Do You Want Chesapeake Car Insurance or Not?
Chesapeake car insurance is an oddity compared to other cities around the nation.
Actually, since the State of Virginia is who creates the insurance laws for every city in the state, it is actually the entire state and not just Chesapeake that stands out as different. Almost every other state in the nation requires that their drivers purchase some form of car insurance if they want to be able to drive.
It is usually a car insurance policy that is required by other states, but it can also be putting up enough cash in a special account that shows that they have enough money to cover any damages or injuries that they cause while driving. Virginia however, tells its drivers that they have the option of driving with or without car insurance.
Driving Without Chesapeake Car Insurance
If you want to drive without Chesapeake car insurance and hope for the best, you have to pay a $500 Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee to the DMV. This fee is only for the privilege of driving without insurance coverage, and in no way provides you with any coverage if you were to get in an accident.
If you cause a car accident, you are on your own as far as paying for the damages that you are responsible for.
Driving With Chesapeake Car Insurance
If you decide that you prefer the protection that Chesapeake car insurance provides, you have to carry at least:
- $25,000 in coverage for bodily injury liability coverage for a single person
- $50,000 in coverage for bodily injury liability coverage for two or more people
- $20,000 in coverage for property damage liability coverage
Chesapeake Car Insurance Penalties
If you don’t pay the $500 Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee to the DMV and you also don’t purchase the minimum required 25/50/25 car insurance coverage, you are breaking the law. If you get caught in this situation you will end up having your driver’s license and vehicle registration suspended.
You will also have to pay a $500 statutory fee and a reinstatement fee to get your driver’s license and vehicle registration back once you are in compliance with state law.
Finally, you will be required to have a SR-22 filed with the DMV for 3 years and you can thank your new higher car insurance rates for the next three years to this mandatory SR-22.
If it were me, I would make sure I was in compliance with Chesapeake car insurance laws rather than have to go through all of that.