Uninsured Motorist Coverage Requirements — Virginia
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Virginia Requires Uninsured Motorist Coverage by Default
You're adding a second or third vehicle to your Virginia policy and the carrier's quote includes uninsured motorist coverage you didn't explicitly select. Virginia law mandates uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage on every auto insurance policy issued in the state. The carrier must offer it at limits equal to your liability limits unless you reject it in writing.
The requirement exists because 12.9% of Virginia motorists drive uninsured. When an uninsured driver hits you, your own uninsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering damages up to your policy limits. Without it, you're left pursuing the at-fault driver personally, which rarely recovers anything. The mandate protects you when the other driver has no insurance to pay your claim.
“Virginia law prohibits stacking uninsured motorist limits across vehicles — the per-person cap is the policy limit, not a per-vehicle sum.”
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Virginia Uninsured Motorist Rate
Nearly one in eight Virginia drivers operates without insurance. This rate is higher than the national average and makes uninsured motorist coverage a practical necessity for most households, especially those insuring multiple vehicles with higher aggregate exposure.
Insurance Information Institute, 2023
How the Mandate Works Across Multiple Vehicles
Uninsured motorist coverage applies per policy, not per vehicle. When you insure three cars on one Virginia policy, you buy one set of uninsured motorist limits that covers any covered driver in any covered vehicle. The per-person limit is the maximum the policy pays for one injured person's claim, regardless of which car they were driving.
Virginia requires carriers to offer uninsured motorist bodily injury limits equal to your liability limits. If you carry the state minimum liability of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, the carrier must offer uninsured motorist coverage at those same limits. You can buy higher uninsured motorist limits than your liability limits, but you cannot buy lower limits unless you reject the coverage entirely.
Adding a vehicle to an existing policy does not automatically increase your uninsured motorist limits. The limits stay constant across all vehicles on the policy. If you want higher limits after adding a car, you request an endorsement increasing both the per-person and per-accident caps. The premium adjusts based on the new limits and the total number of vehicles covered.
You cannot lower uninsured motorist limits below your liability limits without rejecting the coverage entirely in writing on a state-approved form.
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Is Optional
Virginia does not mandate uninsured motorist property damage coverage. This coverage pays to repair your vehicle when an uninsured driver hits you and you can prove fault. It is separate from uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, which pays medical and injury claims.
Uninsured motorist property damage typically carries a deductible and a per-accident limit. If you carry collision coverage, uninsured motorist property damage is redundant: collision pays for the same damage without requiring you to prove the other driver was uninsured. Most multi-car households that carry collision on all vehicles decline uninsured motorist property damage to avoid paying for overlapping coverage.
If you carry liability-only coverage on an older vehicle and decline collision, uninsured motorist property damage becomes the only way your policy pays for vehicle damage caused by an uninsured driver. The coverage costs less than collision because it applies only when the other driver is uninsured and at fault, not in all collision scenarios.
$50,000 / $100,000
Virginia Minimum Liability Limits
Virginia requires $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage. Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage must be offered at limits equal to your liability limits, so the default uninsured motorist offer matches these minimums unless you carry higher liability.
Virginia DMV
Stacking Uninsured Motorist Limits Across Vehicles
Virginia does not allow stacking of uninsured motorist limits across vehicles on the same policy. The per-person limit is the policy limit, not a per-vehicle limit.
Some states allow stacking, where each vehicle's uninsured motorist limit adds to the total available for one claim. Virginia law prohibits this unless the policy explicitly provides for it, and standard Virginia auto policies do not. If you want higher uninsured motorist protection for a multi-car household, you increase the per-person and per-accident limits on the policy rather than relying on stacking.
Compare Carriers That Write Multi-Vehicle Policies in Virginia
Uninsured motorist premium varies by carrier, and the difference compounds across multiple vehicles. Carriers that write multi-car policies in Virginia include Allstate, Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Nationwide, and dozens of others. Each prices uninsured motorist coverage differently based on your liability limits, the number of vehicles, and your claims history.
Request quotes with and without uninsured motorist coverage to see the premium difference. Most carriers show the uninsured motorist premium as a separate line item. Given Virginia's 12.9% uninsured rate, most households find the coverage worth the cost, but the decision is yours. Compare the premium against the risk of paying out-of-pocket for injuries caused by an uninsured driver, then decide whether to keep the coverage or sign the rejection form.
Rejecting Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Virginia
To reject uninsured motorist coverage, you must sign a written rejection form provided by your carrier. The form states that you understand the coverage protects you when an uninsured driver causes an accident, and that you are voluntarily declining it. Virginia law requires the carrier to retain the signed rejection form in your file. A verbal decline or a checkbox on an online quote tool does not satisfy the requirement unless the carrier captures your electronic signature on the statutory rejection language.
The rejection applies to the entire policy. You cannot reject uninsured motorist coverage for one vehicle and keep it for another on the same policy. If you later want to add the coverage back, you request an endorsement and the carrier adds it effective the date you sign the endorsement form. Most carriers allow you to add or remove uninsured motorist coverage at any point during the policy term, but the rejection must always be in writing.
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Get My Virginia Car Insurance QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia require uninsured motorist coverage on all vehicles?
Virginia requires carriers to offer uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage on every policy at limits equal to your liability limits. You can reject it by signing a written rejection form, but the coverage is mandatory by default. The requirement applies per policy, not per vehicle, so one set of limits covers all cars on the policy.
Can I reject uninsured motorist coverage in Virginia?
Yes. You must sign a written rejection form provided by your carrier. The form states that you understand the coverage and are voluntarily declining it. A verbal decline or an unsigned checkbox does not satisfy Virginia's rejection requirement. The rejection applies to the entire policy, not individual vehicles.
What is the difference between uninsured motorist bodily injury and property damage coverage?
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays your medical bills and injury damages when an uninsured driver hits you. Virginia mandates this coverage by default. Uninsured motorist property damage pays to repair your vehicle when an uninsured driver causes the damage. Virginia does not mandate property damage coverage, and it is redundant if you carry collision.
Can I stack uninsured motorist limits across multiple vehicles in Virginia?
No. Virginia does not allow stacking of uninsured motorist limits across vehicles on the same policy. To increase protection, raise the per-person limit on the policy.
How does adding a vehicle affect my uninsured motorist coverage?
Adding a vehicle to your Virginia policy does not change your uninsured motorist limits. The same per-person and per-accident limits cover all vehicles on the policy. If you want higher limits after adding a car, request an endorsement increasing the coverage. The premium adjusts based on the new limits and vehicle count.
Do I need uninsured motorist property damage if I have collision coverage?
No. Collision coverage pays for vehicle damage regardless of who caused it, including damage caused by an uninsured driver. Uninsured motorist property damage is redundant if you carry collision. Most multi-car households decline uninsured motorist property damage to avoid paying for overlapping coverage.