All drivers in the state of West Virginia are required to carry minimum amounts of liability insurance, or “financial responsibility,” in order to legally operate a vehicle on the West Virginia roadways.
The minimum financial responsibility requirements for West Virginia drivers are as follows:
A minimum of $25,000 per person, for bodily injury or death. This means you’ll need to carry a minimum of $50,000 to cover the lowest possible number of people involved in an accident (the two drivers).
A minimum $25,000 for property damage liability
This means that the total minimum amount of financial responsibility you will need is $75,000 to cover bodily injury or death, and property damage liability.
Additionally, all West Virginia drivers are required to carry uninsured motorist insurance in their minimum insurance policies, in the same amount as the total minimum liability insurance ($75,000). However, while this total minimum is all that is required of drivers to carry, insurance providers are required to offer you the following limits for uninsured motorist coverage:
A minimum of $100,000 per person, for bodily injury or death, and a total minimum of $300,000 to cover any possible injury or death.
A minimum of $50,000 for property damage
West Virginia drivers can choose to accept only the minimum amounts of uninsured motorist coverage in order to keep their premium cost down.
Proof of insurance
You must keep a proof of insurance document in your vehicle when driving, because you are required to show it during a traffic stop or at the scene of an accident. You must also have proof of insurance when registering your vehicle. The acceptable form of proof of insurance in West Virginia is a Certificate of Insurance or a WV-1 form, which is issued by an insurance provider. This form must include the insurance provider’s National Association of Insurance Commissioners number on it.
West Virginia uses an electronic monitoring system to verify the status of any vehicle’s insurance status. Because of this system, you do not need to have your WV-1 form in order to renew your registration in West Virginia.
Violation penalties
There are several types of penalties that West Virginia drivers may face if they are found guilty of an insurance violation. These include:
Suspension of vehicle registration, which can only be reinstated by paying a $100 fee and providing proof of insurance.
Suspension of vehicle plates, which can only be reinstated by paying a $50 fee.
Suspension of driver’s license, which can only be reinstated by paying a $50 fee after a specific suspension period.
Providing false insurance information to a law enforcement officer or to the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles can result in the following penalties:
A driver’s license suspension of up to 90 days
Revocation of vehicle
A maximum fine of $1,000
A possible sentence of one year in jail
For more information, or to renew your registration online, contact the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles through their website.
