By July 1, all drivers in Virginia will be required to buy and maintain vehicle insurance, leaving New Hampshire as the sole state in the country that won’t require insurance.
Since 1958, drivers in Virginia could register an uninsured vehicle by paying a fee. When the option was first offered, the fee was $15 — now it’s $500.
Authored by former State Sen. Frank Ruff, a Republican from Mecklenburg, in 2023, Senate Bill 951 requires drivers to buy and have proof of insurance before registering a car.
According to Virginia Code, a driver who refuses or neglects to submit the liability insurance information within a month will have their license suspended.
The bill, which was approved by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in March 2023, has allowed the Department of Motor Vehicles to continue registering uninsured vehicles, but all of those registrations expire by July 1, 2024.
Next summer, on July 1, 2025, the minimum liability limits in Virginia will rise. Currently, the required liability for the injury or death of one person is $30,000. Next year, it will be $50,000.
The liability minimums for the injury or death of two or more people will go from $60,000 to $100,000. And, the minimum liability for property damage will rise from $20,000 to $35,000.
According to Bankrate, the average insurance cost in Virginia for full coverage is $1,892, which is 18% less than the national average of $2,314.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
