Virginia Auto Insurance Rules

 

The following Virginia Auto Insurance Rules are from the Virginia DMV website.  We have reproduced them here for the convenience of our visitors and clients.

 Virginia DMV Auto Insurance Information

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: If liability insurance coverage on a vehicle terminates or cancels during the registration period, either reinsure the vehicle, pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee, or surrender the license plates to DMV.

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 on the owner and vehicle transmitted to DMV by the insurance carrier. If no insurance is found, DMV requires the motor vehicle owner to furnish the liability insurance information to DMV for verification.

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.

As part of its role of administering motor vehicle laws, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) monitors liability insurance for motor vehicles registered in the Commonwealth.

To protect the interests of all Virginia motorists, DMV, in partnership with the Insurance Industry, administers an Insurance Verification Program that is designed to detect vehicle owners who are not in compliance with insurance requirements. Verification occurs whenever an owner first registers a motor vehicle in Virginia or when a motor vehicle owner or insurance company cancels liability insurance coverage for a vehicle.

Virginia DMV Auto Insurance Monitoring Methods

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) uses the following methods to monitor insurance of Virginia registered vehicles.

• Electronic Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Reporting is the cornerstone of all monitoring methods. The motor vehicle Code of Virginia § 46.2-706.1 requires insurance companies authorized or licensed to do business in Virginia to furnish liability insurance information to DMV electronically. This information is required when insurance policies are canceled, new policies are written and when there are additions to existing polices for motor vehicles registered in Virginia.
• Insurance monitoring also occurs through the Suspected Uninsured Accident. This process allows a driver, vehicle owner or a representative to voluntarily file an accident report (FR200) with DMV and as a part of the report, to indicate there is reason to believe the other vehicle involved in the accident was uninsured. A request for insurance information is sent by DMV to the other vehicle owner specified in the report. If the other vehicle owner fails to respond or is found to have no insurance, an order of suspension is issued to the owner. The vehicle owner or representative filing the accident report may request DMV to provide them with the insurance information obtained.
• A third monitoring method, the Law Enforcement Notification is initiated when police officers require owners to provide insurance information to DMV. Drivers are issued a form (FR422A) requesting insurance information at roadside checks. DMV issues an order of suspension to vehicle owners who are found uninsured. In addition to the State Police, a total of 108 local law enforcement agencies participate with DMV in the Law Enforcement Notification process.
• The Police Accident Reports (form FR300P) process is another method of monitoring insurance. It utilizes police crash reports to identify potentially uninsured individuals. The crash reports are reviewed to determine if a need exists to request insurance information. If it is determined a need exists, insurance information is requested from the owner. If the owner fails to respond to the request or if the owner does not have insurance, an order of suspension is issued to the owner.

Virginia Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) 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.