For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, Virginia's minimum auto liability insurance limits are $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $100,000 per accident and $25,000 of property damage, known as 50/100/25. Since July 1, 2024, every registered vehicle must be insured; paying the old uninsured motor vehicle fee is no longer an option.
Virginia DMV lists the minimum liability limits for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025: $50,000 for injury or death of one person, $100,000 for injury or death of two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage. Policies effective from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024, carried a lower minimum of 30/60/20, so an older policy may still show those numbers until it renews.
Virginia used to let owners pay a fee instead of buying insurance. DMV announced that starting July 1, 2024, all vehicles registered in Virginia must carry an insurance policy that meets Virginia's liability limits, and that DMV no longer collects the Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee. If you remember the old option, it doesn't exist anymore.
When you buy plates or renew your registration, you certify that the vehicle has the required insurance from a company authorized in Virginia. You're expected to keep proof of insurance with you. If coverage ends, DMV says to reinsure the vehicle or deactivate or surrender the plates.
DMV suspends driving and registration privileges. To restore them, you pay a $600 noncompliance fee and file an SR-22 insurance certificate with DMV for three years, plus any reinstatement fees. Three years of SR-22 filing usually costs far more than the insurance would have.
It keeps the car legal. Whether it protects you depends on what you own and what a serious crash would cost. Most families with a home or savings carry more than the minimum, and an umbrella policy can add another layer. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matter too, since they protect you when the other driver can't pay. Ask us how they're set on your Virginia policy.
Sizemore Insurance is licensed in Virginia. We don't have a Virginia office, so we serve Virginia clients by phone and online from our North Carolina offices.
Every situation is a little different. If you want someone to look at your own policy, call us at (910) 791-1011 or start a quote online. We're an independent, family-owned company founded in 1977, with eight offices in North Carolina, and we're licensed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.
This page is general information, not a coverage determination or legal advice. Policies, rules and availability vary and change. Review your own policy or talk to your advisor.