Photo by Karl Solano on Unsplash
As of July 1, 2024, the law concerning insurance for motor vehicles changed. Virginia Code § 46.2-706 used to provide a way for motor vehicles to be legally operated while they were uninsured, as long as an uninsured driver paid an uninsured motor vehicle fee of $500. Now, that provision in § 46.2-706 has been removed and every driver is required to have insurance. Any person operating an uninsured vehicle faces a Class 3 misdemeanor per § 46.2-707. While before July 1st, the prosecution had to prove that the defendant both had not purchased insurance and had not paid the uninsured motor vehicle fee to find the driver guilty, since July 1st, the prosecution merely needs to prove that the defendant has not purchased insurance to prove the driver’s guilt.
Particularly, Virginia Code § 46.2-706 states:
“Any person who owns an uninsured motor vehicle (i) licensed in the Commonwealth, (ii) subject to registration in the Commonwealth, or (iii) displaying temporary license plates provided for in § 46.2-1558 who operates or permits the operation of that motor vehicle is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Any person who is the operator of such an uninsured motor vehicle and not the titled owner and who knows that such motor vehicle is uninsured is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.”
If found guilty of owning an uninsured vehicle, the driver’s license and the vehicle’s registration certificates and license places will be suspended until the driver pays a noncompliance fee of $600 and gives proof of financial responsibility for the next three years.
Additionally, come January 1, 2025, requirements for insurance coverage will increase. Currently, insurance coverage can cover $30,000 for injury or death of one person, $60,000 for injury or death of two or more people, and $20,000 for property damage. After January 1, 2025, insurance will need to cover $50,000 for injury or death of one person, $100,000 for injury or death of two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage. See Virginia Code § 46.2-472.
With these new traffic laws, drivers must ensure they have insurance and its coverage qualifies or else be subject to these comprehensive charges and punishments.
(Thanks to Abigail Ferrara for contributing to this post.)