Virginia car insurance

Full coverage car insurance in Virginia averages $187 a month ($2,245 a year) for a driver with a clean record and good credit. A minimum liability policy costs about $69 a month.

Virginia state minimum policies also include uninsured/under-insured motorist protection, not just pure liability coverage.

Quoted rates vary widely among insurance carriers, even for identical drivers. Your results will vary  depending on your location, credit history, driving record, vehicle model, and coverage limits, among other factors.

Full coverage averages $187 per month, while state minimum liability costs $69 per month.

Virginia requires 50/100/25 in liability coverage, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least $50,000 per individual and $100,000 per incident.^{1, 2, 3}

Virginia previously permitted drivers to skip insurance by paying an annual fee. However, the law has changed, and car insurance is now mandatory for nearly all drivers.¹

The state also increased minimum bodily injury liability requirements from 30/60 to 50/100.

Do you need uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) in Virginia?

UM/UIM coverage is mandatory in Virginia. By default, your UM/UIM coverage will match the level of liability protection on your car insurance policy. 

Uninsured motorist and under-insured motorist coverage pays your costs if you are struck by a driver with no insurance, or who carries inadequate insurance to cover your damages.

You can elect lower limits, but they must be above Virginia’s 50/100/25 minimum.³

Is Virginia a no-fault or at-fault state?

Virginia is an at-fault, or tort, state. That means that the driver who causes the crash is liable for the damage.

Virginia is also one of only five U.S. jurisdictions that apply pure contributory negligence.⁴

Under this doctrine, if you are even slightly at fault for an accident, Virginia law can prohibit you from recovering damages from the other driver.⁵

To protect yourself, carry adequate UM/UIM coverage, document the scene when in an accident, and don't assume that the other driver’s insurance will pay just because they were mostly at fault. 

You may also consider first-party coverages that pay regardless of fault:

• Collision coverage: Repairs or replaces your vehicle up to its actual cash value, minus your deductible.

• Medical payments coverage: Pays medical bills for you and your passengers up to policy limits.⁶

First-party coverages pay promptly without waiting for liability investigations or legal disputes. 

Do Virginia drivers need comprehensive coverage?

If you couldn’t easily afford to replace your car out of pocket tomorrow, yes, you should consider full coverage, which includes comprehensive coverage and collision. Comprehensive coverage pays for non-collision losses: flood, theft, fire, hail, vandalism, and even deer collisions, which are extremely common in Virginia.⁶ This coverage is after a deductible and subject to the coverage limits that you select.

USAA ($93/month), Travelers ($101/month), and GEICO ($116/month) offer Virginia's lowest average full-coverage rates. However, membership in USAA is limited to U.S. military members, veterans, and eligible family members.

Rates here range vastly for the same driver. Luva compares Virginia carriers on your details so you can see where your profile lands.

Every company prices risk differently. But your rates will primarily depend on these factors:

Location

Dense, high-traffic areas with more theft and pricier repairs, like the Northern Virginia and D.C. suburbs, tend to cost more than rural ones.

Credit

Virginia insurers routinely use your personal credit history as a pricing factor. A Virginia driver with poor credit pays about $406 per month on average, while a driver with excellent credit pays about $143 a month, with all other things being equal.

Age

Nationally, a 16-year-old driver faces average monthly premiums of about $757, while a driver in their mid-50s is quoted about $167.

Vehicle. 

Some cars cost more to repair than others, which is reflected in higher premiums.

Driving record

Even a single ticket or accident can cause your car insurance premiums to go up substantially.

A DUI almost doubles the clean-record rate and triggers an FR-44 requirement: you must carry double the state minimum, or 100/200/50 as of 2026. This requirement normally lasts for three years.⁷

The best way to find quality, affordable car insurance in Virginia is to get multiple, competing quotes from several leading car insurance companies. Here are some tips on how to get the best results:

• Compare identical coverage limits and deductibles across three or more carriers. Luva pulls quotes from multiple Virginia insurers on matching terms, for a true apples-to-apples comparison.

• Look for discounts. Insurers offer discounts for paperless billing, good grades, vehicle safety features, policy bundling, enrolling in a telematics program, and more.

• Choose a higher deductible. Higher deductibles lower monthly premiums. Select a deductible you can pay immediately after a loss.