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Whether you live in Huntington, Harpers Ferry, or anywhere in between, it’s important to know the minimum requirements for car insurance in West Virginia. Car insurance requirements differ in every state, and you want to make sure you’re following the law.
Here’s how much car insurance you need in West Virginia, what it costs, how to find the best deal by comparing quotes, and whether you should consider purchasing more coverage than the state minimum.
State laws dictate that all residents of West Virginia must carry insurance with the following limits, at a minimum, for each car that they own:1
Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person, up to $50,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
Uninsured motorist coverage: Limits matching those for bodily injury and property damage liability
Here’s a closer look at each.
Bodily injury liability coverage helps pay for medical expenses for anyone you injure in an accident (excluding people in your own car).
In West Virginia, a policy offering minimum coverage will pay up to $25,000 in medical bills for any one person. If you injure multiple people in an accident, it’ll pay a collective total of up to $50,000 toward their medical bills.
Similarly, property damage liability coverage pays for any damage that you cause to someone else’s property in an accident.
Often, that means the other driver’s car. But it could include other things too, such as personal assets that were damaged inside the car, like laptops or beloved pets. It could also apply to things you run into, like mailboxes or sheds.
In West Virginia, the minimum legal limit that all policies must offer is $25,000 for property damage liability. If you damage something costing more than that — such as someone’s brand-new Porsche — you’ll be on the hook to pay the rest from your own pocket.
Having your own liability insurance is all well and good, but what if someone who isn’t carrying this coverage hits you? If this happens, they won’t have any way to reimburse you.
Instead, West Virginia is one of several states that require drivers to also carry uninsured motorist coverage for just this scenario. If someone without liability insurance hits you, then your uninsured motorist coverage will kick in instead.
The minimum limits for an uninsured motorist policy in West Virginia must match those for your own liability coverage — that is, it’ll offer up to $25,000 toward your medical bills and $25,000 toward property damage.
Generally speaking, state-minimum coverage is always your cheapest option because it covers only the bare minimum you need to drive while following laws. But it’s a good idea to consider whether you should purchase higher limits on your existing liability policies, or even purchase other types of car insurance coverage entirely.
Full-coverage car insurance is usually the next step up when it comes to buying more insurance, offering coverage for your own car, too. In fact, if you’re paying off your car, your lender may require it.2
In West Virginia, buying a full-coverage policy bumps up your total cost by 150%, on average, compared to a minimum-coverage policy, Insurify data shows. You might also opt for this coverage if you wouldn’t be able to buy a new car outright if an accident totals your current vehicle.
It costs $83 per month in West Virginia for a minimum-coverage policy, according to Insurify data. If you’re driving in West Virginia, you’ll need to carry at least this amount of coverage to pay for injuries and damage if you cause an accident.
If you’re looking for protection for your own car — or if you’re paying off an auto loan or lease — a full-coverage policy might be in order. This adds collision insurance and comprehensive coverage to a basic policy to reimburse you if your car is damaged in an accident, no matter who caused the damage.
In West Virginia, the average price for full coverage is $150 per month.
See which insurers offer the cheapest full-coverage rates in West Virginia in the table below.
State law requires you to carry proof of insurance with you. If a law enforcement officer stops you or you’re involved in a car crash and can’t provide that proof, it’s considered a serious driving offense, with penalties that get increasingly harsh each time you’re caught:
Driver’s license suspension: 30 days for a first offense, 90 days for subsequent offenses
Vehicle registration suspension: Suspended until you can provide proof of insurance
License plate suspension: Suspended after your second or further offenses
Reinstatement fees and court fees: $50 license reinstatement fee, $100 registration reinstatement fee, plus a $50 fee for license plate confiscation if done by a police officer
In West Virginia, penalties for failure to provide proof of insurance are already strict enough. But if you’re caught providing false information, you’ll face even more severe penalties. Your driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days, and your car registration will be suspended until you get it insured again. Plus, you could face a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year of jail time.3
Additionally, auto insurance rates tend to be very high if you’ve been convicted of any driving violations, making it even harder to get back on the road.4
Whether you drive a lot through urban areas or rural areas, many West Virginia motorists find that other types of insurance coverage come in handy for certain situations. Here are a few others to consider, often available at affordable rates: