Virginia drivers who purchase car insurance are required to carry a minimum amount, summarized as 30/60/20. This is short for $30,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $20,000 of property liability per accident.

Insured motorists must also carry $30,000 of bodily injury per person,$60,000 of bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 of property damage per accident in uninsured motorist coverage.

If you’re looking for an easy way to get yourself covered in Virginia, try

Jerry

. Jerry, a free car insurance broker app, makes it easy to compare

car insurance quotes online

Jerry does all the hard work of finding the cheapest quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies. They will help you buy new

car insurance

and will even cancel your old policy for you.

Continue reading to learn all the information that you need to know about Virginia car insurance laws (and everything you ever wanted to know about reducing your

Virginia car insurance costs

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

What car insurance is required by law in Virginia?

The state of Virginia requires drivers who purchase car insurance to carry a minimum amount of

liability insurance

and

uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance

Here is a brief summary of the minimum insurance limits that

Virginia car insurance laws

require.

Virginia minimum car insurance

Type of coverage	Minimum insurance limit
Minimum liability coverage	30/60/20
Bodily injury per accident	$30,000
Bodily injury per person	$60,000
Property damage per accident	$20,000
Uninsured motorist coverage	30/60/20
Bodily injury per person	$30,000
Bodily injury per accident	$60,000
Property damage per accident	$20,000

Key Takeaway Virginia drivers are not legally required to purchase car insurance, must legally carry a minimum amount of liability car insurance and uninsured motorist coverage.

MORE:

Lemon law Virginia

What is uninsured/underinsured motorist protection?

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage covers drivers up to their policy limit in an accident where they are not at fault—but only if the other driver doesn’t have enough liability coverage to cover your costs.

The required uninsured motorist limits in VA are summarized as 30/60/20.

Liability insurance in VA

Virginia drivers who choose to purchase car insurance must carry minimum limits of both

bodily injury liability

and

property damage liability

insurance. Liability insurance will pay out to cover expenses related to an accident—but only for the other party.

You will need to purchase additional coverage options to ensure your own costs will be covered in an at-fault accident.

MORE:

How to determine who is at fault in a car accident

What are the mandated car insurance limits in Virginia?

All Virginia motorists need to carry basic liability insurance limits and uninsured motorist limits that are summed up as 30/60/20. Please note, these limits will increase on January 1, 2025, to 50/100/25.

In all, Virginia drivers must purchase six different categories of car insurance coverage.

Here is how it all breaks down.

$30,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person: $30,000 per person is the maximum amount your insurance provider will pay out to cover the cost of injuries for other parties involved in an at-fault accident.

$60,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident: Your insurance company will pay out no more than $60,000 to cover the cost of injuries for an at-fault accident.

$20,000 in property damage liability per accident: $20,000 is the maximum limit that your insurance provider will pay out to cover the cost of property damage suffered by other parties in an at-fault accident.

$30,000 of bodily injury uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance per person: If you get in an accident where an uninsured or underinsured driver is at fault, your insurance provider will pay up to $30,000 to help cover the cost of injuries for your party.

$60,000 of bodily injury uninsured motorist coverage per accident: $60,000 is the highest bodily injury uninsured/underinsured motorist payout you can receive in a single accident.

$20,000 of property damage uninsured motorist coverage per accident: Your provider will pay out up to $20,000 per accident toward your property damage expenses if you get in an accident with a driver who doesn’t carry enough coverage to cover the costs.

MORE:

How to get car insurance before buying a car

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

Should I get more coverage than Virginia’s required insurance minimum?

While Virginia does require drivers to carry more robust car insurance coverage than some states—the minimum state limits won’t cover your own expenses if you are at fault.

Most experts recommend upgrading your liability limits to 100/300/100 to help ensure you don’t face legal liability following a major claim.

Upgrading your policy to include additional coverage options like

medical payments (MedPay)

comprehensive insurance

, and

collision insurance

is the only way for Virginia drivers to be sure that their own costs will also be covered.

Whether you are looking for more affordable coverage or tailored policy options,

Jerry

can provide you with competitive quotes in under a minute. Swapping is just as effortless. Jerry takes care of all the paperwork and phone calls and even cancels your old policy on your behalf—oh, and it’s free!

MORE:

Is car insurance required?

Uninsured motorist fee

Virginia is one of only two states where drivers are not legally required to purchase car insurance; however, you will have to pay an uninsured motorist fee of $500.

You will also have to take responsibility for your own costs following an accident if you choose not to purchase the state minimum car insurance requirements—which is generally not recommended.

What is the penalty for not having car insurance in Virginia?

A Virginia driver who can't show valid

proof of insurance

or proof of having paid the uninsured motorist fee will face penalties, including fines and suspensions.

Penalties for driving without car insurance in Virginia

A fine of $500

Must provide an

SR-22 form

for three years

Possible license and registration suspensions and $145 reinstatement fee

Key Takeaway Virginia motorists who fail to meet the minimum state insurance requirements will face fines and other penalties.

Additional coverage options

Virginia motorists might want to upgrade their car insurance coverage to provide added protection and peace of mind. These are some popular policy choices that car insurance companies typically provide.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive coverage covers the cost of damage to a vehicle caused by events like severe weather, theft, or vandalism.

Collision insurance

Collision coverage

will protect you up to your policy limit for damage to your car caused by a claimable collision or rollover.

Loan/lease payoff insurance

Often referred to as

gap insurance

—cover the difference between what you owe on your totaled car and the settlement that you receive from your insurance provider following an accident.

MORE:

What to do after a car accident

Medical payments (MedPay) insurance

Medical payments (MedPay) will cover you up to your policy limit for medical expenses relating to a claimable accident, no matter who was at fault.

Rental car reimbursement insurance

Rental reimbursement insurance

helps cover the cost of alternate transportation if your car requires multi-day repairs as the result of a claim.

Roadside assistance insurance

Often referred to as

towing and labor coverage

, this popular policy rider gives drivers access to limited roadside emergency services like towing and fuel delivery.

MORE:

What happens if you get into a car accident with someone in Virginia who doesn't have insurance?

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

Why is Virginia considered a diminished value state?

Virginia is one of a handful of states that allows motorists to make diminished value claims to recover any value their car loses in resale value following repairs.

Diminished value claims can be made through the at-fault driver’s insurance company if you choose to sell your car after a claimable accident.

In order to make a diminished value claim in Virginia, your circumstances will need to meet the following criteria:

You were not found to be at fault in the accident.

You can provide reliable documentation, like proof of your car’s value, the repair record, and photo evidence.

It hasn’t been more than three years since the claim was made.

The at-fault driver had insurance.

Key Takeaway Diminished value claims allow drivers to recoup some of the value of their car that is lost following repairs.

How to get cheap car insurance in Virginia

Jerry

is a free insurance shopping app that makes it easy to find cheap car insurance in Virginia, or anywhere else in the country.

Think of Jerry as a

trustworthy licensed insurance broker

that lives in your pocket. But don’t worry about buying tiny office furniture—Jerry is an app. Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan. Jerry customers save an average of $879 a year.

Jerry

is such an amazing insurance agent app! My husband and I recently heard about Jerry and decided it was time to give Jerry a try! And let me tell you, it’s saving us $216 a month!"—Satisfied Jerry user

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

Is it mandatory to have car insurance in Virginia?

Virginia is one of only two states where drivers are not legally required to purchase car insurance. However, you will have to pay the uninsured motorist fee of $500 and take responsibility for your own costs following an accident if you choose not to purchase the state minimum car insurance requirements—which is generally not recommended.