 951, the UMV fee option was eliminated effective July 1, 2024. All vehicles registered in Virginia must now have a liability policy that meets state minimum limits.

What is the minimum car insurance required in Virginia?

Virginia sets minimum bodily injury and property damage limits in the Code of Virginia. Limits increased for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025.

These limits are commonly written as 50/100/25.

Policies that took effect between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024 carried lower minimums of 30/60/20. If your policy was issued under the older limits, confirm with your insurer that your coverage meets the current requirements at your next renewal.

What liability coverage pays for

Liability insurance covers damages you may be legally responsible for when you or someone driving your vehicle causes an accident:

• Bodily injury liability — may pay for another person's medical expenses, lost wages, and related damages when you are at fault
• Property damage liability — may pay for damage you cause to another person's vehicle or property

Liability coverage does not pay for your own injuries or damage to your own vehicle. For that protection, you would need optional coverages such as collision, comprehensive, or medical payments coverage.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Virginia requires every motor vehicle liability policy to include uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage at no less than the financial-responsibility minimums required by § 46.2-472. For policies effective January 1, 2025 or later, those minimums are 50/100/25.

UM/UIM generally defaults to limits equal to the policy's liability coverage. Under § 38.2-2202 and § 38.2-2206, a named insured may elect to reduce the additional UM/UIM below the liability limits. The UM/UIM limits cannot be reduced below Virginia's statutory minimums. That election is not a right to eliminate UM/UIM.

For policies issued, delivered, or renewed after July 1, 2025, Virginia also requires a separate written notice about how underinsured-motorist payments are calculated. A named insured may elect, in writing, to change that calculation. That election can affect how UIM interacts with the at-fault driver's liability coverage. It is not a form that removes UIM coverage.

Hit-and-run note: If your vehicle is damaged by an unidentified hit-and-run driver, Virginia law requires you to pay the first $200 in property damage before UM property damage coverage applies.

Optional Coverages to Consider

Virginia law does not require collision, comprehensive, rental reimbursement, or roadside assistance. These are optional coverages you may add depending on your vehicle, finances, and risk tolerance:

• Collision — may pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a crash, regardless of fault
• Comprehensive (other than collision) — may cover theft, vandalism, weather damage, and animal strikes
• Medical payments (MedPay) — may cover medical expenses for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of fault
• Rental reimbursement — may help pay for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired after a covered loss

Virginia is a fault-based state — it does not require personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. After an accident, fault generally determines which party's liability insurance pays for damages.

Do you need insurance to register a car in Virginia?

Yes. Virginia DMV requires you to certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum liability limits before you purchase license plates or decals. The insurer must be authorized to conduct business in Virginia. Under § 46.2-706, DMV verifies insurance electronically. If no record is found, you may be asked to provide proof of coverage.

Carry proof of insurance, such as an insurance ID card or a digital equivalent, whenever you drive. Law enforcement may request it during a traffic stop.

Large fleet operators with more than 20 vehicles may qualify for a certificate of self-insurance from the State Corporation Commission instead of a standard policy. That option applies only in specific circumstances.

When does coverage need to start?

Have liability insurance in force before you register, and on the day you first drive the vehicle as your own. Virginia DMV tells new residents to get insurance before they register, not after.

The Bureau of Insurance also says you should consider physical-damage coverage on the day you take title if you want theft or damage protection before the car is driven. If you trade vehicles or add a vehicle, contact your agent immediately. Some coverages extend for only a limited period on a newly acquired car.

Coverage must remain in force for the entire registration period, even if the vehicle is not working or not being operated. If you cancel insurance while plates stay active, DMV can treat that as a lapse.

What if the vehicle is financed or leased?

Virginia statute does not require collision or comprehensive. A lender or lessor typically does. If you do not keep that physical-damage coverage, the lender may force-place collateral protection. The Bureau of Insurance warns that force-placed coverage often protects the lender's interest only. It generally does not protect you for your equity in the vehicle, and it does not satisfy DMV's liability requirement.

Read the finance or lease contract for the required deductibles and loss-payee language. Those are contract rules on top of Virginia's 50/100/25 floor.

What happens after a lapse?

Failing to maintain continuous insurance can have serious consequences in Virginia:

• License and registration suspension. If DMV cannot verify insurance, your driver's license, registration certificates, and license plates may be suspended.
• $600 noncompliance fee. Reinstatement after a lapse typically requires paying this fee.
• $145 reinstatement fee. Virginia DMV's new-resident guidance lists this additional fee when driving and registration privileges are suspended.
• SR-22 filing. You may need to file proof of future financial responsibility, commonly an SR-22 certificate, for three years.
• Higher future premiums. DMV warns that a lapse can lead to higher insurance premiums for the next three years.

If liability coverage terminates during the registration period, DMV says you must reinsure the vehicle, deactivate the plates, or permanently surrender the plates.

If you are convicted of driving without insurance under § 46.2-707, DMV may suspend your license and registration. Suspension may be waived if records show the vehicle was insured at the time of the alleged offense.

Pricing after a lapse is covered on Virginia car insurance cost.

What should someone moving into Virginia know?

Virginia DMV gives new residents a separate timeline from the insurance floor:

• Obtain a Virginia driver's license within 60 days of moving (30 days if you hold a CDL).
• Title the vehicle in Virginia within 30 days.
• Buy a liability policy that meets the current Virginia minimum before you register.
• Register and get Virginia plates within 30 days of moving.
• Keep that coverage in force for the full registration period.

A Maryland 30/60/15 policy or a Washington, D.C. 25/50/10 policy does not meet Virginia's current 50/100/25 floor. Update the garaging address and limits before you title and register here. Some Northern Virginia localities also require a local sticker or decal within 30 days, sold by the locality, not by DMV.

Virginia vs. neighboring jurisdictions

Minimum limits and mandatory coverages differ in Maryland and Washington, D.C.. Your policy should meet the rules of the state where the vehicle is registered. Pricing differences are on Virginia car insurance cost.

Questions to ask a licensed professional

State minimums are a legal floor, not a coverage recommendation. Before you buy or renew a Virginia auto policy, consider asking a licensed insurance agent or broker:

• Do my current limits meet Virginia's 50/100/25 requirement after the January 2025 increase?
• Should I carry liability limits above the state minimum based on my assets and driving habits?
• If I buy liability above 50/100/25, should UM/UIM stay at those higher limits or be reduced toward the statutory minimum?
• Would collision, comprehensive, or MedPay coverage make sense for my vehicle?
• What deductibles and coverage combinations fit my budget while maintaining adequate protection?
• Are there discounts I may qualify for, such as multi-policy, good driver, or safety feature discounts?

A licensed professional can review your specific situation and explain how Virginia law applies to your policy.