West Virginia Compulsory Auto Insurance Law

Per the Compulsory Insurance Law, which is intended to protect vehicle drivers and passengers,  West Virginia auto insurance laws require you to have  20/40/10 minimum coverage-in other words Bodily Injury Liability for the minimum amount of $20,000 for every person up to $40,000 for every accident; Property Damage Liability coverage with a minimum amount of $10,000. West Virginia law also has an Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage requirement in a person's auto insurance policy. The Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage has to be for $20,000 for every person and $40,000 for every accident for any injuries that are caused by a driver who is not covered by car insurance.

Being a 'no fault' state, West Virginia car insurance pays no matter who is at fault in an accident. It is suggested that obtaining higher levels of liability and uninsured motor coverage is a consideration.

Many car insurance carriers offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) but it is not a requirement by West Virginia state law. PIP in your coverage will help with medical expenses that are "reasonable and necessary" for both you and the passengers in your car.

West Virginia enforces strict administrative and criminal penalties for owners/drivers of uninsured vehicles. Administrative penalties and criminal penalties have nothing to do with each other. For example, if you're compelled to appear in court and the charges are dropped, you'll still have to supply proof of insurance to the DMV.

Proof of insurance must be located in the vehicle at all times, and all registered vehicles are subject to random insurance verification by sample or by being stopped by a police officer.

In accordance with West Virginia auto insurance law, acceptable documents to show insurance coverage include:
1.   A temporary insurance card issued by the insurer.
2.   A premium receipt or insurance binder issued by the motorist's insurance agent.
3.   The current declarations page of a liability insurance policy.
4.   The actual liability insurance policy issued for the vehicle.
5.   A certificate of liability insurance policy issued by either the insurer or an authorized agent.
6.   Proof of purchase of a motor vehicle with the previous 60 days and a valid insurance card issued for the motor vehicle replaced by such purchase. The proof of purchase is to be a copy of the bill of sale if the vehicle is a pre-1975 year model, or the owner's permit (yellow) copy of the application for certificate of title for a 1975 and subsequent year model vehicle.
7.  A copy of the rental agreement when renting a motor vehicle, which specifies the insurance coverage.

Failing to show proof of insurance can cause your vehicle registration to be suspended. To reinstate your registration, you'll need to show proof of insurance to the DMV and pay the $100 fee, plus an extra $50 if the DMV sends a state-police secure order on your license plate.

Failing to show proof of insurance during a police check will cause your driver's license to be suspended for 30 days. A first offense lack of insurance reported by a police officer or insurance company will cause your license to be suspended for 30 days, and a second offense will suspend your license for 90 days. After the suspension, you'll need to pay a $50 reinstatement fee. To reinstate your registration and/or driver's license, you must obtain insurance, send proof and reinstatement fees to the DMV, and wait for a reinstatement date, which will be after your suspension ends.