Virginia auto policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, must carry at least $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 in liability coverage. Paying DMV's uninsured motor vehicle fee is not a policy and will not pay a claim after a crash you cause. Read your declarations page.

What changed, and what do the numbers pay?

The figures come from the Code of Virginia and from the State Corporation Commission Bureau of Insurance's auto consumer guide. Older policies that took effect from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024, could carry $30,000/$60,000/$20,000. The higher floors apply to policies effective on or after January 1, 2025. By late 2026, a policy that has already renewed should be on the new minimums. Still read your declarations page. The date that matters is the policy's effective date, not the day of a crash.

Bodily injury liability pays people you injure, or the family of someone who dies, if you are responsible for a crash. The first number is the most the policy will pay for one person. The second is the most it will pay for everyone hurt in that accident, combined. Property damage liability pays for damage you cause to someone else's car or other property, up to $25,000 at the legal minimum.

Those floors are not a recommendation. A serious injury on I-95, I-64, or I-81, or damage to a newer vehicle, can exceed $50,000 or $25,000 quickly. The Bureau of Insurance encourages drivers to consider higher limits. Many people also look at an umbrella policy if they have a house or savings to protect.

Every motor vehicle liability policy issued in Virginia must also include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, at least at the same legal minimums, unless a named insured rejects amounts above the minimum in the way the law requires. That coverage is how you are paid if the other driver has no insurance, has too little insurance, or cannot be identified.

You can meet Virginia's financial responsibility law with a policy that carries the required limits. You can also, in a narrow sense, pay DMV's uninsured motor vehicle fee. The Bureau's consumer guide is blunt: the fee does not provide any insurance. It only allows you to drive an uninsured vehicle at your own risk. Your home, wages, and other assets may be taken to pay a valid claim against you.

If you register a vehicle, keep a real policy in force

If you register a vehicle in Virginia, you must keep the required liability coverage in force for the entire registration period, even if the car is not being driven. DMV says that registering without insurance can bring a $600 non-compliance fee, suspension of your license and registration, a $145 reinstatement fee, and higher premiums later. Get a policy from a company authorized to do business in Virginia before you register, and keep proof in the vehicle.

If you sell or dispose of a car, tell DMV if you want to transfer the plates to another insured vehicle. If you do not, return the plates before you cancel the policy, so you are not left with a registered, uninsured vehicle.

Work only with a licensed insurer and a licensed agent. If a quote looks far below every other offer, or someone wants cash outside normal channels, call the Bureau of Insurance at 1-877-310-6560 before you pay. You can also ask the Bureau whether a company is authorized to write auto insurance in Virginia.

When you compare quotes, ask each agent to write down:

• The liability limits, not only a monthly price.
• Whether uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matches those limits, or has been reduced to the legal floor.
• Collision, comprehensive, and medical payments, if you want those optional coverages.
• Any deductible, and how a rental car or glass claim would be handled.

A low premium with only the legal minimum can still leave you short after a crash. A higher premium is not automatically a better policy either. Compare the same limits, deductibles, and optional coverages, then decide.

If you are moving to Virginia, buy the policy before you title and register the vehicle. DMV expects insurance to be in place from the moment of registration. New residents also have separate deadlines for a Virginia license, title, plates, a safety inspection sticker, and, in some Northern Virginia localities, an emissions inspection.

FAQ

What are Virginia's current auto liability minimums?

For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, they are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is also required, at least at those minimums unless a named insured lawfully rejects higher UM limits.

Does paying the uninsured motor vehicle fee protect me after a crash?

No. The Bureau of Insurance says the fee is not insurance and does not pay claims. You remain personally responsible for injuries and damage you cause.

Do I need insurance if the car is parked and not being driven?

If the vehicle is registered in Virginia, DMV says you must maintain the minimum liability coverage for the entire registration period, even if the vehicle is not being operated.

Are the old $30,000/$60,000/$20,000 limits still legal on a new policy?

Not on a policy effective on or after January 1, 2025. Those lower limits applied to policies effective from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024. Check your current declarations page.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent to review your declarations page against the $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 minimums, and to quote higher liability and uninsured motorist limits. If you are registering a vehicle for the first time in Virginia, buy the policy before you go to DMV.

Sources: SCC Bureau of Insurance, Virginia Auto Insurance Consumer Guide (PDF); Virginia DMV, insurance requirements; Code of Virginia § 46.2-472; Virginia DMV, new to Virginia.

Virginia requires liability insurance and uninsured motorist coverage. Collision, comprehensive, and medical payments are optional, and they are often the coverages that repair your car or help with medical bills after a crash, subject to deductibles and limits you choose.

What each optional coverage is for

If you only buy the legal minimums, you may have nothing on the policy that repairs your car when the crash is your fault, or when a tree falls on it in a storm. Collision pays to repair or total your vehicle when the damage comes from a crash with another vehicle or object, including a crash you cause, subject to your deductible. Comprehensive, sometimes called "other than collision," is for events such as theft, vandalism, falling objects, fire, and some weather losses, again subject to a deductible. Medical payments, or MedPay, can help pay medical bills for you and passengers after a crash, regardless of fault, up to the limit you buy.

None of these replaces liability coverage, which pays other people when you are responsible, or uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which pays you when the other driver has no insurance or too little insurance. They sit on top of the required coverages. The Bureau of Insurance's auto consumer guide discusses these choices and encourages you to think about more than the cheapest legal minimum.

A lender or leasing company will usually require collision and comprehensive until the loan or lease is paid off. If you skip them on a financed vehicle, you may be placed in insurance the lender buys, often at a high price, that protects the lender more than you. If the vehicle is paid off and has a low actual cash value, some people raise the deductibles or drop physical damage coverage. That is a budget choice, not a legal requirement. If you drop it, you are agreeing to repair or replace the car yourself.

Deductibles matter as much as the coverage names. A $500 deductible costs more in premium than a $1,000 deductible, but you pay less out of pocket at claim time. Ask for quotes at two or three deductible levels. Confirm whether glass claims have a different deductible, and whether a rental-reimbursement or roadside-assistance endorsement is included or sold separately.

Medical payments limits are often modest compared with a serious hospital bill, but they can help with deductibles, copays, or passengers who do not have health insurance. Health insurance, if you have it, may still be primary or may coordinate with MedPay, depending on the plans. Ask the agent how the two would work together, and do not drop health coverage because you bought a small MedPay limit.

How to shop without mixing up the quotes

When you compare companies, line up the same liability limits, the same UM/UIM limits, the same deductibles, and the same optional coverages. A cheaper quote that silently dropped collision, or cut MedPay, is not a better deal. Ask each agent to put the following on paper:

• Liability and UM/UIM limits.
• Collision and comprehensive deductibles, if you are buying them.
• Medical payments limit, if any.
• Rental reimbursement, towing, and any other endorsements.
• Any discount that requires a clean record, bundled home policy, or safety equipment, and what happens if you lose the discount.

Work only with a company authorized in Virginia and a licensed agent. If a website or social media seller will not name the insurer, call the Bureau of Insurance at 1-877-310-6560 and ask whether the company is licensed.

After a claim, collision and comprehensive usually pay actual cash value, not what you owe on a loan, unless you bought gap coverage or a similar endorsement. If you owe more than the car is worth, ask about gap coverage when you finance or lease, and read whether it is part of the auto policy or a separate product from the dealer or lender.

Review the policy at each renewal. A vehicle that was new last year may not be worth the same premium this year. A teen driver, a commuting change, or a move into Northern Virginia can also change the price. Update the address and the listed drivers, and keep proof of insurance in the car for the entire registration period.

FAQ

Does Virginia require collision or comprehensive coverage?

No. The legal requirements are liability coverage at the current minimums, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. A lender or leasing company can still require collision and comprehensive as a condition of the loan or lease.

What is the difference between collision and comprehensive?

Collision is for crash damage to your own vehicle, including a crash you cause. Comprehensive is for non-crash events such as theft, vandalism, fire, or a tree falling on the car. Both usually carry a deductible.

What does medical payments coverage do?

MedPay can help pay medical bills for you and passengers after a crash, up to the limit you buy, generally without a fight over who was at fault. It is optional, and it is not a substitute for health insurance.

If I only carry liability, who pays to fix my car when I cause a crash?

You do, unless you have collision coverage or some other source of payment. Liability coverage pays the other party's damages, not the repair of your own vehicle.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent for two or three quotes that use the same liability and uninsured motorist limits, then add or remove collision, comprehensive, and medical payments so you can see the real price of each option. Bring your current declarations page and any loan or lease requirements.

Sources: SCC Bureau of Insurance, Virginia Auto Insurance Consumer Guide (PDF); Virginia DMV, insurance requirements; SCC Bureau of Insurance.

A standard homeowners or renters policy in Virginia does not pay for flood damage. NFIP coverage generally does not start until 30 days after you apply and pay, with limited exceptions, so do not wait for a storm warning to buy a policy.

Why "my homeowners policy will handle it" is the wrong assumption

Do not wait for a tropical storm warning over Hampton Roads, a river flood along the Shenandoah or another Virginia river, or a flash flood in a mountain hollow. Homeowners insurance is built around fire, wind, theft, and similar perils listed in the policy. Flood is a different peril. Water that comes from a rising creek, storm surge, a drained or overflowing drainage ditch, or heavy rain that covers the ground can be a flood even if you do not live on the ocean. FEMA and the NFIP use their own definition, which is broader than "beach house in a hurricane."

Virginia has coastal risk in Tidewater and along the Chesapeake Bay, river risk in the Piedmont and the valleys, and flash-flood risk in steep terrain. A house outside a mapped high-risk zone can still flood. Lenders typically require flood insurance if the property is in a high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area and you have a mortgage. If you own the house free and clear, or if it sits in a moderate- or low-risk zone, you can still buy coverage. A claim after an unmapped storm will not be paid by a standard homeowners policy just because "we never flooded before."

A residual or FAIR Plan dwelling policy from the Virginia Property Insurance Association is also not a flood policy unless flood is separately provided. Ask what is excluded before you rely on any property policy after a storm.

You can buy flood coverage through the NFIP, often from an insurance company or agent that participates in the program, or through a private flood policy. Compare waiting periods, deductibles, building and contents limits, and whether a basement or crawlspace is limited. NFIP building and contents coverage have separate limits. A renters policy does not cover the building, but you may still want contents coverage for your belongings.

The 30-day wait, maps, and how to buy

FEMA says NFIP coverage generally becomes effective 30 days after the date of application and payment. There are limited exceptions, including certain loan closings when flood insurance is required as a condition of the loan. Do not count on an exception unless your agent or the NFIP confirms it in writing for your purchase. A 30-day wait is why you should shop before hurricane season, not after the first named storm appears on a forecast.

Start with these official tools:

• FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, to see the current map for the property.
• FloodSmart.gov, to learn about NFIP coverage, limits, and the waiting period.
• Your local floodplain office, because some Virginia localities have additional rules for building in a floodplain.

If you are buying a house, Virginia's residential property disclosure process includes a Flood Risk Information Form in the set of materials the Real Estate Board publishes. Read it, and still do your own map check and insurance quotes. A disclosure is not a flood policy.

Ask your agent to quote flood coverage at the same time as the homeowners policy, and to say clearly whether the quote is NFIP or private. If a lender is involved, ask the loan officer how much coverage the lender requires, and whether you can buy more than that minimum on the building and on contents. Photograph belongings and keep an inventory off-site or in the cloud.

If you rent, a landlord's building policy does not replace your contents. Ask about an NFIP dwelling policy if you own, or contents coverage if you rent. If you already have an NFIP policy, review it at renewal. Maps change. Elevations and prior claims can affect the premium. If you sell the house, ask how an NFIP policy can be assigned, so the buyer is not left in the 30-day wait if they need coverage at closing.

FAQ

Does a standard Virginia homeowners policy cover flood?

No. Flood is a separate peril. You need an NFIP policy or a private flood policy if you want that coverage.

How long do I have to wait after I buy an NFIP policy?

Coverage generally starts 30 days after you apply and pay. Limited exceptions can apply, including some situations where flood insurance is required at loan closing. Confirm any exception in writing.

I am not in a mapped high-risk zone. Do I still need flood insurance?

You might. Properties outside high-risk zones can still flood, and a standard homeowners policy still will not pay a flood claim. A lender may not require a policy in a lower-risk zone, but that is not the same as having no flood risk.

Does the Virginia Property Insurance Association include flood?

Do not assume that it does. VPIA is the residual market for basic property insurance. Ask what perils are on the policy, and buy flood coverage separately if you need it.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent to quote a flood policy now, and to explain the waiting period, deductibles, and building versus contents limits. Check the FEMA map for your address, and do not wait for a storm warning.

Sources: FloodSmart, National Flood Insurance Program; FEMA Flood Map Service Center; Virginia Property Insurance Association; DPOR, residential property disclosures.

If you cannot resolve a Virginia insurance problem with the company, file a complaint with the Bureau of Insurance through its online portal. Complaints generally cannot be filed by phone or email. For help, call 1-877-310-6560 and have your policy file ready.

When should you complain, and what should you try first?

Property and casualty consumer services can also be reached at (804) 371-9185, and life and health consumer services at (804) 371-9691. Start with the company. Ask for a claim number, the name of the adjuster or reviewer, and a written explanation if a payment is delayed, reduced, or denied. Put your own request in writing, and keep copies of letters, emails, photos, estimates, and medical bills. Many disputes are resolved once the right documents reach the right desk.

If that does not work, or if you think the company, agency, or adjuster has not followed Virginia insurance law or the policy, the Bureau of Insurance is the state regulator. It can review complaints about claim handling, cancellations and nonrenewals, sales practices, and whether a company or agent is licensed to do business in Virginia.

The Bureau cannot be your lawyer, write you a check from state funds, or force a company to pay a claim that the policy does not cover. It can ask the company to respond, look at whether the conduct appears to violate the law or the policy, and take regulatory action when that is warranted. A complaint is still worth filing when you have a clear timeline and documents, even if you are also considering a private attorney or small-claims case.

Have these items ready before you open the portal:

• Your policy number, claim number, and the company's full name.
• The date of the loss, cancellation, or sale, and a short timeline of what happened.
• Copies of the declarations page, denial letter, estimates, and your written requests.
• The names of the agent, adjuster, or other people you dealt with.

Keep the narrative factual and short. Attach the documents. A long angry story with no dates is harder to investigate than a two-page timeline with exhibits.

How the portal works, and other ways to get help

The official complaint page is on the SCC website, under consumer insurance services. Create the complaint there, and save a copy of what you submitted. If you cannot use the portal, call the toll-free line and ask how to proceed. Do not mail original photos or the only copy of a policy.

After you file, the Bureau typically contacts the company and asks for a response. You may be asked for more documents. Answer promptly. Keep paying premiums that are still due if you want the policy to stay in force while the dispute is open, unless your lawyer or the Bureau tells you otherwise in your situation.

You can also use the Bureau before a loss. Ask whether a company or agent is licensed in Virginia if a quote looks unusual, if someone contacts you after a storm, or if you are buying a policy from an unfamiliar name. Storm-chasing contractors and unlicensed "adjusters" sometimes appear after hurricanes and nor'easters. A licensed public adjuster is different from an unlicensed solicitor. When in doubt, call the Bureau before you sign or pay.

If the complaint involves a residual-market policy from the Virginia Property Insurance Association, you can still go to the Bureau. VPIA's rules and forms are subject to Commission approval. If the issue is flood insurance through the NFIP, you may also need to use FEMA's or the NFIP carrier's process, and you can ask the Bureau how Virginia's role fits.

For Medicare counseling, the state's insurance counseling program is a separate resource. The Bureau's life and health line can point you in the right direction if your issue is a health, life, or annuity policy rather than a car or home claim. Write down the date you filed, any case or reference number the portal gives you, and the name of anyone you speak with at the Bureau or the company. That log is useful if you have to follow up or share the file with a lawyer. If the company later sends a revised offer or a new explanation, add it to the same folder so the Bureau can see the full record.

FAQ

Can I file a Bureau of Insurance complaint by phone?

The Bureau's complaint page says complaints generally cannot be filed by phone or email. Use the Insurance Complaint Portal. Call 1-877-310-6560 if you need help with the process.

Will the Bureau pay my claim if I complain?

No. The Bureau regulates insurers and can investigate and require a response. It does not replace your policy, and it cannot act as your private attorney.

What should I attach to the complaint?

Attach the declarations page, claim or policy number, denial or cancellation letter, estimates, and a short dated timeline. Keep originals, and send copies.

What if I am not sure the company is licensed in Virginia?

Call the Bureau and ask before you pay. Working with an unauthorized insurer can leave you with little practical protection after a loss.

Next step

Call the company once more and ask for a written explanation, then file through the Bureau's Insurance Complaint Portal if the problem is not resolved. A licensed local agent can also help you read the policy and organize the file you will attach.

Sources: Virginia SCC, file an insurance complaint; SCC Bureau of Insurance; SCC Bureau of Insurance, Virginia Auto Insurance Consumer Guide (PDF).

Every Virginia auto liability policy must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, at least at the legal minimum limits. A named insured may reject amounts above that floor, and a $200 deductible can apply if a hit-and-run driver damages your vehicle.

What does UM/UIM actually pay?

For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, those minimum limits are $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The coverage pays you if you are legally entitled to recover from a driver who has no insurance, has too little insurance, or, in many hit-and-run cases, cannot be identified. You cannot drop the coverage entirely.

Uninsured motorist coverage, often called UM, is for a crash caused by a driver with no liability insurance, or by a hit-and-run driver who cannot be identified. Underinsured motorist coverage, or UIM, is for a crash caused by a driver whose liability limits are not high enough to cover your damages and are not as high as the UM/UIM limits on your policy. Virginia law requires both, with UIM limits equal to the UM limits on the policy.

The Bureau of Insurance's auto consumer guide says the minimum amount of this coverage required by law is $50,000/$100,000/$25,000, matching the current liability floors. If you buy higher liability limits, the UM/UIM coverage generally equals those liability limits unless a named insured rejects the additional UM coverage in the manner set out in the Code, including the notice rules in § 38.2-2202. That rejection, if done correctly, binds all insureds on the policy.

If an unidentified hit-and-run driver damages your vehicle, the guide and the statute allow a $200 deductible on that property-damage claim. Keep a police report and photos. A "maybe I'll just handle it myself" decision can make the claim harder later.

UM/UIM is first-party coverage. It is there for you, your family, and other insureds under the policy, not as a substitute for the liability coverage that pays people you injure. Virginia is a contributory-negligence state, which can affect a liability claim against another driver. Talk with an attorney about how that doctrine applies to a particular crash. It does not change the fact that the policy must include UM/UIM.

How should you choose limits?

Matching your UM/UIM limits to your liability limits is the usual starting point, and it is the default the law describes unless you reject the extra coverage. If you only carry the $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 floor, that is also the floor for UM/UIM, unless you buy more.

A serious injury can exceed $50,000 quickly, especially if more than one person in your car is hurt. Higher UM/UIM limits cost extra, but they are often one of the more useful parts of the policy, because they respond when the other driver did not buy enough coverage, or any coverage at all.

When you shop, ask the agent to show:

• The UM/UIM limits on the quote, not only the liability limits.
• Whether anyone on the policy has signed a rejection of limits above the minimum.
• How a hit-and-run property-damage claim would be handled, including the $200 deductible.
• How UM/UIM would work if you are hit as a pedestrian or a passenger, subject to the policy terms.

Get the answers on the declarations page. A verbal "you're fully covered" is not a limit.

If you already have a policy, look at the form you signed when it was issued or last renewed. If you do not remember rejecting higher UM limits, ask the company for a copy of that selection. Raising the limits later is usually possible at renewal, and sometimes sooner.

If another driver is at fault and has a policy, you generally start by making a claim against that policy. UIM comes into play if those limits are used up before your damages are paid, and if your UIM limits are higher than the at-fault driver's liability limits. The details can be technical. Ask your company or a lawyer how stacking, multiple vehicles, and policy conditions apply in your situation. Do not assume a second policy in the household will automatically add more coverage.

After a crash, document the scene, exchange information, and notify both companies promptly. If the other driver has no insurance, or fled, call the police and your own insurer. Keep medical bills, repair estimates, and a diary of missed work. UM/UIM claims still have conditions and time limits in the policy.

FAQ

Can I decline uninsured motorist coverage in Virginia?

You cannot drop UM/UIM entirely on a liability policy. A named insured may reject additional UM coverage above the legal minimum, in the way the statute requires. That rejection binds everyone on the policy.

What is the difference between UM and UIM?

UM applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance, or is a hit-and-run driver who cannot be identified. UIM applies when that driver has insurance, but the limits are too low and are not as high as your UM/UIM limits.

Is there a deductible if a hit-and-run driver damages my car?

The Bureau's guide and the statute allow a $200 deductible on property damage caused by an unidentifiable owner or operator. Confirm the amount on your policy.

Should my UM/UIM limits match my liability limits?

That is the usual structure under Virginia law, unless you reject the additional UM coverage. Ask your agent to price matching higher limits rather than leaving UM at the legal floor while you raise liability.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent to show your current UM/UIM limits, any rejection of higher coverage, and the cost of matching those limits to a higher liability quote. Bring your declarations page, and ask how a hit-and-run property-damage claim would be paid.

Sources: SCC Bureau of Insurance, Virginia Auto Insurance Consumer Guide (PDF); Code of Virginia § 38.2-2206, uninsured motorist insurance coverage; Code of Virginia § 46.2-472.

If you cannot find a homeowners or dwelling policy in the regular market, Virginia's residual plan is the Virginia Property Insurance Association, also called the FAIR Plan. It has written basic dwelling and commercial property coverage since 1968 for people and businesses that cannot get insurance through a voluntary company. It is not a substitute for shopping first.

What is residual-market coverage, and what is it not?

The Code of Virginia requires a residual market facility so qualified property can still get basic property insurance when the regular market will not write it. "Basic property insurance" is built around the standard fire policy and an extended coverage endorsement approved by the State Corporation Commission, plus other lines the residual market's board recommends and the Commission approves. It is last-resort coverage, not a deluxe homeowners policy with every optional endorsement you might want.

VPIA describes itself as coverage for people who are unable to obtain insurance through the voluntary market. That usually means you have already asked licensed companies or agents and been declined, nonrenewed, or quoted terms you cannot use. The law's purpose is to keep a market available, encourage use of the voluntary market first, and spread the residual risk among licensed insurers.

Qualified property under the statute generally means real property and tangible personal property at a fixed location in Virginia that is not used for manufacturing, complies with applicable building codes, and does not violate public policy in its ownership, condition, or occupancy. An inspection may be part of determining whether the property can be insured. If a roof, wiring, or other condition fails an inspection, you may need repairs before coverage is bound.

Do not assume a VPIA policy will automatically include flood insurance. Flood is a separate purchase, usually through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood policy. If you live near the coast, a tidal river, or a floodplain, ask what is and is not covered before you rely on the residual policy as your only protection.

Coastal homeowners sometimes face a voluntary-market policy that excludes wind, or wind and hail, with residual coverage available for that peril. If an agent offers a policy with a wind exclusion, get the exclusion in writing, ask about any premium credit, and ask whether wind coverage can be placed through VPIA. Confirm today's rules with the Bureau of Insurance and with VPIA. Do not rely on an old news story or a neighbor's policy from years ago.

How do you apply, and who can help?

Start with several licensed agents who regularly write homeowners insurance in your county or city, including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Northern Virginia, and the mountain west of the state. Ask them to try the voluntary market. If they cannot place the risk, ask them about VPIA, or contact the association directly.

VPIA lists these contacts:

• Phone: (804) 591-3700
• Toll free: (800) 899-7973
• Website: vpia.com

Ask what application, photos, or inspection the association needs, what deductibles apply, and how claims are reported. Keep copies of declination letters or emails from voluntary companies, because you may be asked to show that you could not find coverage elsewhere.

A residual policy can cost more, and it may offer narrower coverage, than a standard homeowners policy. Treat it as a bridge while you keep shopping, improve the property, or wait for a company to reopen to your ZIP code. Review the policy at each renewal. If a voluntary insurer will now write the house, compare the two offers carefully, including deductibles and exclusions, before you switch.

If you have a dispute about a claim or about whether a company handled a cancellation or nonrenewal correctly, you can file a complaint with the Bureau of Insurance. Keep a copy of the residual policy, any inspection report, and every premium notice. If the association asks for repairs before it will bind or renew coverage, get those requirements in writing and ask how long you have to finish the work. VPIA's rules, rates, and forms are subject to the Commission's approval. That does not mean every claim will be paid the way you hope. It does mean there is a regulator if you think the rules were not followed.

FAQ

Is the Virginia Property Insurance Association the same as a FAIR Plan?

Yes. VPIA is the residual market facility created under Virginia law for basic property insurance when you cannot obtain coverage in the voluntary market. People often call it the FAIR Plan.

Does a VPIA policy include flood insurance?

Do not assume that it does. Flood coverage is usually a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer. Ask VPIA and your agent what perils are on the policy you are buying.

Do I have to be declined first?

The residual market is for property that cannot be insured through the voluntary market. Start by shopping licensed companies. Keep written declinations, and ask an agent or VPIA what documentation they need.

Who regulates VPIA?

The State Corporation Commission Bureau of Insurance. VPIA's rules, rates, and forms are subject to the Commission's approval.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent to try the voluntary market first, then, if you still have no offer, to help you apply to the Virginia Property Insurance Association. Call VPIA at (800) 899-7973, and confirm in writing which perils, deductibles, and exclusions apply.

Sources: Virginia Property Insurance Association; Code of Virginia, Title 38.2, Chapter 27, residual market facility; SCC Bureau of Insurance.