Virginia requires minimum auto insurance coverage of 25/50/20 for bodily injury/death of one person $25,000, bodily injury/death of two or more persons $50,000 and property damage $20,000. When purchasing license plates in VA you must certify that the vehicle is covered by these insurance requirements or pay the uninsured motor vehicle (UMV) fee.

VA vehicle owners who are uninsured or have not paid the UMV fee can have their driving and vehicle registration privileges suspended. To be reinstated the motorist must pay a $500 statutory fee, file a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22) with the DMV for 3 years and pay a reinstatement fee. So these penalties and other fines may be what you receive once the VA DMV realizes you have been uninsured for the past 5 years.

As for the insurance issues, you will likely lose some discounts, such as renewal discounts and without having an insurance provider for a few years or so some insurance companies may not choose to insure you. Some automobile insurance companies will not write you a policy without at least six months prior insurance.

Due to what the insurance companies will see as a gap in carrying auto insurance, your rates will likely be higher than average. To make up for the extra insurance expense you may see if other discounts are available to you such as safe driver, a discount for the safety features on your vehicle, etc. The Bureau of Insurance for Virginia states that successful completion of a driver education or defensive driving course may also allow you to receive a discount on your premium.

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