Car Insurance Requirements for virginia.gov

To purchase license plates or decals, you must certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements or pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee. Insurance requirements also apply to antique motor vehicles. Your insurance carrier must be authorized to conduct business in Virginia.

Virginia requires the following minimum coverage:

• Bodily injury/death of one person $25,000
• Bodily injury/death of two or more persons $50,000
• Property damage $20,000

Insurance companies may factor in their policy premium the driving record of any individual of driving age that resides within an insured's household. If you have any questions regarding the potential impact a newly licensed driver may have on your policy, you may wish to contact your insurance agent. 

The $500 Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee, which is paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), does not provide any insurance; it only allows you to drive an uninsured vehicle at your own risk. It expires with your registration and must be paid at renewal.

Note: Severe penalties are imposed for not complying with insurance requirements. If liability insurance coverage on a vehicle terminates or cancels during the registration period, you must reinsure the vehicle, pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee, temporarily deactivate your license plates, or surrender the license plates to DMV.

Surrender of License Plates

Sold, traded, or no longer operate your vehicle? Moved out of Virginia?
If so, Virginia Code section 46.2-707 requires you to immediately surrender your license plates and/or vehicle registration to the nearest DMV customer service center.
If your registration has a full six months or more remaining before it expires, you may qualify for a partial refund. Simply complete an Application for Vehicle Registration Refund form (form FMS-210) LINK: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/fms210.pdf  and return it to DMV. Refunds generally take 30 days to process.

Deactivating Your Plates

If you have cancelled your vehicle liability insurance coverage but wish to keep your license plates, you may temporarily deactivate your license plates and registration.
Not complying with this law may result in severe penalties. If you cancel your insurance and do not notify DMV, your driving and vehicle registration privileges could be suspended.

Replacing Your Plates

If you have replaced your old plates, you may destroy them once the new ones have been received.

Uninsured Motor Vehicle Fee

The Virginia Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee allows a motor vehicle owner to register an uninsured motor vehicle. At the time of registration, the motor vehicle owner must certify whether the vehicle is insured or uninsured.
If the vehicle is uninsured, the motor vehicle owner is required to pay to DMV a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee in addition to normal registration fees. Payment of the $500 fee does not provide the motorist with any insurance coverage. If involved in an accident, the uninsured motorist remains personally liable. This fee is valid for twelve months but may be prorated for a shorter amount of time.
Motor vehicle owners who falsely certify that they have insurance and are found by DMV to be uninsured face stiff penalties. In addition to facing suspension of all driver and registration privileges, compliance includes payment of a $500 statutory fee, a $145 reinstatement fee and filing proof of insurance for three years. During the three-year period, insurance companies cooperate with DMV by providing notification if a policy is canceled. This requirement to maintain proof of insurance enables DMV to ensure that these motor vehicle owners maintain liability insurance on their registered vehicles.

Self-insurance or Surety Bonds are special options for owners of business vehicles. Details are available at any DMV office.

Penalties

Vehicle owners who are uninsured or have not paid the UMV fee will have their driving and vehicle registration privileges suspended. To be reinstated, they must pay a $500 statutory fee, file a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22) with DMV for three years, and pay a reinstatement fee, if applicable.

Verification of Insurance Coverage

DMV monitors insurance coverage through our Insurance Verification Program.

Insurance carriers provide DMV with electronic updates of insured information and vehicle description when they cancel, add and write new coverage for motor vehicles registered in Virginia.

DMV verifies that motor vehicles are properly insured by comparing vehicle registration information on file at DMV with liability information transmitted by insurance carriers. When no insurance is found, the motor vehicle owner is required to furnish policy information to DMV for verification.

If you have received an Insurance Verification Inquiry letter from DMV requesting information about your insurance policy, you may submit that information online.

Additional Information

For additional insurance information, refer to the Virginia Auto Insurance Consumer Guide LINK: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/exec/link.asp?30  OR  You will exit the DMV site if you click on the link below.

Virginia Auto Insurance Consumer Guide LINK: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/boi/pubs/autoguide.pdf

DMV provides links to other sites as reference, research or educational tools or because they relate to the mission of this agency and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Inclusion of any hyperlink should not be interpreted as an endorsement by DMV or the Commonwealth of Virginia of either the site's sponsor or any commercial product.