West Virginia Car Insurance Laws and Requirements (2024)

West Virginia law dictates the minimum requirements for insurance coverage that all drivers must carry. All drivers in West Virginia must hold 25/50/25 in liability coverage and uninsured motorist coverage. Additionally, drivers can pick from a long list of additional coverages for added protection.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in West Virginia

The minimum car insurance requirements in West Virginia^[1] are:

• $25,000 for bodily injury liability per person

• $50,000 for bodily injury liability per accident

• $25,000 for property damage liability per accident

• $25,000 for uninsured motorist bodily injury liability per person

• $50,000 for uninsured motorist bodily injury liability per accident

• $25,000 for uninsured motorist property damage liability per accident

West Virginia auto insurance requirements are typical of an at-fault state operating a standard liability insurance model. In addition, all policyholders are protected from uninsured drivers through uninsured motorist coverage.

Bodily Injury Liability

Bodily injury liability is part of your liability car insurance coverage. If you cause an accident, this coverage will help cover the other party’s medical expenses. This type of coverage will not cover your own medical expenses for injuries sustained in a car accident you caused. Bodily injury liability coverage is required in West Virginia.

Property Damage Liability

Property damage liability is the other half of your liability car insurance. It covers repair costs and damage expenses to the other cars involved in an accident you caused. This coverage does not cover damage to your own car in an accident you were at fault for. Property damage liability coverage is required in West Virginia.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If an uninsured (or underinsured) driver causes an accident and you suffer bodily injury or property damage, uninsured motorist coverage will cover your expenses. If the at-fault driver surpasses their liability coverage limits, your underinsured motorist coverage will cover the rest of your expenses. Uninsured motorist coverage is required in West Virginia.

Is state minimum car insurance enough in West Virginia?

The minimum required car insurance coverage in West Virginia provides drivers with a solid foundation of auto insurance coverage, but it may not be enough for everyone. The West Virginia car insurance requirements will only fully protect you from minor accidents in which medical expenses don’t exceed the minimum limits of $50,000 per accident.

It’s smart for West Virginia drivers with assets they want to protect to exceed their coverage requirements so that their liability limits are at least equal to their net worth. Especially for homeowners, this is significantly more than the minimum limits.

Optional Car Insurance Coverage for West Virginia

West Virginia drivers who want to be protected in any situation should consider bolstering the minimum car insurance coverage with the following supplemental car insurance coverages:

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage covers damages to your car after a collision with another vehicle or object. If your vehicle is a total loss, collision coverage will reimburse you for the actual cash value of your vehicle. This is a great addition to the required property damage liability coverage in West Virginia, which applies only to the damages to the other driver’s vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage

Complementing your collision coverage, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle that occurs during an event that is not a collision with another vehicle or object. This may apply in situations of vandalism, theft, weather damage, or a run-in with an animal. Adding comprehensive and collision coverage together creates a full-coverage car insurance policy.

Other Supplemental Coverage

Given that West Virginia is a traditional at-fault state, drivers are vulnerable to medical expenses from injuries they sustain in an accident that is their fault. Medical payments coverage can help cover hospital bills that you rack up as a result of a car accident, no matter who is at fault. It can also be used to pay your health insurance deductible and comes at a low cost.

In addition, insurance providers offer numerous add-on provisions to try to support West Virginia drivers through calamities on the road, including roadside assistance programs for if you have car trouble while out driving and rental car reimbursement to keep you driving during repairs from a covered loss.

Penalties for Driving Uninsured in West Virginia

It is illegal to drive in West Virginia without the minimum car insurance coverage. If you are asked to provide proof of insurance in West Virginia and fail to do so, you’ll be subject to a number of penalties, detailed below^[2]:

• Your driver’s license and vehicle registration are subject to suspension

• Pay a $100 reinstatement fee

• Pay a $200 penalty

• Face a fine between $200 and $500 and jail time between 15 days and one year

If you provide false insurance information to law enforcement, your driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days, you can be fined up to $1,000, and you could spend up to a year in jail.

Minimum Requirements for High-Risk Drivers in West Virginia

West Virginia drivers who rack up a number of violations and accidents will be hit with high rates by their insurance providers, but the state won’t increase its coverage requirements or impose stricter verification methods for proof of insurance, as many states do. A DUI and other types of violations will still earn you a license suspension in some cases.

More Information for High-Risk Drivers in West Virginia

DUI Insurance in West Virginia

SR-22 Insurance in West Virginia

Cheapest Minimum Car Insurance in West Virginia

Car insurance companies weigh different factors to determine what to quote drivers on their car insurance policies. Minimum coverage generally means lower car insurance rates. It also means low coverage limits, which may cost you if you’re ever involved in an accident. Here are the cheapest car insurance quotes for minimum coverage in West Virginia.

How to Find Cheap Car Insurance in West Virginia

Looking for the cheapest auto insurance policy out there that sticks with minimum coverage and nothing more? Insurify can help. It’s an award-winning platform designed to make it easy for you to compare car insurance quotes from around the industry. You’ll be on your way to budget-friendly coverage in no time.