CheapInsurance.com has put together expert tips and quote comparisons to help find cheap car insurance in Virginia.

Virginia is an at-fault car accident state, and drivers are financially responsible for any accident they cause.

The majority of Virginia drivers do this by buying auto insurance, therefore state law requires minimum amounts of coverage.

However, keep in mind that what you pay for car insurance will depend on factors in your unique driving profile, for example:

Is It Legal to Drive In Virginia without Car Insurance?

Although in Virginia it’s legal to drive without car insurance, every driver must either purchase insurance before driving a car or pay a special $500.00 per year fee to drive uninsured.

The $500.00 per annum payment is an uninsured motor vehicle fee to register a vehicle without insurance.

Fees does not provide coverage for your vehicle. It simply allows you to operate a motor vehicle uninsured for the next 12 months without additional penalties.

If you get into an accident without insurance, it can make the auto claim process more complicated.

Failing to pay the $500.00 fee and driving without insurance can result in penalties. Additionally, these penalties may include fines and the temporary suspension of your driver’s license.

The penalties include:

  • A registration restriction.
  • $45.00 reinstatement fee.
  • Proof of insurance requirement.
  •  SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for three years.
  • Additional $600.00 noncompliance fee.
  • Driver’s license restriction.

You must either have insurance coverage, temporarily deactivate your license plate, or pay the $500.00 uninsured registration fee. Consequently, if you wish to avoid penalties for illegally driving uninsured in Virginia.

cheap car insurance in virginia

How to Protect Yourself from Undue Car Accident Charges

To maximize your coverage in case of a car accident, consider adding optional personal injury protection to your auto insurance policy.

Additionally, personal injury protection (PIP), also known as no-fault insurance, provides coverage for expenses like medical bills. This coverage is regardless of who is at fault.

It will be more expensive, but it will pay for itself should you ever get into a car accident.

Plus, with the PIP add-on, it will be far easier for you to get compensation quickly after your accident.

As long as you can present your receipts to the insurance company, they should pay you out.

Selecting cheap car insurance that meets your specific needs involves considering various factors. These factors include your budget and how frequently you use your vehicle.

Types of Auto Insurance

Minimum Liability Car Insurance

Minimum liability insurance is the least amount of coverage you must have for any damages you cause.

If you drive every day, a minimum liability plan may not provide you with enough cover.

Liability insurance includes:

  • Bodily injury liability: covers other people’s physical injuries in an accident.
  • Property damage liability: damage to the other driver’s property is covered.


This coverage pays for damages to another vehicle and passengers when you cause an accident, or to you. Liability insurance does not pay for damage to the insured’s car.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage:

Uninsured motorist coverage means that a driver’s insurance company will cover damages and injuries caused by another driver who doesn’t have insurance.

Personal injury protection (PIP)

Several states have made PIP coverage mandatory in an effort to reduce the number of lawsuits following car accidents. PIP covers medical expenses and other costs for the insured driver and his or her passengers, regardless of who caused an accident.

Collision

If a driver has collision coverage, his or her insurance company will pay for damage to the driver’s vehicle in the event of a collision, regardless of fault.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive coverage is optional coverage designed to cover theft or damage caused by something other than a collision, such as theft, weather, fires, floods, and vandalism. This coverage also covers damage caused by hitting an animal while driving, which can be very important in some states.

Minimum Liability Insurance in Virginia

Minimum liability insurance is popular because you pay much cheaper car insurance premiums. However, it only covers the other driver’s injuries and property damage.

It does not include protection for damage to your vehicle or injuries sustained by you or your passengers.

The low coverage limits could end up costing you more in the long run if you are the cause of an accident.

It may also be worthwhile to compare the difference in price between minimum liability insurance and full coverage insurance.

While each U.S. state will have different minimum liability insurance requirements, it always addresses three key points:

  • Bodily injury coverage per person: This covers medical bills, legal fees, or lost wages you might be required to pay to an individual third party.
  • Bodily injury coverage per accident: This is the maximum amount your insurer will pay out for medical bills, legal fees, or lost wages in the event of an accident, regardless of how many people are injured.
  • Property damage coverage per accident: This is the maximum amount your insurer will pay for repairs or a replacement if you cause damage to another person’s property.

Minimum Coverage requirements in Virginia are:

  • $30,000 per person for bodily injury.
  • $60,000 per accident for bodily injury.
  • $20,000 per accident for property damage.

If you’re found to be at fault in a car accident and do not meet the minimum liability insurance requirements, consequently you will be held personally responsible for paying the other party’s medical bills, legal bills, and lost wages.

As a major part of your liability insurance, bodily injury insurance covers medical bills for people other than the policyholder who are injured during an accident.

Virginia is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who is responsible for the collision is also responsible for paying for any resulting expenses, either through their car insurance provider or out-of-pocket.

This basic coverage pays for medical bills, vehicle damage, and other costs of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians who incur losses from a car accident you cause, up to coverage limits.

Comprehensive Car Insurance in Virginia

Unless you have significant savings, it would be beneficial to have comprehensive car insurance to cover you in the event of the following scenarios:

  • Theft or theft of parts.
  • Non-crash damage (e.g., natural disasters, fire, flooding).
  • Broken windshield.
  • Car damage from hitting an animal.

Repairing car damage can amount to thousands of dollars.

Without comprehensive car insurance, you risk finding yourself in a situation where you can’t drive your car because you can’t afford to get it repaired.

Cheap Car Insurance Quotes in Virginia for Drivers with Clean Driving Records

The best way to prevent an increase in your annual premium is to maintain a clean driving record free of traffic violations and accidents.

Insurance companies regard drivers with a clean record as reliable and offer them more affordable rates.

Drivers with a clean driving record are in a good position to find cheap car insurance quotes in Virginia. Auto insurance companies consider good drivers to be people who:

  • At-fault for any recent car accidents.
  • No traffic offenses.
  • Good credit score.
  • Free of speeding tickets.
  • Not had a reckless driving charge.
  • Have no DUI convictions.

As an incentive, many car insurance companies offer a good driver discount in your vehicle insurance quotes, saving you more money.

Some car insurance companies will offer an additional discount if you have completed an accredited defensive driving course.

Auto Insurance For High Risk Drivers

Drivers with incidents on their record such as an at-fault accident or a DUI (driving under the influence) pay higher auto insurance rates.

People with prior traffic violations are regarded by insurance companies as being a higher risk to insure than those who have a clean traffic record.

Insurance companies believe high-risk drivers are more likely to make future claims against their automobile insurance policy.

Some of the offenses that may lead to someone being considered a high-risk driver include:

  • Receiving a DUI conviction.
  • Reckless driving.
  • Speeding tickets.
  • Being found at fault in a major accident.
  • Having too many points on your driving record.
  • Driving without meeting the minimum liability coverage requirements.
  • Unpaid child support payments.
  • Unpaid insurance policy premiums.
  • A poor credit rating.

Automobile Insurance with Bad Credit

Credit score factors into your risk profile in most states, even though it has nothing to do with your ability to drive safely.

Drivers with a poor credit score are seen as being more of a risk and they pay a lot more on their automobile insurance policy.

Vehicle Insurance for Young Drivers

Young drivers have less experience behind the wheel. So insurers tend to charge them higher rates compared to more mature drivers.

A full coverage policy is recommended for teen drivers if they can afford it.

Teens tend to get into accidents more often than adult drivers. So they’re more likely to benefit from having repairs on their car covered.

Minimum coverage policy, though it is much cheaper, could ultimately cost more if a teen gets into a serious accident and has to pay for repairs completely out-of-pocket.

Good student and driver safety course discounts can help young drivers reduce their car insurance rates, as can staying on a parent’s policy for as long as possible.

Car Insurance in Other States?

Out-of-state insurance is illegal in almost all U.S. states and is considered to be insurance fraud. This means that your car insurance policy must be registered in the state you live in.

Some of the penalties for committing insurance fraud include:

  • Up to five years in prison.
  • A $50,000 fine.

If you plan to move from Virginia, you will need to find a new car insurance company in the state you move to.

You will usually have a 90-day grace period to cancel your insurance and get car insurance in your new state.

Tips for Affordable Car Insurance Quotes

Take Note of Lender Requirements

If your car is financed or leased, your lender is likely to require that you have liability insurance, comprehensive coverage, and collision insurance.

In fact, most car dealerships won’t let you drive the car off the lot until you can prove you have full coverage car insurance.

Full coverage car insurance protects your lender if you’re in a car accident or your car is stolen. This is protection for your lender.

Full Coverage Car Insurance

Full coverage car insurance is made up of three different types of car insurance policies:

  • Comprehensive coverage: This type of insurance will compensate you if your car is totaled due to a non-accident-related event (e.g. fire, flood) or if it’s stolen.
  • Collision coverage: This type of auto insurance will compensate you if your car is totaled or damaged in a car accident.
  • Liability insurance: This type of insurance covers you for damage you may cause to another person’s property or injury/death you may cause while driving.


If you lose your required insurance coverage, your lender could add single-interest insurance to your loan. Evidently, that is to protect themselves.

You should avoid allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse because single-interest car insurance is much more expensive than standard car insurance.

How Can I Lower Car Insurance Rates for Full Coverage Insurance?

There are a couple of ways that you can lower your rate for cheap auto insurance:

  • Most insurance companies offer a bundling option, which allows you to combine your auto insurance with other products such as home insurance, life insurance, and other car insurance policies you have.
  • Another option is to increase your auto insurance deductible. This is the amount of money you would have to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance will pay for a claim. By increasing your deductible, you are essentially taking on more risk, but you can save significantly on your monthly premium.

Compare Automobile Insurance Quotes from Different Insurance Companies

Even if you think you’ve found a good deal on automobile insurance, it’s always a good idea to shop around for a lower automobile insurance quotes.

You can do this yourself, but going through an insurance agent can save you time and money.

To ensure you secure the best cheap car insurance quote, it’s essential to compare inexpensive auto insurance quotes from multiple insurers. This will evidently help you identify the most affordable options tailored to your needs.

Auto Insurance FAQs

Is Virginia a no-fault state?

No. Virginia is an “at-fault” state, meaning that if you are hurt in a car accident you can recover costs from the driver who caused the accident.

Can you drive without car insurance policy?

Drivers are not required to purchase auto insurance on a vehicle registered in Virginia.

However, if you do not purchase auto insurance, you are required to pay an uninsured motorist fee per year.

What auto insurance discounts are available?

You can receive car insurance discounts in Virginia based on various factors. Evidently these include your driving habits, the type of car you own, and your relationship with your insurance company.

In Virginia, car insurance companies consider various factors when setting premiums. Additionally, these factors include employment status, credit rating, and residential and marital status.

That means there are discounts available for being married, and owning a home.

Do I need to buy underinsured motorist coverage in Virginia?

There is no legal requirement in Virginia to purchase underinsured motorist coverage, but it can prove to be valuable protection.

Underinsured motorist coverage provides protection in an accident in which the at-fault driver doesn’t have any or enough insurance to cover everything.

This kind of coverage is a relatively inexpensive add-on to a regular auto insurance policy and can prove to be beneficial in the case of an accident.

How much is car insurance in my city in Virginia?

Where you live affects your car insurance quote. Drivers in densely populated areas are considered to have a higher risk of accidents compared to those in rural areas. Evidently, this is due to increased traffic and congestion in urban environments.

Can someone sue you for a car accident if you have insurance in Virginia?

In Virginia, you can sue the individual even if they have car insurance.

If another driver sues you, your car insurance will provide legal representation. They will also cover damages up to your policy limit.