The coastal city of Virginia Beach, located where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, offers a rich history, culinary scene, and family-friendly attractions for locals and tourists alike.

Even though Virginia is affected by tropical weather, Virginia Beach drivers pay about the same amount for car insurance as the rest of the state, on average. The overall average cost of car insurance in Virginia Beach is $154 per month, and the state overall average is $146 per month. Comparing quotes and making efforts to reduce your risk to insurers can save you even more on your monthly premium.

Here’s how to get the best coverage at the most affordable rates in Virginia Beach.

3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Virginia Beach

The car insurance quotes you receive from insurance companies are based on many rating factors, including your age, vehicle, driving record, coverage limits, deductible, and credit history. This means the best car insurance company for you may not be the best one for someone else.

Below are three of the top insurers in Virginia Beach to get you started in your search.

Best insurer for low rates: Auto-Owners

Best insurer for customer service: State Farm

Best insurer for military members: USAA

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Virginia Beach

Factors such as your age, driving record, type of vehicle, and coverage options can all play a role in determining your car insurance rate. But whether you’re a new driver or looking to switch companies, you can save by applying the following strategies:

• Consider higher deductibles. Opting for a higher collision and comprehensive deductible can lower your premiums, but you’ll pay more out of pocket if you need to file a claim.

• Maintain a clean driving record. Avoid accidents and traffic violations that can lead to higher premiums by practicing safe driving habits.

• Look for discounts. Take advantage of common discounts — such as good driver, multi-vehicle, or safety feature discounts — to reduce your insurance costs.

• Bundle your policies. Bundling your car insurance with other policies, such as homeowners insurance or renters insurance, can often lead to additional discounts and overall savings.

• Compare quotes. You can find the most competitive rates and coverage options by comparing quotes from different insurers.

Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Virginia Beach: Auto-Owners

Virginia was one of two states that let drivers prove they can financially cover damages from an at-fault accident instead of buying car insurance. Starting July 1, 2024, drivers must purchase minimum liability car insurance.

It’s important to remember that property damage and bodily injury liability coverage with a liability-only policy only pays for the other driver’s vehicle and property damage and injuries. It doesn’t cover repair costs for your vehicle or any of your medical bills due to an accident you cause.

Virginia Beach drivers pay an average of $122 per month for liability coverage, but here’s a list of the most affordable insurers in the city to start your search.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Virginia Beach: Auto-Owners

If you’re looking for more robust insurance coverage, you may choose to purchase full-coverage insurance instead. And if you’re financing or leasing your car, your lender may require you to buy full-coverage insurance no matter what. While liability-only coverage takes care of the other driver, their passengers, and their vehicle, full coverage also protects your vehicle.

The average cost of full-coverage insurance in the city is $185 per month. Here’s a list of the most affordable full-coverage insurance options in Virginia Beach.

Car insurance requirements in Virginia

If you’re looking for liability-only coverage in Virginia, you’ll need coverage that meets the state’s minimum requirements:1

Virginia also requires insurers to include uninsured motorist coverage in all policies, but you can opt out of this coverage by notifying your insurance company in writing that you don’t want it. These are just minimum requirements. Drivers can also purchase the following add-ons to boost their car insurance coverage:

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

Driving incidents include speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and driving under the influence (DUI) convictions. If you have any of these incidents on your record, your rates are likely to increase for several years. Depending on the severity or frequency of such incidents, your insurer may drop you altogether.2

On the other hand, your insurer may lower your rates after a couple of years if you’ve had no further incidents appear on your driving history. Not all incidents are judged the same, and insurance companies generally look at DUI incidents as more severe than at-fault accidents and speeding tickets.

Below, you’ll find a collection of the most affordable insurers in Virginia Beach if you have an incident on your record.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Auto-Owners

If a speeding ticket appears on your record, your insurer could raise your rates. Two or more speeding tickets in a three-year period, however, and you should expect your insurer to raise your rates. Drivers with speeding tickets on their records in Virginia Beach pay an average of $145 per month for liability insurance.

Here’s a look at the insurers offering the most affordable coverage for drivers with a speeding ticket in Virginia Beach.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Auto-Owners

An at-fault accident will almost always result in an insurance company bumping your rates up for three to five years. Some companies have accident-forgiveness programs that mean you won’t endure a rate increase after certain types of accidents or after you’ve been insured for a specific period without an accident claim.

Drivers in Virginia Beach with an at-fault accident on their records pay an average of $150 per month for liability coverage. Here are the cheapest companies after an accident.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Auto-Owners

Insurance companies generally see a DUI as the most serious type of incident. Some insurers will raise your rates for a DUI on your record, others may cancel your coverage mid-term or refuse to renew your policy, and some may refuse to insure you when you apply for new coverage. Drivers with speeding tickets on their records in Virginia Beach pay an average of $196 per month for liability insurance.

Once the DUI is off your Virginia DMV report, you’ll likely see your car insurance rates drop.

The most affordable insurers in Virginia Beach for drivers with a DUI on their record are listed below.

Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Auto-Owners

After enduring the high cost of car insurance in your teens, you enjoyed your rate dropping around age 25. Unfortunately, regardless of how good your driving record is, car insurance rates tend to start rising around age 70. Senior drivers in Virginia Beach pay an average of $106 per month for liability coverage and $161 per month for full coverage.

Car insurance rates are higher for seniors for a couple of reasons. First, older drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident than younger adult drivers.3 Second, the injuries seniors suffer from car accidents are often more serious, which leads to expensive medical bills and higher costs for your insurer.4

But that doesn’t mean you can’t find affordable car insurance in Virginia Beach as a senior driver. Start with the companies below.

Cheapest car insurance for teens: Auto-Owners

Insurers typically charge teens the most for insurance. Teen drivers have the highest accident rates of any age group, and are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors like texting while driving. Teens’ decision-making also isn’t always the best, and research shows alcohol is also a factor in many crashes involving teens.5

Teen drivers in Virginia Beach pay an average of $257 per month for liability coverage and $389 per month for full coverage.

But the good news is teen drivers have ways to save money on car insurance. They include staying on your parents’ car insurance, driving a safe car, and earning a good student discount. Other discounts available from insurers include good driver and accident-free discounts. It’s important to know that teens younger than 18 can’t legally get their own policies unless they have written consent from a parent or guardian.

You can also save by selecting an affordable policy to begin, and you can review the average monthly quotes presented here.

Virginia Beach car insurance quotes by credit tier

Insurers can use your credit history as a factor when determining your car insurance rates in the state of Virginia. This is important because insurers generally consider people with lower credit scores to be more likely to file a claim. As such, drivers with excellent or good credit typically pay significantly less than drivers with poor credit.

Is car insurance more expensive in Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach residents pay an average of $122 for liability-only coverage and $185 per month for full coverage. This is comparable to the averages of $112 and $180, respectively, across the state. Virginia residents also pay less for insurance than residents of Maryland, but their insurance prices are higher than those paid by drivers in neighboring West Virginia.

Part of the reason insurance costs could be higher in Virginia is the state’s higher cost of living and the risk presented by tropical weather systems that make landfall.

Other cities in Virginia

Here’s how Virginia Beach car insurance costs compare to other Virginia cities.