The Farmers Virginia rate increase is now filed, and it raises auto insurance rates across two separate Farmers Insurance filings. If you’re one of the roughly 29,007 policyholders affected, your bill is going up. The combined rate increase works out to a blended average of +10.5759%, which adds about $267 per year to the average driver’s premium. Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance disposed (approved) the smaller companion filing on May 7, 2026 and the larger primary filing on July 13, 2026, so depending on your policy’s specific renewal date after those approvals, you may already be in the window.

Together, the two filings behind the Farmers Virginia rate increase add roughly $7.7 million in total written premium across the book. That’s real pressure on Virginia households that are already stretching budgets after years of insurance cost increases nationwide. Farmers Insurance is one of the largest personal auto carriers in the country, writing policies in nearly every state through a network of branded subsidiaries.

In Virginia, the company competes across a wide range of driver profiles, from clean-record commuters to drivers with recent claims or violations. The size of this combined filing, nearly 29,100 affected policyholders and more than $7.7 million in added annual premium, puts it among the more significant private-passenger auto rate actions filed in the state recently. If you’re a Farmers Insurance customer in Virginia and your renewal is coming up in the next few months, you need to understand what’s changing, what it costs you in dollars, and whether staying put or shopping for a new carrier makes more sense.

What the Farmers Virginia Rate Increase Changes

Farmers Insurance filed two separate rate actions in Virginia that this article covers together. The primary filing carries a rate increase of +18.4% and covers the larger share of the affected book. A companion filing adds a +1.2% increase affecting 13,195 policyholders, adding $395,805 in written premium; Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance disposed that filing on May 7, 2026. Across both filings combined, about 29,007 Virginia drivers see higher premiums, and the total added annual premium across the book lands at roughly $7,731,603.

The average premium before the increase was $2,512. After the Farmers Virginia rate increase takes effect, that average climbs to $2,778. The before/after comparison table at the top of this article shows those numbers in full.

Rate filings like these go through Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance before they can take effect. The fact that both filings are now closed and filed means the regulatory review process is complete. Insurers are required to justify rate changes with actuarial data showing that their current premiums aren’t keeping up with the claims they’re paying out. Carriers typically point to rising repair costs, increased medical expenses tied to accident claims, more severe weather events driving comprehensive losses, and higher reinsurance costs as the main drivers behind filings of this size.

Two separate filings in a short window are not unusual for a carrier managing a large book of business. Carriers sometimes segment their book by risk class, coverage type, or policy vintage and file separately for each segment.

What matters to you as a driver is the combined effect on your specific policy, which depends on your coverage selections, your vehicle, and your driver profile. The average increase of $267 per year is exactly that, an average. Some drivers will see less, and others will see more.

Average annual premium for affected drivers

METRIC	VALUE
Current average	$2,512
After rate change	$2,778
Annual increase	+$267 (+10.6%)

Source: SERFF filing BRWS-134973519, page 6.

What This Means for You

At an average increase of $267 per year, the Farmers Virginia rate increase adds roughly $22 more per month on top of what drivers are already paying. That’s the middle of the range. Your actual number depends heavily on what coverage you carry and what your driving record looks like.

If you carry full coverage, meaning collision and comprehensive on top of your liability limits, your premium base is higher, so a 10.5759% increase hits harder in raw dollars. A driver currently paying $3,200 per year for full coverage would see roughly $338 added annually at that rate. A driver paying $1,800 for a liability-only policy would see about $190 added. These are illustrative figures based on the filed percentage, your carrier sets your actual premium using your specific rating factors.

Drivers with a recent at-fault accident or traffic violation are already paying a surcharge on top of the base rate. The percentage increase applies to that higher base, which means the dollar hit is proportionally larger. A driver paying $4,000 after a prior claim surcharge could see $423 or more added per year from a 10.5759% rate increase.

Clean-record drivers on standard coverage tend to land closest to that $267 average. But even for a driver with a spotless record, $267 per year is not a trivial number. Over three years, that’s roughly $800 in added cost, money that could instead fund a higher deductible and keep your base premium down.

Both filings are now closed and filed with Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance — the companion filing disposed May 7, 2026, and the primary filing disposed July 13, 2026. If your policy renews on or after your carrier’s effective date following those approvals, the new rate applies; check your renewal notice or ask Farmers directly for your policy’s specific effective date. Farmers Insurance typically sends renewal notices 30 to 45 days before the renewal date. If you haven’t gotten yours yet and your renewal is coming up soon, now is the right time to pull competing quotes, before your renewal locks in at the higher number.

How Farmers Insurance Compares

Farmers Insurance is a major national auto insurer with a significant presence in Virginia. The company writes personal auto policies through a network of subsidiaries and branded entities, giving it broad reach across driver profiles and vehicle types. A blended rate increase of 10.5759% across two filings affecting nearly 29,100 policyholders is a meaningful action. It signals that the carrier’s current premium levels aren’t covering what it’s paying out in claims in Virginia.

That said, Farmers Insurance is not alone in raising rates. Across the country, most large personal auto carriers have filed increases over the past two to three years as repair costs, medical costs, and weather-related losses have all climbed. Other carriers are raising rates too, so the real question is whether Farmers Insurance’s new rates stay competitive for your specific driver profile after this Virginia rate increase.

GEICO is one of the largest auto insurers in Virginia and competes directly with Farmers Insurance across most driver profiles. GEICO has also filed rate adjustments in recent periods, though the specifics vary by state and segment. For Virginia drivers with clean records, GEICO has historically been competitive on price, particularly for standard coverage levels.

Progressive is another direct competitor in Virginia, and it’s especially worth comparing if you’ve had a recent claim or violation. Progressive uses a more granular rating model that sometimes produces lower rates for drivers who might be surcharged more heavily elsewhere. Its Snapshot telematics program can also reduce costs for low-mileage or low-risk drivers.

State Farm is the largest auto insurer in the country and writes a large book in Virginia. State Farm tends to be competitive for bundled home and auto customers. If you currently insure only your car with Farmers Insurance, bundling with a carrier like State Farm could offset some of the premium pressure from this increase.

None of those carriers are guaranteed to come in cheaper for you specifically. Rates depend on your zip code, vehicle, age, and record. But the Farmers Virginia rate increase is a meaningful trigger to shop, since a 10.5759% jump on your renewal is unlikely to be the cheapest option on the table.

How to Save on Insurance

If you renew with Farmers Insurance in Virginia after these filings take effect, your premium goes up an average of $267 per year. Here’s how to make sure you’re not paying more than you have to.

1. Shop before your renewal date. Pull quotes from at least three carriers: GEICO, Progressive, and State Farm are all active in Virginia and worth comparing. Do this four to six weeks before your renewal so you have time to switch without a coverage gap.
2. Re-rate your current policy before you assume you have to leave. Call Farmers Insurance and ask whether any discounts apply that aren’t already on your policy: telematics enrollment, multi-policy bundling, or a change in your annual mileage.
3. Check whether the Farmers Virginia rate increase is concentrated in your coverage type. If you’re carrying full coverage on an older vehicle with low market value, this is a good prompt to reconsider whether you still need collision. Dropping collision on a car worth less than ten times your annual collision premium is a standard way to lower your base before the increase applies.
4. Read IRG’s guide to shopping for car insurance here for state-by-state comparison tips.

None of these steps require waiting for your renewal notice to arrive. Both filings behind the Farmers Virginia rate increase are already closed and filed with the state, so the carriers you’d compare against are pricing today. Shopping now, while you still have your current policy as a baseline, is how a $267 annual hike turns into a number you actually control.

Bristol West Insurance Company, the Farmers Insurance unit behind this filing, is the entity of record on both trackings that make up the Farmers Virginia rate increase.

Sources Used

• SERFF filing BRWS-134973519 (Bristol West Insurance Company, NAIC #19658, product BW Select 4.24), disposed 7/13/2026, Virginia Bureau of Insurance
• SERFF filing BRWS-134875921 (companion, same company/product), disposed 5/7/2026, Virginia Bureau of Insurance
• Virginia Bureau of Insurance