Uninsured motorist fee no longer an option as of July 1, 2024
While Virginians can be fined for driving uninsured in the commonwealth, currently they can register their vehicles without being insured by paying a fee. However, as of July 1, 2024, this will no longer be the case.
All motorists in Virginia must carry auto insurance as of July 1, 2024. After that date, those who do not carry auto insurance will not be eligible to continue registering their vehicles. Formerly, state law permitted motorists who did not have auto insurance to register their vehicle for a $500 fee. This will no longer be an option as of July 1, 2024.
How much insurance coverage must I have?
In Virginia, you must carry bodily injury liability (BIL) in the amount of $30,000 per person and that covers $60,000 per accident. You must carry property damage liability in the amount of $20,000 per accident.
Note that these numbers cover policies that went into effect from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024. Prior to that, mandatory coverage amounts were lower, and starting in 2025, they will be higher.
In Virginia, you must also carry uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury (UM/UIMBI) in the amount of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident. Finally, you must carry uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage (UM/UIMPD) in the amount of $20,000 per accident.
Insurance coverage and auto accidents
Insurance coverage is important if you get in a car crash. Virginia is an at-fault insurance state. This means that the driver who collided with you is responsible for any damage caused by the crash.
If the at-fault driver has auto insurance, you might be compensated by their insurer. But you might still sue the at-fault driver if that compensation is insufficient to cover your damages. If the at-fault driver does not have auto insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage will provide compensation for the damage you suffered, and/or you might sue the at-fault driver.
It is in your best interest to carry auto insurance, even if you are not required to do so until next year. If you carry the required auto insurance in Virginia, you can be compensated should you be involved in a car crash, either via your insurance policy, the other motorist’s insurance policy and/or a lawsuit.