<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>67626</law_id><section_number>38.2-508</section_number><catch_line>Unfair discrimination</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>2.2-515.2</reference><reference>38.2-3738</reference><reference>38.2-509</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Unfair Trade Practices</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>No <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Unfairly discriminate or permit any unfair discrimination between individuals of the same class and equal expectation of life (i) in the <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">rates</span></span> charged for any life <span class="dictionary">insurance</span> or annuity <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, or (ii) in the dividends or other benefits payable on the <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, or (iii) in any other of the terms and conditions of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span>; <a id="paragraph-244984" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Unfairly discriminate or permit any unfair discrimination between individuals of the same class and of essentially the same hazard (i) in the amount of premium, policy fees, or <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">rates</span></span> charged for any policy or <span class="dictionary">contract</span> of accident or health <span class="dictionary">insurance</span>, (ii) in the benefits payable under such policy or <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, (iii) in any of the terms or conditions of such policy or <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, or (iv) in any other manner; <a id="paragraph-244985" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Refuse to insure, refuse to continue to insure, or limit the amount, extent or kind of insurance coverage available to an individual, or charge an individual a different <span class="dictionary">rate</span> for the same coverage solely because of blindness, or partial blindness, or mental or physical impairments, unless the refusal, limitation or <span class="dictionary">rate</span> differential is based on sound actuarial principles. This paragraph shall not be interpreted to modify any other provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span> relating to the termination, modification, issuance or renewal of any <span class="dictionary">insurance policy</span> or <span class="dictionary">contract</span>; <a id="paragraph-244986" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Unfairly discriminate or permit any unfair discrimination between individuals or risks of the same class and of essentially the same hazards by refusing to <span class="dictionary">issue</span>, refusing to renew, cancelling or limiting the amount of insurance coverage solely because of the geographic location of the individual or risk, unless:
			a. The refusal, cancellation or limitation is for a business purpose that is not a mere pretext for unfair discrimination; or
			b. The refusal, cancellation or limitation is required by <span class="dictionary">law</span> or regulatory <span class="dictionary">mandate</span>; <a id="paragraph-244987" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Make or permit any unfair discrimination between individuals or risks of the same class and of essentially the same hazards by refusing to <span class="dictionary">issue</span>, refusing to renew, cancelling or limiting the amount of insurance coverage on a residential property risk, or the personal property contained in a residential property risk, solely because of the age of the residential property, unless:
			a. The refusal, cancellation or limitation is for a business purpose that is not a mere pretext for unfair discrimination; or
			b. The refusal, cancellation or limitation is required by <span class="dictionary">law</span> or regulatory <span class="dictionary">mandate</span>; <a id="paragraph-244988" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="6"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> Refuse to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> or renew any individual accident and sickness <span class="dictionary">insurance policy</span> or <span class="dictionary">contract</span> for coverage over and above any lifetime benefit of a group accident and sickness policy or <span class="dictionary">contract</span> solely because an individual is insured under a group accident and sickness <span class="dictionary">insurance policy</span> or <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, provided that medical expenses covered by both individual and group coverage shall be paid first by the group policy or <span class="dictionary">contract</span> to the extent of the group coverage; <a id="paragraph-244989" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="7"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> Consider the status of a victim of <span class="dictionary">domestic violence</span> as a criterion in any decision with regard to insurance underwriting, pricing, renewal, scope of coverage, or payment of claims on any and all insurance defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/38.2-100/">38.2-100</a> and further classified in Article 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Classification of insurance" href="/38.2-101/">38.2-101</a> et seq.) of Chapter 1 of this title, other than (i) legal services plans as provided for in Chapter 44 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/38.2-4400/">38.2-4400</a> et seq.) of this title and (ii) the insurance classified in &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Fire" href="/38.2-110/">38.2-110</a> through <a class="law" title="Contingent and consequential losses" href="/38.2-133/">38.2-133</a>. The term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">domestic violence</span>&#x201D; means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts by a current or former family member, household member as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/16.1-228/">16.1-228</a>, <span class="dictionary">person</span> against whom the victim obtained a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> or caretaker:
			a. Attempting to cause or causing or threatening another <span class="dictionary">person</span> physical harm, severe emotional distress, psychological trauma, <span class="dictionary">rape</span> or sexual <span class="dictionary">assault</span>;
			b. Engaging in a course of conduct or repeatedly committing acts toward another <span class="dictionary">person</span>, including following the <span class="dictionary">person</span> without proper authority, under circumstances that place the <span class="dictionary">person</span> in reasonable fear of bodily injury or physical harm;
			c. Subjecting another <span class="dictionary">person</span> to false imprisonment; or
			d. Attempting to cause or causing damage to property so as to intimidate or attempt to control the behavior of another <span class="dictionary">person</span>.
			Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit an <span class="dictionary">insurer</span> or insurance professional from asking about a medical condition or from using medical information to underwrite or to carry out its duties under an <span class="dictionary">insurance policy</span> even if the medical information is related to a medical condition that the <span class="dictionary">insurer</span> or insurance professional knows or has reason to know resulted from <span class="dictionary">domestic violence</span>, to the extent otherwise permitted under this section and other applicable <span class="dictionary">law</span>; or <a id="paragraph-244990" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="8"><p><span class="prefix-number">8.</span> Refuse to insure, refuse to continue to insure, or limit the amount or extent of life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance coverage available to an individual or charge an individual a different <span class="dictionary">rate</span> for the same coverage based solely and without any additional actuarial risks upon the status of such individual as a <span class="dictionary">living organ donor</span>. For the purposes of this subdivision, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">living organ donor</span>&#x201D; means a living individual who donates one or more of such individual&#x2019;s human organs, including bone marrow, to be medically transplanted into the body of another individual. <a id="paragraph-244991" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-508/#8"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 38.1-52; 1952, c. 317, &#xA7; 38.1-52.7; 1977, c. 529; 1978, c. 441; 1979, c. 324; 1980, c. 404; 1986, c. 562; 1993, c. 130; 2001, c. 34; 2013, cc. 136, 210; 2022, c. 649.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
