Most insurance companies in Virginia provide coverage for the following popular types of boats:
Boat Insurance Requirements
Although Virginia law does not require you to get boat insurance, it does require you to register your watercraft with the state and complete a boating safety course, which will result in a certificate. It’s a good idea to read the Virginia Watercraft Owner’s Guide to learn more about the additional rules that can apply to your boating hobby.
Even though the state does not need boat insurance, your lender may compel you to have it if you took out a loan to buy your boat. Some marinas in Virginia also demand boat insurance before you can dock your boat. Depending on the type of boat you own, you may have invested a significant amount of money in it, so it’s a smart idea to cover it with a boat insurance policy.
What Does Boat Insurance Cover?
The following boat insurance choices are available from most Virginia insurance providers:
- Collision damage: Covers the cost of repairing or replacing your boat if it collides with another boat or object.
- Damage to someone else’s boat, dock, or other property or structures is covered under property damage liability.
- Bodily harm liability: Covers any injuries you may cause while operating your boat, as well as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal costs.
- Comprehensive: Covers the cost of repairing or replacing your boat in the event of vandalism, theft, or damage caused by something other than a collision.
- Additional coverage options include medical expenses, fishing gear, oil spills, personal property, and roadside help, as well as damage and injuries caused by uninsured or underinsured boaters.
The amount of money you get back for a claim is determined by a number of factors, including the deductible you choose, the limitations you set, and whether your boater’s insurance covers the actual cash value or replacement cost of your boat:
- Actual cash value: This option will pay a claim for the current value of the boat. Depreciation is taken into consideration in this policy option. If your 10-year-old boat was totaled in an accident, your insurer would pay you the value of a 10-year-old boat.
- Replacement cost: This option does not account for depreciation. If your older boat is totaled, this policy option will cover the cost of replacing it with a new one.
What Would Your Boat Insurance Quotes Look Like?
Several factors will be considered by Virginia insurance providers when determining quotations for your boat insurance, including the following:
Boat insurance can cost anywhere from $75 to $500 per year, depending on the model.
Boat insurance rates in Virginia are also available with a variety of discounts. In certain circumstances, these reductions can save you money. For example, if you don’t use the boat all year, you might be able to get a layup discount or a discount for boating in fresh water rather than salt water. If you’ve completed a boating safety course or have a clean boating record, you might be eligible for a discount. When your insurance agent gives you an estimate for boat insurance, make sure to inquire about the types of discounts that are available.
What is required to operate a boat in Virginia?
All PWC operators aged 14 and up, as well as all operators of motorboats with a 10 hp or higher engine (regardless of age), must complete a boating safety course. The course completion certificate or card supplied by the course provider is required to operate a vessel once you have completed the course.
The Virginia General Assembly passed a law in 2007 requiring boaters to take a boating safety course. By 2016, all operators of PWCs (Personal Watercraft such as jet skis, Sea Doos, and Wave Runners) and operators of Motorboats with a 10 hp or bigger motor will be required to have a boating safety education course completion card on board when driving a PWC or Motorboat.
PWC Age Limit: No one under the age of 14 is permitted to operate a PWC. Operators aged 14 and 15 must show documentation of completing a classroom or online boating safety course that is approved and accepted. The challenge exam, as well as other aspects of the Education Compliance Requirement, do not meet the age restriction law’s standards.
A personal watercraft, also known as a Sea-Doo (Bombardier Recreational Products), Waverunner (Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA), or JET SKI (Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA), is a motorboat that is less than 16 feet in length and is powered by jet pumps rather than propellers, with passengers standing, kneeling, or sitting on the surface rather than inside the boat. The following are links to NASBLA-approved and Virginia DWR-accepted classroom and online courses that meet these standards. If you are a seasoned boater, an equivalency/challenge exam may be preferable than taking a boating safety course. The link below contains information on the equivalency/challenge exam.
Is boat insurance a legal requirement?
Although boat insurance isn’t required by law on all waterways, the high value of boats and the risk of accident make it a risk not to have it. In addition, if you want to use a marina’s facilities, you’ll need at least third-party insurance.
If you plan on transporting your new boat to its mooring position by road, make sure you have boat insurance in place first. Any previous owner’s insurance does not cover you, and while your auto insurance may cover your boat while you’re on the road, there are sometimes limitations based on the length of your boat.
It’s a good idea to get some training if you’re a new boat owner. Reputable insurers prefer you to demonstrate that you’ve attained a specific degree of expertise, either via years of experience or by completing a course, such as one offered by the Royal Yachting Association.
How much does boat insurance cost in Virginia?
If you live in or near Richmond and are looking for boat insurance, the GLM team can help! We can help you locate a policy that is specially customized to you and your boat by comparing coverage from different boat insurance companies in Virginia.
Given the high expense of purchasing and maintaining a boat, having enough insurance coverage is essential for both you and the individuals who will be aboard your valued item.
How much does Boat Insurance cost in Virginia?
Boat insurance in Virginia can range in price from $75 to $500+ each year, based on the factors indicated above. Coverage for a large boat or yacht might cost more than $1000 per year. It all depends on the size of your boat and how much coverage you want.
What does Boat Insurance cover?
- Collision damage coverage includes the repair or replacement of your boat, but may or may not include wreckage clean-up unless you acquire additional coverage.
- Damage to someone else’s boat, dock, or other property or structures is covered by property damage liability insurance.
- Bodily harm liability: Covers any injuries you may cause while operating your boat, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal costs.
- Comprehensive coverage compensates you if your boat is vandalized, stolen, or destroyed in a non-collision occurrence.
- Additional coverage options include medical expenses, fishing gear, oil spills, personal property, and roadside help, as well as damages and injuries caused by uninsured or underinsured boaters.
The amount of compensation you receive for a claim is determined by a variety of factors, including your deductibles, limits, and whether your boater’s insurance covers the actual cash value, replacement cost, or agreed-upon worth of your boat.
What are the boating laws in Virginia?
Boating Laws and Regulations in Virginia
- All motorboat operators with a horsepower of 10 hp or more, regardless of age, and all PWC operators 14 years old or older, must undergo a boating safety course beginning July 1, 2016.
Can you carry a gun on a boat in Virginia?
A. If any person carries on his person, hidden from public view, I any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by the action of an explosion of any combustible material; (ii) any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, metal knucks, or blackjack; (iii) any flailing instrument consisting of two or A second violation of this section, or a conviction under this section after a conviction under any substantially comparable ordinance of any county, city, or town, is a Class 6 felony, and a third or subsequent offense is a Class 5 felony. A weapon is considered hidden from common observation for the purposes of this section if it is visible but has a deceptive appearance that conceals the weapon’s true nature. The fact that a person has a valid concealed handgun permit at the time of the offense is an affirmative defense to a violation of subparagraph I regarding a handgun.
B. This section does not apply to someone who is in his own home or the curtilage of his home.
C. Except as provided in Section 18.2-308.012, paragraph A, this section does not apply to:
- Any law-enforcement officer or retired law-enforcement officer, wherever such law-enforcement officer may go in the Commonwealth, subject to 18.2-308.016;
- Anyone who is at, or going to, or from, a recognized shooting range, as long as the weapons are unloaded and securely wrapped while being carried;
- Any regularly enrolled member of a weapons collecting organization who is attending, or traveling to or from, a legitimate weapons exhibition, as long as the weapons are unloaded and properly wrapped while being transported;
- Any person transporting such weapons between his place of residence and a place of purchase or maintenance, as long as the weapons are unloaded and securely wrapped;
- Any person actually engaged in lawful hunting, as authorized by the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries, in inclement weather requiring temporary protection of his firearm from those conditions, provided that possession of a handgun while engaged in lawful hunting shall not be construed as hunting with a handgun if the person hunting is carrying a valid concealed handgun permit;
- Any Commonwealth attorney or Commonwealth assistant attorney, wherever that attorney may travel in the Commonwealth;
- Any person who is lawfully in possession of a firearm and is carrying a handgun in a personal, private motor vehicle or vessel where the handgun is secured in a container or compartment;
- Any enrolled firearms training course participant who is at, going to, or from a training location, provided that the weapons are unloaded and properly wrapped while being transported; and
- Any Commonwealth judge or justice, wherever that judge or justice may travel within the Commonwealth.
D. This section does not apply to any of the following individuals when performing official duties or while traveling to or from such activities: Except as provided in subdivisions C 7 and 10, a judge or justice of the Commonwealth, an attorney for the Commonwealth, or an assistant attorney for the Commonwealth may carry a concealed firearm. The following conservators of the peace, however, are not permitted to carry a concealed handgun without first obtaining a permit as provided in this article: I notaries public; (ii) registrars; (iii) drivers, operators, or other persons in charge of any motor vehicle carrier of passengers for hire; or (iv) chancery commissioners. 5. Harbormaster of the City of Hopewell; and 4. Noncustodial staff of the Department of Corrections designated to carry weapons by the Director of the Department of Corrections pursuant to 53.1-29.
Can you drink on a boat in VA?
Operating a motorboat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited by Virginia Code 29.1-738.
- Being under the influence of a substance to the point where the driver’s words, physical movement, conduct, or appearance are all affected.
- Being impaired by a chemical to the point where it impairs one’s ability to safely operate a watercraft.
- A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher (0.02 percent or higher for those under 21).
- Having a cocaine blood concentration of.02 mg/liter or more, or a methamphetamine, PCP, or ecstasy blood concentration of.01 mg/liter or more.
It is not unlawful to have an open container of alcohol on your boat, unlike it is for vehicles and trucks. Furthermore, your passengers are permitted to consume alcoholic beverages while the boat is in motion.
Despite this disparity, Virginia’s BUI rules are equally harsh for boaters as they are for automobiles.
Even though drinking and steering a boat has less of a stigma, it is just as dangerous and illegal as drinking and driving.
Last but not least, Virginia’s BUI rules make it illegal to operate any water vessel while inebriated.
Operating a kayak, canoe, jet ski, or other similar vessel while inebriated is likewise prohibited.
Do I need insurance for a small boat?
California, like the majority of states, does not require boat and watercraft owners to have minimum insurance. Many marinas, on the other hand, require you to have at least some insurance in order to park your boat or utilize their facilities. Furthermore, if you purchased your boat with a loan, the lending company may compel you to maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage until the debt is paid off.
Do you need insurance for a yacht?
There is no federal law in the United States that requires all sailboats to be insured. Â Most states do not need sailboat insurance, unlike vehicle insurance. Â Arkansas and Utah are the only two states that require boat insurance as of 2019. Surprisingly, Utah and Arkansas both have few navigable waterways (with the exception of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers), and rivers aren’t the best area for sailing vessels anyhow. Â You’re unlikely to buy a full-size sailboat in either of those states, but if you do, you’ll be required to insure it.
There is no necessity to insure your yacht throughout the remainder of the country. While it may appear to be a great way to save a few dollars, the legal ramifications of an accident can be devastating. Â Even if it was an accident, you would most likely be held liable for any damage caused by your boat. Boat repair can be quite costly, and it only takes a small amount of damage to inflict significant harm. That isn’t to suggest you won’t have an accident; many seasoned sailors go their entire lives without having one. The point is that you’ll want to be covered if something unforeseen happens, regardless of how or who is to blame.
Insurance isn’t just for personal injury or property damage. The environment is protected by federal law in every state. Remember that if your boat sinks in a protected area, you are responsible for preventing (and, in some situations, correcting) environmental harm. Additionally, you may be responsible for the cleanup of fuel and chemical leaks. Â Someone will have to pull you out if you run aground or become stuck in a congested area. Â Towing services are costly, and you will be responsible for paying whoever comes to your rescue. Â It becomes significantly more dangerous if you collide with a commercial vessel. An insurance policy can cover the costs of emergency transportation as well as environmental cleaning. You could be forced against your will into an item or aground if a negligent speedboat disregards a âno wakeâ sign. Â Collisions with docks, buoys, and other marine infrastructure can cost thousands of dollars to repair, and they aren’t always your fault.
What do I need to insure a boat?
Boat insurance, like most other types of insurance, is divided into three categories: liability, uninsured motorist, and collision/comprehensive coverages.
The typical minimum for uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is $10,000. If you or one of your passengers gets hurt, or your vessel is severely damaged, make sure you account for any potential injuries and damages.
Collision and comprehensive coverage are the last two types of boat insurance we’ll discuss. These types of insurance should be tailored to the value of your boat. If you lease or finance your boat, or whether you rent a boat slip, check with your lender or marina to see if there are any insurance plans in place.
How old do you have to be to not wear a lifejacket in Virginia?
When operating on Virginia’s waters, all boaters (including paddlers) must have at least one Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, or III life jacket.
Even while adult life jackets are not needed to be worn at all times while boating, Virginia, you should always WEAR IT!
Children under the age of 13 must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket when on board any boat in Virginia, unless they are below decks or in an enclosed cabin. It is mandatory for children to WEAR IT!