virginia car insurance
Above and beyond the legal requirements, you have options when it comes to your Virginia car insurance. We'll explain how car insurance works in your state, which discounts may be available, and which coverages you can add to your policy.
Virginia car insurance
All Virginia drivers are required to have the following coverages and limits on their policies:
- Liability coverage
- $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person
- $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per incident
- $20,000 in property damage liability coverage per incident
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
- $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person
- $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per incident
- $20,000 in property damage coverage per incident
If you're found at fault in an accident, liability coverage can help pay for others' medical expenses and damaged property. Uninsured/underinsured coverage can help pay for your own expenses if an at-fault driver doesn't have sufficient liability coverage.
The uninsured motorist fee
If you don't have car insurance, you can legally drive by paying the DMV an uninsured motorist fee of $500. (This satisfies your legal requirement and allows you to register a car, but it offers no financial protection in the event of an accident.)
Esurance in Virginia
Esurance started offering car insurance to Virginia's drivers back in '02.
Esurance discounts available in Virginia
When you buy car insurance from Esurance, you could qualify for:
- Claim-Free discount
- Multi-Car discount
- Paid in Full discount
- Homeowners discount
- Fast 5® discount (for starting a quote online)
- Switch & Save® discount
- Good Student discount
- Anti-Theft discount
- Safety Device discount
Discounts may vary. If you're a current Esurance policyholder and have questions about your discounts, call us at 1-800-ESURANCE (1-800-378-7262).
Optional car insurance coverages in Virginia
You can add any of the following coverages to your Esurance policy:
- Other than collision coverage (known as comprehensive coverage in other states)
- Collision coverage
- Medical expense coverage
- Income loss coverage
- Emergency road service
- Transportation expense (like rental car coverage)
- Excess electronic equipment coverage
- Loan/lease gap coverage
If you have a few minutes, visit our online Coverage Counselor® for a personalized policy recommendation.
Car repair shops in Virginia
If you're an Esurance customer, you can take a damaged car to shops in our E-star® network. E-star body shops feature RepairView®, our online repair monitoring service, and they guarantee repairs for as long as you own the car.
Find an E-star repair shop near you.
Stolen cars in Virginia
If you live in an area with a high theft rate, you could pay more for car insurance to make up for the added risk. The D.C. area, including Arlington and Alexandria, reported 13,650 stolen cars in 2011 (according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau). Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Newport News had a combined total of 2,926.
The 10 most stolen cars of 2011 in Virginia were:
- 1994 Honda Accord
- 2005 Ford Pickup (full size)
- 2000 Honda Civic
- 2011 Toyota Camry
- 2000 Dodge Caravan
- 2010 Toyota Corolla
- 2002 Ford Explorer
- 1995 Chevrolet Pickup (full size)
- 2006 Nissan Altima
- 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Other than collision coverage, which is optional, can offer financial protection in the event your car's stolen.
Uninsured drivers in Virginia
A recent report from the Insurance Research Council estimated that 11 percent of Virginia drivers were uninsured, which was below the national average of 13.8 percent.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which is required, offers financial protection from uninsured drivers and from drivers with insufficient liability limits.
Alternative car insurance options
If you have trouble finding car insurance in Virginia, you can contact a licensed agent about Virginia's Automobile Insurance Program (VAIP).
Related links
Virginia driving facts
Brush up on some of the laws and stats that impact Virginia's drivers.
The Esurance Coverage Counselor®
We can help you customize a car insurance policy that meets your needs.