West Virginia is well known for its gorgeous mountains, rugged land and rolling hills. If you’re ever in the area, you might want to go for a scenic hike or embark on a whitewater rafting adventure.
While mountain biking is another popular mode of transportation and travel in The Mountain State, most West Virginians still prefer to get around by car. Perhaps you are considering a move to the state of West Virginia or you already live there and are looking for a new car insurance company.
No matter what your reason is for landing on this page, here is what you need to know about West Virginia car insurance laws.
What Are The Minimum Requirements For Car Insurance In West Virginia?
Even though car insurance is a requirement in most states, every state has their own unique set of requirements that you must meet to abide by their laws. In the state of West Virginia, every driver must have the following types of coverages on their policy:
- Liability coverage: This type of coverage is required in the state of West Virginia to cover the costs of damages and injuries in an accident that you cause. These are the minimum requirements for liability coverage:
- Bodily injury liability coverage: $25,000 per person.
- Total bodily injury liability coverage: $50,000 per accident, if multiple people are injured.
- Property damage liability coverage: $25,000.
- Uninsured motorist coverage: In a perfect world, all drivers would be insured with proper coverage, but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. This is why the state of West Virginia requires its residents to have uninsured motorist coverage on their policy. This type of coverage exists to cover you in the event that you are in an accident with another driver who is to blame for the accident but does not have insurance to cover the damages. The minimum requirements for uninsured motorist coverage are:
- Bodily injury: $100,000 per person.
- Total bodily injury: $300,000 per accident.
- Property damage: $50,000.
What Other Coverage Options Are Available In West Virginia?
Just because West Virginia requires you to have liability insurance and uninsured motorist insurance on your policy, doesn’t mean your coverage has to stop there. Many West Virginians feel like they need more security as far as car insurance goes. If this resonates you, there are several different types of options to choose from if you are looking to add to your plan. Here are some of the most common types of optional insurance coverages:
- Collision coverage: This type of insurance helps pay for the damages done to your car resulting from a car accident.
- Comprehensive coverage: This type of insurance coverage comes in handy if your car gets damaged by an event other than a car accident such as bad weather, theft, vandalism or other non-accident related causes.
- Medical payments.
- Towing and labor.
Keep in mind that while comprehensive and collision coverages are considered optional, they will most likely be required if you are leasing or financing your car.
What Happens If I Get Caught Violating West Virginia Car Insurance Laws?
To avoid facing penalties, it’s wise to carry your proof of insurance with you in your car at all times. If you are ever in a situation where you need to show proof of insurance and fail to do so, you could potentially face:
- A suspension of your car registration:
- In order to have your registration reinstated once it has been suspended, you will need to provide valid proof of insurance as well as pay a $100 fee.
- If you were asked to surrender your license plates, you will need to pay another $50 fee to get those reinstated as well.
- A suspended license:
- At the end of your license suspension period, you will need to pay $50 to reinstate it.
- The more offenses you accrue, the longer your license will be suspended each time.
Some drivers will attempt to provide false insurance information to avoid penalties or to avoid being insured altogether. This is a serious offense that will lead to:
- Your license being suspended for 90 days.
- Your car being taken away from you.
- A possible fine of up to $1,000.
- Potential jail time of up to one year.
Needless to say, take the insurance laws in West Virginia seriously. The consequences of violating the car insurance laws in your state are not worth it.