# Virginia car insurance: the higher minimums, the end of the uninsured fee and what drivers pay

> Virginia car insurance minimums went up and the option to pay a fee instead of insuring is gone. See the limits, UM/UIM rules, FR-44 and average costs.

Canonical page: https://statecover-guide.com/location/virginia/  
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026 by the StateCover Guide editorial team  
General information, not legal or insurance advice.

## Quick answer

Virginia car insurance must now carry liability limits of at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage, for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025. Virginia also ended the option of paying a state fee to drive an uninsured car, so every registered vehicle now needs insurance. Drivers here spent an average of $1,114.46 a year per insured vehicle in 2023, below the national $1,281.

## Key facts

| Fact | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Liability minimum | $50,000 / $100,000 bodily injury, $25,000 property damage |
| Recent changes | Minimums rose from 30/60/20 to 50/100/25 on January 1, 2025; the uninsured motor vehicle fee option ended July 1, 2024 |
| Uninsured motorist | Required: equal to your liability limits unless you reject the extra amount (never below the state liability minimums) |
| Underinsured motorist | Required: limits equal to your uninsured motorist limits |
| PIP | Not required; optional medical expense and income loss benefits are available |
| Medical payments | Optional (medical expense benefits) |
| Fault system | At-fault |
| If found uninsured | Suspension, a $600 noncompliance fee and an SR-22 for 3 years |
| Average spent per insured vehicle (2023) | $1,114.46 a year, about $93 a month |
| Regulator | [Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance](https://www.scc.virginia.gov/consumers/insurance/property-casualty-consumer/automobile-insurance/), 877-310-6560 (toll-free); 804-371-9185 (property and casualty consumer services) |
| Registration and insurance | [Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/insurance-requirements) |

## What changed in Virginia's minimums

Virginia made two big changes to its car insurance rules in a short span. In short: Minimums rose from 30/60/20 to 50/100/25 on January 1, 2025; the uninsured motor vehicle fee option ended July 1, 2024.

| Limit | Policies effective on or after January 1, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury, one person | $50,000 |
| Bodily injury, two or more people | $100,000 |
| Property damage | $25,000 |

If your policy renewed after the change, it had to be brought up to the new limits. If you already carried higher limits, nothing changed for you. Some older consumer guides, including parts of the state's own, still quote the previous limits, so check the date on anything you read. Our post on [state minimum coverage changes](https://statecover-guide.com/blog/state-minimum-coverage-changes/) tracks similar updates in other states.

## Paying to drive uninsured is no longer an option

Virginia used to let an owner pay an uninsured motor vehicle fee at registration instead of buying insurance. The fee was not insurance. It only allowed the car to be registered, and the owner stayed personally responsible for any crash.

That option is gone. To buy plates or decals, you now certify that the vehicle has at least the minimum insurance. If you relied on the fee in the past, you need a policy before your next registration. If price was the reason, [discounts](https://statecover-guide.com/saving/discounts/) and [shopping at renewal](https://statecover-guide.com/saving/shopping-at-renewal/) are the usual places to start.

## What happens if Virginia DMV finds you uninsured

The penalties make a lapse expensive:

1. DMV suspends your driving privileges and your vehicle registration.
2. To be reinstated, you pay a $600 noncompliance fee, plus a reinstatement fee if one applies.
3. You must file a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate, an [SR-22](https://statecover-guide.com/drivers/sr-22/), with DMV and keep it for 3 years.

The SR-22 itself is just a form your insurer files, but it marks you as a higher-risk driver for those years, which can mean higher premiums. See [car insurance after a lapse](https://statecover-guide.com/blog/car-insurance-lapse/).

## UM and UIM match your liability limits

Virginia requires uninsured motorist coverage on every policy, equal to your liability limits unless you reject the extra amount, and never below the state minimums. Underinsured motorist coverage is required at the same limits as your UM coverage. That means a driver who buys higher liability limits automatically gets matching protection for their own injuries, unless they choose otherwise in writing.

For example, a driver who raises liability to 100/300 would normally carry 100/300 in UM and UIM as well. If they reject the extra and drop UM to the minimum, the premium falls, but so does the amount available if an uninsured driver injures them. The [uninsured motorist coverage guide](https://statecover-guide.com/coverage/uninsured-motorist/) explains these trade-offs.

## FR-44: double limits after a DUI

Virginia and Florida use the FR-44 form. After certain DUI convictions on or after January 1, 2008, drivers must prove liability coverage at twice the normal minimums:

| FR-44 limit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury, one person | $100,000 |
| Bodily injury, per accident | $200,000 |
| Property damage | $50,000 |
| How long | 3 years |

Our [FR-44 guide](https://statecover-guide.com/drivers/fr-44/) and [car insurance after a DUI](https://statecover-guide.com/drivers/after-a-dui/) explain how the filing works.

## Virginia car insurance costs and road safety

| Measure (2023) | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Average spent per insured vehicle | $1,114.46 | $1,281 |
| Average liability + collision + comprehensive premium | $1,238.13 | $1,438 |
| Estimated uninsured drivers (2023) | 12.9% | 15.4% |
| Crash deaths per 100,000 people (2024) | 10.4 | 11.5 |

Virginia sits below the national average on both NAIC cost measures, on the uninsured estimate and on the IIHS crash death rate. These figures come from before the new minimums took effect, so they do not show any effect of the higher limits. IIHS data add some detail: 31% of Virginia's crash deaths in 2024 were speeding-related (US: 29%), and 50% happened on rural roads (US: 41%). A state average is only a starting point: your own price depends on personal factors such as your [driving record](https://statecover-guide.com/costs/driving-record/), age, car and ZIP code. Neighboring [Maryland](https://statecover-guide.com/location/maryland/) (At-fault (add-on PIP)) and [Kentucky](https://statecover-guide.com/location/kentucky/) (Choice no-fault) handle injury claims differently, which matters if you commute across the line.

## FAQ

### What are Virginia's minimum car insurance limits now?

$50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage, for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025.

### Can I still pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee in Virginia?

No. The fee option was repealed, so every vehicle you register needs at least the minimum insurance.

### What happens if I'm caught without insurance in Virginia?

DMV suspends your license and registration. Reinstatement requires a $600 noncompliance fee, any reinstatement fee, and an SR-22 kept on file for 3 years.

### What is an FR-44 in Virginia?

A certificate proving higher liability limits, required after certain DUI convictions. The limits are $100,000 / $200,000 / $50,000, kept for 3 years.

### Is Virginia a no-fault state?

No. Virginia is an at-fault state. PIP is not required, though optional medical expense and income loss benefits are available.

## Sources

- [Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Insurance Requirements](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/insurance-requirements) — minimum limits, suspension, noncompliance fee and SR-22 period
- [Code of Virginia 46.2-472](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-472/) — minimum liability limits and effective date
- [Code of Virginia 46.2-707](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter7/section46.2-707/) — penalties for operating an uninsured vehicle
- [Code of Virginia 38.2-2206](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title38.2/chapter22/section38.2-2206/) — UM and UIM coverage
- [Code of Virginia 46.2-316](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-316/) — FR-44 limits after certain convictions
- [Virginia SCC Bureau of Insurance, Virginia Auto Insurance Guide](https://www.scc.virginia.gov/consumers/insurance/property-casualty-consumer/virginia-auto-insurance-guide/) — optional medical expense benefits
- [NAIC, 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-aut-pb-auto-insurance-database.pdf) — average costs
- [Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists) — uninsured estimates
- [IIHS, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state](https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state) — crash death data
- [Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance), as of October 28, 2026
- [Virginia State Corporation Commission, File an Insurance Complaint](https://www.scc.virginia.gov/consumers/insurance/file-an-insurance-complaint/), as of October 28, 2026
- [Virginia DMV, Financial Responsibility Certifications (SR-22/SR-26, FR-44/FR-46)](https://dmv.virginia.gov/businesses/insurance/certifications), as of October 28, 2026
- [Alabama Department of Insurance, State Auto Insurance Laws](https://www.aldoi.gov/Consumers/StateAutoLaws.aspx), as of October 28, 2026
- [NAIC, 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report](https://content.naic.org/article/naic-releases-20222023-auto-insurance-database-report), as of February 13, 2026
- [Insurance Research Council, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017–2023 (press release)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250220231032/en), as of February 20, 2025
- [Virginia General Assembly, 2023 Acts of Assembly Chapter 538 (SB 951, uninsured motorist fee repeal)](https://legacylis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+CHAP0538), as of March 26, 2023