The Insurance Suspension
Va. Code 46.2-707 — a Class 3 misdemeanor, the plates surrendered, and a $600 noncompliance fee
The offense. A person who owns an uninsured motor vehicle licensed or subject to registration in the Commonwealth, or displaying temporary plates, and who operates or permits the operation of it, is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. So is an operator who is not the titled owner and knows the vehicle is uninsured.
The good cause exception. Those provisions do not apply if it is established that the owner had good cause to believe and did believe the vehicle was insured.
The plates. The owner of an uninsured motor vehicle immediately surrenders its license plates to the Department, unless the registration has been deactivated. Failing to do so is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
The suspension, for the owner. On a conviction, the Commissioner suspends the titled owner's driver's license and all registration certificates and license plates, and does not reissue them until the person pays a noncompliance fee of $600 and furnishes proof of financial responsibility in the future. When three years have elapsed from the suspension, the Commissioner may relieve the person of the proof requirement.
The suspension, for a driver who is not the owner. The Commissioner suspends the driver's license of an operator who is not the titled owner on a conviction, and does not reissue it until 30 days from the date of the order.
How much coverage the law requires, and anything more that reinstatement takes, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular charge applies is a question for a licensed Virginia attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Va. Code 46.2-707 — Operating an uninsured motor vehicle, plates, and the noncompliance fee
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Virginia attorney.