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Virginia Automobile Insurance

Legal Requirements for Acquiring Auto Insurance in Virginia

The minimum amount of liability insurance coverage required to satisfy Virginia's Financial Responsibility law is 25,000/50,000/20,000. This means that your insurance policy must insure you against loss in an accident where you have been determined to be at-fault for a minimum of:

  • Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one (1) accident
  • Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) because of bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one accident, subject to the twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per person limit
  • Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) because of injury to or destruction of property of others in an accident

Penalty for failure to comply with Virginia's Financial Responsibility requirements:

  • Every person applying for registration of a motor vehicle and declaring it to be an insured vehicle, faces stiff penalties if the motor vehicle is subsequently found to be uninsured. The Virginia DMV may suspend the driver's license and registration certificates and license plates issued to the owner of the motor vehicle. These items are suspended until the person pays a $500 statutory fee, furnishes and maintains proof of financial responsibility (form SR-22) for three years and pays a reinstatement fee, if applicable. [Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-706]

Certificate of Financial Responsibility (SR-22) or (FR-44):

An SR-22 or an FR-44 is a certification of future proof of Financial Responsibility issued by your insurance company to the Department of Motor Vehicles providing proof that you purchased liability insurance. The following circumstances may require a person to have an SR-22:

  • Unsatisfied judgments
  • Driver license suspension as a result of a conviction for:
    • Voluntary or involuntary manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle.
    • Perjury, making a false affidavit to DMV regarding the registration of motor vehicles, or making a false statement on any driver's license application.
    • Any crime punishable as a felony under the motor vehicle law or any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used.
    • Failure of a driver of a motor vehicle, involved in an accident resulting in death or injury to another person, to stop and disclose his identity at the scene of the accident.
    • Operating or permitting the operation, for a second time, of a passenger automobile for transportation of passengers for rent or for hire, without a license.
  • Uninsured motor vehicle suspension
  • Failure to provide proof of insurance associated with insurance monitoring
  • Falsifying insurance certification

FR-44 certification is required for the following convictions:

  • Maiming while under the influence
  • Driving while under the influence of intoxicants or drugs
  • Driving while the driver's license has been forfeited for a conviction, or finding of not innocent in the case of a juvenile
  • Violation of the provisions of any federal law or law of any other state or any valid local ordinance similar to the above

SafeAuto will only issue a Virginia SR-22 or FR-44 to Virginia residents.

 

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles:

http://www.dmv.state.va.us/

If you have any further auto insurance questions then please visit the FAQ page or contact the Customer Service Department at CSD@safeauto.com.


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