WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
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The average cost of basic liability car insurance in Virginia is $2,183 per year. Opting for full-coverage car insurance in Virginia will leave you with an average cost of $2,668 per year. In comparison, the national average is $1,627 per year to buy basic liability car insurance and $2,297 per year to buy full-coverage car insurance.
The average cost of basic liability car insurance in Virginia is $2,183 per year. Opting for full-coverage car insurance in Virginia will leave you with an average cost of $2,668 per year. In comparison, the national average is $1,627 per year to buy basic liability car insurance and $2,297 per year to buy full-coverage car insurance.
Compare best car insurance quotes in Virginia
To find the cheapest car insurance in Virginia without sacrificing coverage, you’ll need to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies—it’s the only way to find affordable coverage at a low rate.
Car insurance quotes are highly personalized, meaning that all kinds of factors from your ZIP code, age, and driving history to your marital status, insurance history, and credit score could change the rates you get from each company.
Here are some real quotes and savings from customers in Virginia who switched with Jerry:
| Quote Date | Car | Before Jerry | After Jerry | City | Name | Age | Insurance Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 16, 2023 | Ford Focus SE | $165/mo. | $92/mo. | Spotsylvania | Lela L. | 29 | Progressive |
| March 8, 2023 | Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $182/mo. | $175/mo. | North Chesterfield | Pearl E. | 33 | Assurance America |
| March 6, 2023 | Chevrolet Malibu LT | $415/mo. | $356/mo. | Prince George | Clyde C. | 19 | Dairyland |
| February 28, 2023 | Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack | $340/mo. | $267/mo. | Virginia Beach | Jared A. | 28 | Progressive |
| February 27, 2023 | Toyota Scion TC | $372/mo. | $323/mo. | Henrico | Ricky D. | 22 | National General |
Best car insurance companies in Virginia
You probably already know some of the best car insurance companies in Virginia: State Farm, Allstate, GEICO, and USAA are just a few of the insurance providers with competitive rates for Virginia drivers.
But the only way to find the best insurance provider for you is to compare rates. Remember, car insurance premiums are highly individualized, and every company uses a different set of calculations to set them. What counts against you with State Farm might not matter so much to Progressive, and vice versa.
| Insurance Company | Average Cost | Annual Savings with Jerry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dairyland | $3,845 | $1,154 | |
| National General | $2,715 | $1,033 | |
| Kemper | $3,063 | $954 | |
| Clearcover | $2,603 | $936 | |
| Nationwide | $2,424 | $921 | |
| Progressive | $2,755 | $882 | |
| Allstate | $2,578 | $868 | |
| Safeco | $2,496 | $850 | |
| State Auto | $2,554 | $793 | |
| Travelers | $2,437 | $734 | |
| Compare Prices | |||
Virginia car insurance FAQs
Is $200 a month a lot for insurance?
It is in Virginia! In Virginia, car insurance prices are generally on the affordable side. But remember, your car insurance quote is greatly impacted by factors like your zip code, the car you drive, and your driving history. So for your driver profile, $200 a month might be a steal.
Is car insurance high in Virginia?
No. On average, drivers in Virginia pay $1,366 per year for full coverage car insurance, which is lower than the national average.
How much money do you need in your insurance in Virginia?
Virginia car insurance laws require drivers to carry liability insurance with minimum limits of 25/55/20. This stands for $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $55,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, $20,000 of property liability per accident. You’ll also need uninsured motorist (UM) coverage with limits of $25,000 of bodily injury per person, $50,000 of bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 in property damage per accident.
Does Virginia have yearly car tax?
Yes. The owner of any vehicle parked, garaged, or stored in Virginia must pay an annual property tax based on the value of the vehicle on January 1st, even if the car is registered in another state.
How much does auto insurance cost in Virginia?
Here’s the good news: auto insurance is fairly cheap in Virginia compared to the national average. Drivers here pay about 37% less for coverage than U.S. drivers overall.
But not everyone pays a low rate in Virginia. Apart from individual factors like driving record and credit history, here are a couple of things that raise rates for Virginians:
- About one in 10 Virginia drivers is uninsured, which means higher premiums for the rest
- The potential for flooding and severe storms can raise rates in coastal areas
- Dense urban areas with high crime rates often see elevated premiums
Depending on where you live in Virginia, you might be looking at higher quotes than the state average. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find affordable coverage! Check out the features below for more information on car insurance in Old Dominion.
Virginia car insurance requirements
The car insurance requirements in Virginia look a little different from most states. Minimum liability insurance in Virginia includes at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident of bodily injury liability coverage and $20,000 of property damage liability.
But carrying minimum insurance isn’t technically a requirement for every driver in Virginia. If you choose, you can pay a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee instead.
How much insurance do I need in Virginia?
Drivers in Virginia need a minimum of $25,000 of bodily injury coverage, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $20,000 of coverage for property.
What do you need if you’re pulled over?
If you get pulled over, you are required to show your driver’s license, proof of insurance, and registration. Thankfully, digital insurance ID cards are accepted by police and the DMV so you will always have your stored proof of insurance available 24/7 in the Jerry app.
Is Virginia a no-fault state?
No, Virginia is an at-fault state that gives you the option of buying no-fault coverage. If you purchase personal injury protection (PIP), and are involved in an accident, you and your passengers will have medical expenses paid for immediately, regardless of who is at fault for the accident or if you have health insurance.
If you do not opt for this coverage, the at-fault driver’s insurance will pay for you and your passengers' injuries, once their insurance company accepts liability and confirms that there is enough coverage.
Paying an uninsured motorist fee will certainly cut the up-front costs of meeting Virginia’s insurance requirements. But even minimum coverage can protect you from some nasty financial consequences if you’re in a car accident.
Minimum liability will cover medical bills and vehicle repairs for other drivers if you’re at fault in an accident (up to the limits listed above). And if you opt for more coverage, such as a full-coverage insurance policy that includes collision coverage and comprehensive coverage, you’ll be better protected.
Collision and comprehensive insurance aren’t required by law, but they’re considered an essential part of a full coverage policy since they allow you to submit claims for damage to your own vehicle. Check out the graph below to see how much you might pay to add them.
Cheap car insurance with a DUI or speeding ticket in Virginia
High coverage levels will slightly raise the cost of a policy, but it’s nothing to the rate increase you’ll see with violations on your driving record. Even with the state’s minimum coverage limits, the cost of insurance rises dramatically if you’ve got serious or repeated violations on your Virginia driving record.
A single speeding ticket might not affect your premiums too badly, but a pattern of repeated tickets or a single DUI or reckless driving charge could have you paying double your previous rate. While less severe offenses will typically stay on your record for three to five years, a serious violation could stick with you for over a decade—and keep your rates high the whole time.
Here's how much high-risk drivers in Virginia paid for car insurance using Jerry.
| Driving Violation | Average Cost | Annual Savings with Jerry |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Record | $2,154 | $719 |
| Eluding Police | $2,809 | $1,446 |
| Open Container | $3,222 | $1,257 |
| Illegal Turn | $3,197 | $1,221 |
| Seat Belt | $3,089 | $1,220 |
| Driving on Sus. License | $3,138 | $1,154 |
| DUI | $2,941 | $1,102 |
| Reckless Driving | $4,164 | $1,088 |
| Vehicle Theft | $2,411 | $1,032 |
| Defective Equipment | $2,820 | $977 |
Insurance Cost With a DUI in Virginia
If you get a DUI in Virginia, you can expect your car insurance to increase by an average of $237 each month.
Read Virginia DUI Information:
Insurance Cost With a Reckless Driving Citation in Virginia
If you receive a reckless driving citation, you can expect your insurance to rise to an average of $45.13 per month.
Read Virginia Reckless Driving Information:
Virginia car insurance rates by age
Another major high-risk category? Young drivers. In general, teen drivers have some of the highest rates in Virginia, and anyone under 25 years old can expect to pay an elevated premium.
Why? Insurance companies consider lack of experience to be a risk, so they’ll charge a higher rate to account for the violations and accidents they expect to cover. That’s why achieving a clean driving record can be one of the most effective ways to save on insurance as a young driver in Virginia.
Other ways to find low rates include building up good credit and taking a driver training course.
How can young drivers save money on car insurance in Virginia?
- Completing a defensive driving course could help young drivers save money on their rates.
- Maintaining a high average can help student drivers to qualify for a good student discount.
- Completing a defensive driving course could help young drivers save money on their rates.
- Maintaining a high average can help student drivers to qualify for a good student discount.
Virginia auto insurance rates by city
Where you live in Virginia can significantly impact what you pay for insurance. For example, Richmond car insurance costs are among the highest in the state due to rising property crime and a dense urban population. High rates of car theft and vandalism can affect the cost of full coverage insurance; high accident rates can even affect the cost of minimum liability insurance.
Here’s a more specific breakdown of insurance prices for Jerry across Virginia:
| City | Average Cost | Annual Savings with Jerry |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | $2,192 | $776 |
| Chesapeake | $2,130 | $853 |
| Fredericksburg | $2,161 | $768 |
| Henrico | $2,012 | $703 |
| Newport News | $2,264 | $847 |
| Norfolk | $2,173 | $824 |
| Richmond | $2,179 | $767 |
| Roanoke | $1,971 | $741 |
| Virginia Beach | $2,181 | $834 |
| Woodbridge | $2,254 | $776 |
Least Expensive Cities in Virginia
Harrisonburg is the least expensive city in Virginia for car insurance. Annual car insurance costs in Harrisonburg will cost you an average of $721.
City with Highest Rates of Accidents in Virginia
Virginia Beach has the highest accident rates in Virginia with 7.58% of drivers having a prior no-fault accident. If accidents happen more frequently in your area, you can expect that to reflect negatively on your insurance rates.
Read Virginia Accident Information:
Cities with the Longest Commute Times in Virginia
Shenandoah Farms has the longest commute time in Virginia with drivers seeing an average commute of 59.5 minutes. It may take almost an hour to get to work, but it only takes a couple minutes to save money with Jerry.
Read Commuting Insurance Information:
Average cost of car insurance in Virginia by vehicle type
Finally, the car you drive is a hugely important factor in setting your auto insurance premiums.
The humble Honda Accord is pretty much the most popular car in Virginia—so you might expect such an affordable car to come with equally affordable premiums. And you’d be mostly right. Honda Accord insurance costs are fairly low—but not as low as the average annual premiums for a Honda SUV like the Pilot EX or CR-V EX.
In fact, SUVs tend to be cheaper to insure across the board, even though they cost more than sedans. That’s because auto insurance companies see them as a lower risk. Luxury cars, on the other hand, come with sky-high insurance premiums because repairs are so costly.
Here’s what it costs to insure some popular car makes and models in Virginia with and without Jerry:
| Car | Average Cost | Annual Savings with Jerry |
|---|---|---|
| Nissan Altima 2.5 | $2,248 | $821 |
| Ford Fusion SE | $2,201 | $767 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE | $2,299 | $751 |
| Honda Civic LX | $2,018 | $748 |
| Toyota Corolla L | $2,118 | $668 |
Most Popular Car in Virginia
The most popular vehicle in Virginia is the Honda CR-V. CR-V owners pay around $1,100 annually in car insurance. To find the most affordable rates, use a quote comparison site like Jerry.
Do you need more than the minimum coverage in Virginia?
Here’s the million-dollar question for Virginia drivers: is it better to pay the $500 fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles to skip out on insurance, purchase only minimum car insurance, or go for a full coverage car insurance policy?
It’s a complicated question, but the answer is simple: if you can afford it, it’s better to buy more than minimum liability insurance.
Think of it this way: the average cost of a hospital stay after a car accident is $60,000. In an at-fault accident, Virginia’s basic liability coverage will only cover up to $25,000 for a single person’s medical bills, leaving you out of pocket for the rest. And if your own car is damaged in an at-fault accident—or by anything other than a crash—you’ll be out of luck without collision or comprehensive insurance.
In other words, Virginia’s minimum liability insurance could actually leave you underinsured in a serious accident. Adding collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorist coverage to basic liability will give you more robust protection.
Want to see all your options for additional auto insurance coverage? Check out the features below.
Virginia is ranked as the 40th state for quality of their traffic and infrastructure. All it takes is one misplaced pothole to take your ride out of commission, so make sure you’re ready for anything with coverage from Jerry.
Read more about Virginia Traffic:
Virginia had approximately 10,853 stolen cars reported in 2020. Be ready for theft by protecting your car with comprehensive coverage.
10.50% of drivers in Virginia are underinsured or uninsured. That’s one in 100 drivers that aren’t protected from costly accidents. Be prepared with uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Read information about uninsured drivers:
Virginia residents rate the road quality in their state 5.91/10. Roadside assistance is a good way to combat any bad roads you may come across.
How to save money on car insurance in Virginia
Even in a state like Virginia with relatively low average premiums, saving money on car insurance is one of the best ways to free up space in your budget. Here’s how.
Shop around for quotes
Comparing car insurance quotes can be a hassle, but it’s the #1 way to save on insurance. Insurance experts typically recommend that drivers compare quotes from at least three different insurance companies and shop for new quotes every six months.
Look for discounts
Just about every car insurance company offers discounts, but they won’t always advertise them. Below are some of the most popular car insurance discounts for drivers in Virginia:
Clean Driving Record Discounts
Clean Driving Record Discounts
Having a clean driving record proves to your insurance that you are a good driver that doesn’t take risks. If you drive safely and have little to no prior claims, your carrier will reward you with reduced prices.
Bundling Discounts
Bundling Discounts
Car insurance customers who also get multiple insurance policies with the same carrier can get a bundling discount.
Defensive Driving Course Discounts
Defensive Driving Course Discounts
If you’re 55+ years old and have taken a defensive driving course or are interested in taking one, you can qualify for additional savings.
Increase your deductible
If your insurance policy includes collision or comprehensive insurance, you can lower your premium by raising your deductible.
Remember, your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket on a claim before insurance kicks in. Typically, that amount is either $500 or $1,000, but you can ask your insurance provider for a higher deductible. In exchange, you’ll pay less to maintain the policy.
By R.E. Fulton
Updated on Mar 23, 2023
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear, Director of Content.
Compare best car insurance quotes in Virginia
Best car insurance companies in Virginia
Virginia car insurance FAQs
How much does auto insurance cost in Virginia?
Virginia car insurance requirements
Cheap car insurance with a DUI or speeding ticket in Virginia
Virginia car insurance rates by age
Virginia auto insurance rates by city
Average cost of car insurance in Virginia by vehicle type
Do you need more than the minimum coverage in Virginia?
How to save money on car insurance in Virginia
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