TNC insurance requirements are essential to public safety. TNCs and their insurers are strongly encouraged to review the comprehensive insurance provisions in Virginia Code § 46.2-2099.52 for a full review of requirements.
At all times when a TNC partner vehicle has the digital platform in use, a transportation network company or TNC partner shall keep in force TNC insurance. TNC insurance may be placed with an insurer that has been admitted in Virginia or with an insurer providing surplus lines insurance as defined in Virginia Code § 38.2-4805.2.
In every instance where TNC insurance maintained by a TNC partner to fulfill the TNC insurance obligations has lapsed or ceased to exist, the transportation network company shall provide the required coverage beginning with the first dollar of a claim.
The type and limits of coverage vary depending upon whether the partner is engaged in a prearranged ride or simply has the digital platform active, but has not yet accepted a ride request.
Insurance Requirements
These TNC insurance requirements are in effect from the moment a TNC partner accepts a prearranged ride request on a transportation network company's digital platform until the TNC partner completes the transaction on the digital platform or until the prearranged ride is complete, whichever is later:
- TNC insurance shall provide motor vehicle liability coverage. The coverage must be primary and the minimum amount of liability coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage shall be $1 million.
- TNC insurance shall provide uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage. The coverage shall apply from the moment a passenger enters a TNC partner vehicle until the passenger exits the vehicle. The minimum amount of uninsured motorist coverage is the amount required by Virginia Code § 38.2-2206.
- The insurance requirements may be satisfied by any of the following:
- TNC insurance maintained by a TNC partner,
- TNC insurance maintained by a transportation network company
- A combination of insurance maintained by a TNC partner and TNC.
A transportation network company may meet its obligations through a policy obtained by a TNC partner only if the transportation network company verifies that the policy is maintained by the TNC partner and is specifically written to cover the TNC partner's use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's digital platform.
These TNC insurance requirements are in effect (i) from the moment a TNC partner logs on to a transportation network company’s associated digital platform until the TNC partner accepts a request to transport a passenger and (ii) from the moment the TNC partner completes the transaction on the digital platform or the prearranged ride is complete, whichever is later, until the TNC partner either accepts another prearranged ride request on the digital platform or logs off the digital platform.
- TNC insurance shall provide motor vehicle liability coverage. The coverage shall be primary and shall provide liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for death and bodily injury and at least $25,000 for property damage.
- The requirements for the coverage may be satisfied by any of the following:
- TNC insurance maintained by a TNC partner,
- TNC insurance maintained by a transportation network company that provides coverage in the event that a TNC partner’s insurance policy has ceased to exist or has been canceled or in the event that the TNC partner does not otherwise maintain TNC insurance, or
- A combination of insurance maintained by a TNC partner and TNC.
A transportation network company may meet its insurance obligations through a policy obtained by a TNC partner only if the transportation network company verifies that the policy is maintained by the TNC partner and is specifically written to cover the TNC partner’s use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company’s digital platform.
Insurance Filing Requirements
A transportation network company is required to keep on file with DMV proof of an insurance policy maintained by the transportation network company to meet its insurance obligations. The proof must be submitted by the insurance company directly with DMV through the filing of either the TNC Certificate of Insurance (Form MCS 306) or a Form E*.
The TNC insurance may be placed with an insurer that has been admitted in Virginia or with an insurer providing surplus lines insurance as defined in Virginia Code § 38.2-4805.2.
Insurers may file a TNC Certificate of Insurance (MCS 306) or a Form E* using one of the following options:
- Electronically through an extranet application process: contact a motor carrier representative at (804) 249-5130 for more information
- Mail:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Motor Carrier Services (TNC)
P. O. Box 27412
Richmond, Virginia 23269-0001, or
- Fax: (804) 367-1058
Insurers making a TNC insurance filing obligate themselves to providing TNC insurance coverage until such time DMV is notified directly by the insurer that the TNC insurance has been cancelled and the insurer has provided DMV 30-days notice of cancellation. TNC insurance cancellations are required to be submitted to DMV by completing a Virginia Notice of TNC Insurance Cancellation (Form MCS 307) or a Form K*, using one of the filing methods noted above.
* Note: Form E and Form K are not DMV forms. These are forms used by the insurance industry and filed with a motor carrier’s base state in order to confirm existence of a policy that meets the minimum insurance requirements imposed by that state.
TNC's Duty to Cooperate
A transportation network company has a duty to cooperate with any person, or an attorney acting on his behalf, who suffers a loss in an automobile accident with a reasonable belief that the accident involves a TNC partner vehicle driven by a TNC partner in connection with a transportation network company.
If the person makes a written request for information relating to the insurance coverage and the company providing the coverage and provides the TNC with the date, approximate time, and location of the accident, along with the name of the TNC partner (if available) and the accident report (if available), the TNC is required to respond electronically or in writing within 30 days and to provide the following information:
- Whether the TNC partner was logged into the transportation network company's digital platform at the approximate time of the accident. If so, whether a trip request had been accepted or a passenger was in the TNC partner vehicle;
- The name of the insurance carrier providing primary coverage; and
- The identity and last known address of the TNC partner.
A transportation network company is also required to cooperate in claims coverage investigations. Both the TNC and its insurer must cooperate with insurers involved in a claims coverage investigation to facilitate the exchange of information, including the dates and times of any accident involving a TNC partner and the precise times that the TNC partner logged in and was logged out of the transportation network company's digital platform.