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Find Virginia’s car insurance cost for both new and used cars. Also see what coverage you need, how your car’s value and credit score affect your rate, and where you can cut costs without leaving yourself in trouble.

The state made major changes in 2024 and 2025. Car insurance is mandatory: Virginia eliminated the old $500 uninsured motorist fee that let drivers skip coverage. And in 2025, minimum liability limits jumped from 30/60/20 to 50/100/25.

Updated: June 3, 2026

Curious about car financing? See real Virginia car loan rates shared by our community.

Virginia’s 50/100/25 Minimums: What You’re Required to Have

As of 2026, Virginia requires:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident.
• Property Damage Liability: $25,000 per accident.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM): $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident (mandatory, matching your liability limits).

These limits doubled from the previous 30/60/20 requirement. If you had a policy before January 2025, it will update to the new minimums at your next renewal.

MFP Tip: Virginia requires UM/UIM coverage equal to your liability limits — you can’t opt out. Since July 2023, Virginia allows “stacking” of UM/UIM coverage. Your UM/UIM pays on top of the at-fault driver’s liability, not just the difference. This gives you more total coverage after an accident with an underinsured driver.

No More $500 Fee — Insurance Is Mandatory

Until July 1, 2024, Virginia and New Hampshire were the only states that let drivers skip insurance by paying an annual fee. That option is gone. Now every vehicle must be insured.

Driving without insurance in Virginia carries stiff penalties:

• $600 statutory fine.
• License and registration suspension.
• $145 reinstatement fee.
• SR-22 filing requirement for 3 years.

Virginia’s DMV uses electronic verification to monitor insurance status on registered vehicles. If your coverage lapses, you’ll be notified to reinsure, deactivate your plates, or surrender them.

Virginia New Car Insurance Costs

Virginia is one of the more affordable states for new car insurance. Average premiums run 6-20% below national averages, depending on your coverage level and profile.

Car Value	Coverage	750+ (Excellent)	700–749 (Good)	650–699 (Fair)	600–649 (Below Fair)
Under $30K	Full	$153	$185	$207	$374
	Standard	$111	$134	$150	$271
	Liability only	$74	$89	$100	$180
$30K–$60K	Full	$181	$218	$244	$442
	Standard	$132	$159	$178	$322
	Liability only	$80	$97	$109	$197
Over $60K	Full	$223	$269	$301	$545
	Standard	$160	$194	$216	$391
	Liability only	$87	$105	$118	$213

Virginia Used Car Insurance Costs

Virginia is one of the more affordable states for used car insurance. Average premiums run 6-20% below national averages, depending on your coverage level and profile.

Car Value	Coverage	750+ (Excellent)	700–749 (Good)	650–699 (Fair)	600–649 (Below Fair)
Under $15K	Full	$89	$108	$120	$217
	Standard	$75	$90	$101	$183
	Liability only	$51	$62	$69	$125
$15K–$25K	Full	$107	$129	$144	$261
	Standard	$89	$108	$120	$217
	Liability only	$59	$71	$80	$144
$25K–$40K	Full	$121	$146	$163	$296
	Standard	$101	$122	$136	$247
	Liability only	$64	$77	$86	$156
Over $40K	Full	$139	$168	$187	$339
	Standard	$115	$139	$156	$282
	Liability only	$70	$85	$95	$172

What Each Coverage Level Means

Full Coverage: Includes collision, comprehensive, and liability beyond state minimums. Typical limits are 100/300/100. This pays to repair or replace your car after accidents, theft, vandalism, or weather damage. Required if you finance or lease.

Minimum Coverage: Virginia’s 50/100/25 liability plus mandatory UM/UIM. Protects others if you cause an accident and protects you from uninsured drivers. Does not cover damage to your own vehicle.

MFP Tip: Farm Bureau offers the cheapest full coverage in Virginia at around $111/month — $58 below the state average. Erie, USAA (military), and GEICO also consistently offer below-average rates. Get at least three quotes.

Credit Scores Affect Your Rate in Virginia

Virginia allows insurers to use credit-based insurance scores when setting premiums. Drivers with poor credit pay more than twice as much as those with excellent credit.

Your premium is influenced by:

• Credit-based insurance score: Major factor. Poor credit can double your premium or more.
• Driving record: A speeding ticket adds about 8% to your rate. An at-fault accident adds 23%. A DUI adds 27%.
• Age: Teen drivers pay roughly $7,078/year for full coverage vs. $1,890 for drivers in their 40s.
• Location: Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads cost more than rural areas.
• Vehicle type: Newer, more expensive, or high-performance cars cost more to insure.
• Gender: Virginia allows gender as a rating factor (unlike some states that prohibit it).

MFP Tip: If you’ve improved your credit since you bought your policy, ask your insurer to re-run your score. You may qualify for a lower rate without switching companies.

How to Choose the Right Coverage

Buying a New Car

If you’re financing or leasing, your lender will require full coverage including collision and comprehensive. You don’t have a choice — it protects their investment.

Beyond lender requirements, gap insurance is worth considering. New cars depreciate 20-30% in the first year. If your car is totaled, insurance pays the actual cash value (what it’s worth today), not what you owe. Gap insurance covers the difference.

Virginia uses annual safety inspections. Your new car must pass inspection before you can register it. New vehicles from dealers typically come with a valid inspection sticker.

Buying a Used Car

With a used car you own outright, you have more flexibility. The key question: does it make financial sense to pay for collision and comprehensive coverage?

The 10% Rule: Add up your annual collision and comprehensive premiums. If that total exceeds 10% of your car’s current market value, you might save money by dropping those coverages and setting aside funds for repairs or a replacement.

Example: Your 2018 Honda Accord is worth $18,000. If collision and comprehensive cost $1,400/year (7.8%), keeping those coverages makes sense. If your 2012 Ford Escape is worth $7,000 and collision plus comprehensive runs $800/year (11.4%), you might be better off banking the premium savings.

Virginia Exception: Hurricane Helene devastated Southwest Virginia in 2024. The state faces flood risk along coastal areas and increasingly inland. Comprehensive coverage protects against flood, falling trees, and storm damage — think carefully before dropping it.

Contributory Negligence: Virginia’s Harsh Fault Rule Creates Coverage Gaps

Virginia is one of only 5 jurisdictions (along with Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, and D.C.) that uses pure contributory negligence. This rule can devastate your ability to recover damages after an accident.

What Contributory Negligence Means for You

If you are found even 1% at fault for an accident, you cannot recover any damages from the other driver — even if they were 99% at fault.

Examples where contributory negligence has barred recovery:

• You’re hit by a drunk driver but were driving 5 mph over the speed limit.
• A car runs a red light and hits you, but your brake lights weren’t working.
• A pedestrian is struck while jaywalking, even if the driver was texting.

Insurance companies know this rule and use it aggressively. Even minor factors can be used to argue you contributed to the accident, eliminating their liability entirely.

How to Protect Yourself

Because you can’t always rely on recovering from an at-fault driver, your own coverage becomes critical:

• Collision coverage: Pays to repair your car regardless of fault.
• Medical payments coverage (MedPay): Pays your medical bills regardless of fault.
• Higher UM/UIM limits: If an uninsured driver hits you, UM coverage pays — and contributory negligence doesn’t apply to your own policy.

MFP Tip: In Virginia, your own insurance is your best protection. Don’t rely on being able to recover from the other driver. Collision, MedPay, and high UM/UIM limits matter more here than in comparative negligence states.

$25,000 Property Damage May Not Be Enough

The average new car costs over $48,000. Even a moderate collision can exceed Virginia’s $25,000 property damage minimum. If you cause an accident with a newer vehicle, you could be personally liable for the difference.

Consider raising your property damage limit to $50,000 or $100,000. The premium difference is usually modest compared to the protection it provides.

What Shapes Virginia Rates

Virginia is an At-Fault State

Virginia uses a traditional at-fault (tort) system. The driver who causes an accident is responsible for paying for the other party’s damages through their liability insurance.

This differs from no-fault states where each driver’s own insurance pays their medical bills regardless of who caused the crash. In Virginia, you file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance — unless contributory negligence bars your claim.

12% Uninsured Rate (Declining)

About 12.1% of Virginia drivers were uninsured in 2022 — below the national average of 14%. With the elimination of the $500 uninsured fee in July 2024, that rate is expected to drop further.

Virginia requires UM/UIM coverage matching your liability limits, so you have mandatory protection against uninsured and underinsured drivers. The 2023 stacking law means your UM/UIM now pays on top of the at-fault driver’s coverage, not just the gap.

Hurricane and Flood Risk

Coastal Virginia faces hurricane risk, and recent years have shown that inland areas aren’t immune. Hurricane Helene (2024) caused major damage in Southwest Virginia. Flooding affects areas you might not expect.

Comprehensive coverage protects against flood damage, falling trees, and wind damage from hurricanes and severe storms. Without it, you’re on your own for weather-related repairs.

FR-44 Requirement for Serious Violations

Virginia is one of only two states (along with Florida) that uses FR-44 forms in addition to SR-22s. An FR-44 requires you to carry double the minimum liability limits — effectively 100/200/50 — for three years after certain violations like DUI or federal law violations.

This makes serious violations even more expensive in Virginia than other states.

How to Lower Your Virginia Car Insurance Costs

Shop around aggressively. Rates vary wildly between insurers. Farm Bureau averages $111/month for full coverage, while other carriers charge $169+. Get at least three quotes.

Bundle your policies. Combining auto and homeowners or renters insurance often saves 10-25%.

Maintain a clean driving record. A speeding ticket adds 8%. An at-fault accident adds 23%. A DUI adds 27% and triggers the FR-44 requirement with doubled minimums.

Improve your credit. With poor-credit drivers paying more than double what excellent-credit drivers pay, improving your credit score is one of the most effective long-term strategies.

Raise your deductible. Increasing your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can cut your collision and comprehensive premiums by 15-25%.

Ask about discounts. Common Virginia discounts include good driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, military/veteran, and low mileage.

MFP Tip: Virginia premiums rose about 20% in 2023, though rates are expected to stabilize or decline as the mandatory insurance law reduces the uninsured rate. Shop at each renewal to make sure you’re getting the best rate.

Buying a Car in Virginia? Here’s What to Do

Get Insurance Before You Register

Virginia requires proof of insurance before you can register a vehicle. Your insurance carrier must be authorized to do business in Virginia — out-of-state coverage doesn’t automatically qualify.

Title and Register Within 30 Days

New residents have 30 days to title and register their vehicle after establishing residency. You also need a Virginia driver’s license within 60 days (30 days for CDL holders).

For registration, you’ll need:

• Proof of Virginia insurance.
• Vehicle title (for transfer to Virginia).
• Proof of identity and Virginia residency.
• Payment for registration fees and any sales tax.
• Safety inspection certificate.

If you buy from a dealer, they typically handle the paperwork and provide a 30-day temporary plate while processing.

Annual Safety Inspection Required

Virginia requires annual safety inspections for all vehicles. Before registering, your car must pass inspection and display a valid sticker. Inspections are performed at most repair shops — contact Virginia State Police or call (804) 674-2000 to find inspection stations.

Some Northern Virginia localities (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, etc.) also require emissions inspections every two years.

Local Decals May Be Required

Some Virginia localities require a local vehicle decal or sticker within 30 days of moving there. These are sold by the local Commissioner of Revenue or Treasurer — not the DMV. Check with your county or city to see if this applies to you.

End Note

Virginia’s car insurance landscape changed dramatically in 2024-2025. Mandatory insurance, higher minimums, and UM/UIM stacking all work in drivers’ favor. But the state’s pure contributory negligence rule remains a serious risk — if you’re found even slightly at fault, you could lose your right to recover damages entirely.

That makes your own coverage more important in Virginia than in most states. Collision, MedPay, and high UM/UIM limits protect you when you can’t rely on the other driver’s insurance.

Virginia remains one of the more affordable states for car insurance. Farm Bureau, Erie, and USAA consistently offer below-average rates. With the new mandatory insurance requirement expected to reduce uninsured drivers on the road, premiums may stabilize or decline in coming years.

Use the rate tables above to estimate your costs, then get quotes from at least three insurers. Virginia’s at-fault system and contributory negligence rule mean proper coverage isn’t just smart — it’s essential.