Best Auto Insurance Rates in Virginia

Compare Auto Insurance in Virginia

Tuesday, July 24 2018 By Steve Bowen

There is a famous saying that “Virginia is for Lovers”. Well, this page is for lovers of car insurance savings. If you want to make sure that you’re getting the best deal on car insurance, you’ll love this site.

Find out how your rates stack up, how to get better rates, and more.

Average Virginia Car Insurance Rates

How much is car insurance in Virginia? You may be surprised to learn that the average cost of car insurance in Virginia is slightly lower than the national average. The average cost of auto insurance in Virginia is $750.85 per year. The national average price is $889.01

Prices for premiums will vary depending on your limits, coverage, and the total number of claims filed in your zip code.

Virginia Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$425.61
Collision	$280.520
Comprehensive	$136.54
Total Cost Per Year	$750.85
Price Per Month	$62.57

The graph below shows the change in average Virginia rates from 2011 to 2015, the most recent year the data is available. According to the III, Virginia car insurance rates increased from $679 in 2011 to $750 in 2015, a jump of $71 dollars, or 10.48 percent.

Looking for car insurance in Virginia that provides the best coverage for an affordable rate? Shop around. Compare rates from a number of insurance companies.

QuoteWizard can help with that. We’ll connect you to top auto insurance companies so you can find a policy that protects you and your loved ones without breaking the bank.

Last year, 58,605 people used QuoteWizard to compare car insurance quotes in Virginia from multiple companies.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Virginia

This is our list of the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of Virginia last year. Out of the 58,605 Virginia drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 5,361 were uninsured.

Top 10 Vehicles in Virginia

These are the most common vehicles owned by Virginia drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.

Virginia State Auto Insurance Laws

Car Insurance Minimum Coverage

If you drive a vehicle registered in Virginia, you must maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage of 25/50/20 plus uninsured/underinsured coverage. This means that you must have a policy with at least the following:

• $25,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per incident
• $20,000 of coverage for property damage liability per incident
• $25,000 of uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person
• $50,000 of uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage per incident
• $20,000 of uninsured/underinsured property damage coverage per incident

Alternatively, you could pay a $500 annual Uninsured Motor Vehicle Fee and legally drive a vehicle in Virginia without insurance. However you will have no protection of any kind. QuoteWizard urges motorists instead to purchase at least Virginia’s legal minimum insurance coverage.

Recommended Coverage Levels

While minimum coverage is cheaper in Virginia, it becomes more expensive if you file a claim. Why? Minimum coverage does not include comprehensive or collision coverage. It's easy to exceed minimum coverage levels after an accident. You can end up with substantial out-of-pocket costs if you exceed your coverage.

Minimum coverage pays for damages to other people, their car, and their property. Minimum coverage does not cover you, your injuries, or your property. If you have minimum coverage and you cause an accident, you're on the hook for your expenses.

Collision coverage pays for damages to your car after an accident. Comprehensive coverage pays for damages that don't involve another car. That includes natural disasters, falling tree branches, theft, and vandalism. With Virginia's snowy winters, collision and comprehensive coverage are a good bet.

With that in mind, we recommend that Virginia drivers buy the following coverage:

• Individual Body Injury Liability: $100,000
• Total Bodily Injury Liability: $300,000
• Property Damage Liability: $100,000

If you can afford it, buy comprehensive and collision coverage. You should choose a reasonable deductible. Also consider uninsured/underinsured coverage. This covers damages caused by drivers who have little or no insurance. Finally, medical payment coverage and personal injury protection covers medical costs after an accident.

Required Proof of Auto Insurance

Any time you drive in Virginia, you must be prepared to show your car insurance identification card to law enforcement upon request. You will get this identification card from your car insurance company when you buy a policy. The card must include all of the following:

• Name of the insurance company
• Policy number
• Effective date of the policy
• Expiration date of the policy
• Description of the year, make, or model of the insured vehicles, or the name of the insured driver.

Penalties

The Virginia DMV monitors insurance coverage through their Insurance Verification Program. If a vehicle is found to have become uninsured at any point, the license and registration of the driver will be suspended until the driver:

• Pays a $500 statutory fee
• Maintains proof of financial responsibility, Form SR-22, for three years
• Pays a reinstatement fee, if applicable

SR-22 Requirements

Virginia residents that have had their driver’s license suspended due to drunk driving convictions or other violations must provide proof of financial responsibility by filing an SR-22 form. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law.

Virginia state law requires that an SR-22 be carried for 36 consecutive months. If a driver fails to renew their policy 15 days before expiration, a letter is sent to the state resulting in suspension of their license. Once renewed, the license will be reinstated, but this can be a time-consuming process

State of Virginia Traffic Safety Laws

Distracted Driving Laws

Using a cell phone while driving is against the law in Virginia for any driver under the age of 18. All drivers are banned from sending or receiving text messages while driving in Virginia.

Implied Consent Law

This law says drivers suspected of impaired driving must consent to a blood test. Refuse the test and you’ll face license suspension.

DUI Law

If you drive or operate a motor vehicle in Virginia with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, you are guilty of Driving While Under the Influence (DUI).

Booster Seat Law

Children age 7 or younger must be restrained in a federally approved car seat, in rear seat if possible. If the car seat is in the front seat, any passenger-side airbags must be deactivated. Children age 8 and up may use adult seat belts. The minimum fine for failing to properly restrain a child is $50 for a first offense.

Graduated Driver’s License Program

Virginia has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver’s license program beginning with a learner’s permit and ending with full driver privileges once all conditions are met.

Teens are allowed to apply for a learner’s permit once they’re 15 1/2 years old. Before applying for a driver's license, drivers with learner’s permits are required to: hold a learner's permit for 9 months, take a road test, and drive at least 45 hours while under supervision. Fifteen of those hours must occur at night. Once these requirements are complete, the driver is eligible for a certificate. This certificate, combined with a learner's permit, acts as a valid driver's license for six months.

There are several restrictions for minor drivers in Virginia. Drivers under age 18 cannot drive between the hours of midnight and 4 am. For the first twelve months after beginning driving, new drivers cannot have more than one other person in the car (excluding family) under the age of 21. After twelve months, this limit rises to a maximum of three people under the age of 21. Drivers obtain their full driving privileges once they complete the above requirements and turn 18.

Senior Drivers in Virginia

Car insurance rates often increase around the time drivers turn 65. It's a small increase for drivers with clean records.

All drivers are required to renew their driver’s license every 8 years. Beginning at age 75, drivers must complete a request to renew their driver’s license in person every five years, and must complete a vision test, or provide the results of a recent vision test.

Seat Belt Laws

Virginia requires that all drivers wear seat belts, as well as passengers 18 or older in the front seat(s). Adults in the back seat are not required to wear seat belts. Minors are required to use approved child seats as mentioned above. The maximum penalty for failing to wear a seat belt as required is $25.

Vehicles Registered in Another State

Do you drive a car in Virginia that's registered in another state? If so, you must have the type of insurance required by that state. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to law enforcement.

The Cost of Driving in Virginia

Average Virginia Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in Virginia in 2014, the most recent year for which data was available, was $750.85 compared to a national average of $889.01. Virginia is the 33rd most expensive state for car insurance.

Fuel Taxes

The state of Virginia taxes gasoline at 22.33 cents per gallon, and taxes diesel fuel at 26.03 cents per gallon. This is in addition to the Federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline, and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel. The total tax on regular gasoline is 40.73 cents per gallon; for diesel fuel the total taxes are 50.43 cents per gallon.

Car Insurance Risk in Virginia

Uninsured Motorists

The percentage of Virginia residents estimated to be driving without insurance is 10.1%. That ranks Virginia as #31 among US states and the District of Columbia, slightly better than average.

Traffic Fatalities

In 2014, there were 703 traffic fatalities in Virginia, a 5% decrease from the state’s 740 traffic fatalities in 2013.

Crash Statistics

The Virginia DMV produces an annual report that provides crash statistics for the commonwealth: Virginia Crash Statistics

Vehicle Thefts

Virginia had 7,665 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 11.1% decrease compared to 2013. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 92.1 per 100,000, a decrease of 11.7% over the 2013 rate of 104.3 per 100,000.

The vehicle theft rate in the Commonwealth of Virginia is well below the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2012.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Virginia

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

1. 1997 Honda Accord
2. 2006 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
3. 2014 Toyota Camry
4. 2000 Honda Civic
5. 2002 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)
6. 2006 Nissan Altima
7. 2010 Toyota Corolla
8. 2014 Chevrolet Impala
9. 2002 Ford Explorer
10. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee

Virginia Auto Insurance Company Market Share

Source: Virginia 2014 Insurance Company Market Share Reports

Rank	Market Share	Company
1	6.36%	United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
2	5.04%	Allstate (Property & Casualty)
3	4.44%	Geico General Insurance Co.
4	4.08%	Geico Indemnity Co.
5	3.90%	USAA Casualty Insurance Co.
6	3.85%	Nationwide
7	3.57%	Allstate
8	3.38%	Erie Insurance Exchange
9	3.29%	Progressive Advanced Insurance Co.

Virginia Bureau of Insurance

Website:

BoI Homepage

Insurance Commissioner:

Scott A. White

Insurance Hotline:

(800) 552 – 7945

File a Consumer Insurance Complaint

Complaint Page

Sources:

• FBI Uniform Crime Report
• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Insurance Information Institute – Minimum Coverage Levels by State
• National Insurance Crime Bureau
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Information Institute – Insurance Expenditures by State
• Virginia DMV
• Virginia Proof of Financial Responsibility
• Licensed Private Passenger Auto Writers in Virginia-2014

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